Green Back to School Shopping with Crayola (Giveaway)

One Goodies for Mom reader will win a colorful, green prize back from Crayola and MyBlogSpark that includes:

• Crayola Markers 
• Crayola Crayons
• Crayola Colored Pencils.

Since back to school shopping is upon us and an expensive fact of life, it makes it a little easier on us moms if we at least feel like we are being a little greener in the process.  Crayola is helping us do just that as we buy school supplies this fall. We can feel even better about Crayola products because we are supporting a brand that cares about kids and the environment, while still getting the same great quality and colors at the same price! Yes, you read that correctly for the SAME PRICE. So while some environmentally-friendly products cost more green, not so with Crayola! And they work the same as the ones we've known since we were kids.

According to the Crayola website, "Crayola may make virtually every color under the sun, but its current favorite is green. By using renewable energy, reducing waste and protecting the rainforests, Crayola's green initiative is helping to ensure that today's kids will have a healthy environment for their creative tomorrows."

But how are they doing this? As part of Crayola’s green initiative, this back-to-school season, Crayola is making crayons with solar power, markers from recycled bottle caps, and colored pencils from reforested wood.

The packaging of Crayola crayons, markers and colored pencils have special icons calling out the way each product is lessening its impact on the environment. These affordable and “green” back-to-school essentials include:

Crayola Markers - New, innovative ways to manufacture Crayola markers from recycled bottle caps, “black” is the new “green!” Crayola markers will now have black barrels instead of white, which allows for more recycled plastic to be used and gives a second life to more than 1 million pounds of plastic bottle caps. Plus, switching to black barrels keeps hundreds of tons of plastic out of landfills each year.

Crayola Green 24-ct. Crayons - More than 26,200 solar panels will convert sunlight into electricity, generating the energy required to make 1 billion of the 3 billion crayons Crayola makes each year, which equals 60 million 24-ct. boxes.

Crayola Green Colored Pencils - All Crayola colored pencils have been made from reforested wood instead of wood sourced from tropical rainforest or endangered species. For every tree used, a new tree of the same species is planted.



ENTER TO WIN
To win this colorful, green products from Crayola, just visit Crayola website than return to leave us a comment telling us what product you would most like to try from the Crayola Store. Deadline is September 17, 2010 at midnight EST. Open to US residents only.

More Chances to Win
Extra entries for:

• Follow Crayola on Facebook.
• Follow Crayola on Twitter.
• Linking to this contest.
• Subscribing to our feed.
• Follow us on Twitter.
• Following us with Blogger.
• Having a link or button to the Goodies for Mom site on your site
• Tweeting about this giveaway.

Just leave us a separate comment for each letting us know. Make sure to share your links with us.

Disclaimer: The Crayola products, information, and giveaway were all provided by Crayola through MyBlogSpark.

Winner of Seventh Generation Giveaway

Congratulations to the winner of the Get Ready for Back-to-School with Seventh Generation (Review/Giveaway):

• Commenter # 5 - Hbomb

Thanks so much to Seventh Generation and MyBlogSpark for sponsoring this great giveaway!

“Every Step Walk” to Support Hunter’s Hope

Pro Hall of Fame Quarterback Jim Kelly and wife Jill Invite New Jersey to Participate

Hamilton / Trenton, NJ – In an aggressive attempt to educate and fundraise on both local and national levels again this year, organizations and families throughout the country have come together with the Hunter’s Hope Foundation to assist in the effort to make Universal Newborn Screening in the United States a reality – hopefully in the near future.
Universal Newborn Screening ensures that every child born in the United States has a fair start in life by testing them for every possible disease, thereby ensuring early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of potentially devastating diseases.

According to the Hunter’s Hope Foundation, one in 100,000 live births in the United States are afflicted with Krabbe Disease, an inherited neurodegenerative lysosomal enzyme disorder affecting the central and peripheral nervous systems. Moreover, about 2 million people (or one out of 125) in the United States are carriers of the genetic deficiency that causes Krabbe Disease. If both parents carry a disease-causing mutation in the GALC gene, there is a 25 percent chance of having a Krabbe affected child with each conception.

By hosting the Every Step Walk locally at Veteran’s Park in Hamilton, NJ, “we hope to help the Hunter’s Hope Foundation raise awareness of the need for newborn screenings. Currently, there’s only one state that screens for Krabbe Disease. If caught before symptoms start to show, diseases, like Krabbe, can often be treated,” said Nichole, whose daughter suffers from Krabbe Leukodystrophy.

Nichole’s daughter was five months old when symptoms of the disease began to appear and she started to regress. “She was diagnosed in December; it was right around Christmas. She lost milestones. She can’t hold her head up anymore. She won’t be able to walk. She’s basically like a newborn, and although she eats baby food, she also requires a feeding tube to supplement what she is able to consume.”

“Each year, children die or become permanently disabled because they were born in the wrong state,” said Jim Kelly, Founder of Hunter’s Hope and Pro Football Hall of Fame Quarterback. “We have the chance to help give these children hope and a future from the moment they are born through Universal Newborn Screening. We are excited that the New Jersey community is walking for our mission on August 29th. Together, we can and will make a difference in the lives of thousands of children – Every Step we take will make a difference.”

The first Every Step Walk … the Walk for Universal Newborn Screening to benefit Hunter’s Hope will be held on August 29, 2010 at Veteran’s Park in Hamilton. Day of event registration as well as pre-walk activities begin at 9:00 am followed by the opening ceremony at 10:00 am.

Pre-registration for this non-competitive event is strongly encouraged. Walkers and teams can register online at http://www.huntershope.org/. An opening pledge of $20 counts toward an overall fundraising goal and includes lunch and entertainment. Fundraising incentives are also offered!

About Universal Newborn Screening
Newborn Screening is a state-based public health system that is essential for preventing the devastating consequences of a number of medical conditions not clinically recognizable at birth. All babies in the U.S. receive newborn screening, although all babies are not screened for the same number of diseases. By screening every baby at birth for the same number of diseases, serious mental or physical disabilities, even death can be prevented. Thousands of children die and thousands more become permanently disabled because they were not screened at birth through their state’s Newborn Screening Program. Everyday another treatable disease will take another child’s life. Every newborn in every state needs to be tested for every possible disease. One heel prick is all it takes.

About the Hunter’s Hope Foundation
Established in 1997 by Jim Kelly and his wife Jill, after their infant son, Hunter (February 14, 1997 – August 5, 2005) was diagnosed with Krabbe Leukodystrophy, an inherited fatal nervous system disease. While Jim and Jill have been blessed with the opportunity to share Hunter’s story and the hope of the Foundation named after their son all over the world – their greatest passion is to bring encouragement and hope to families in the midst of suffering. The Foundation’s mission and focus is threefold: to fund research necessary to treat and cure Krabbe Disease as well as other devastating leukodystrophies, increase newborn screening standards across the United States to obtain early detection and treatment for all treatable diseases, and ultimately Hunter’s Hope exists to inspire all parents to thank God for their children.


For details, visit: http://www.huntershope.org/

Get Ready for Back-to-School with Seventh Generation (Review/Giveaway)

One (1) lucky Goodies for Mom reader will win a Seventh Generation "Back-to-School" kit courtesy of Seventh Generation.

The winner receive the following great eco-friendly products from Seventh Generation:

• Seventh Generation backpack
• two canisters of Seventh Generation disinfecting wipes (one for home and one to donate to your child´s classroom),
• disinfecting multi-surface spray cleaner,
• facial tissue and
• paper towels

We at Goodies for Mom always love receiving products to use from Seventh Generation because they work hard to protect our environment and our homes. Our favorite is the disinfecting multi-surface spray cleaner. It really brings a shine to your surfaces and cleans even tough dried up spills, which we have a lot of at our house. The disinfecting wipes will be greatly appreciated by your child's teacher since as we all know it seems like children are germ magnets.

With nearly 22 million school days lost each year due to the common cold and flu (CDC) and as many as 2.7 million bacterial found per square inch on common school surfaces (NSF International), it´s no wonder that 82 percent of parents with kids in grades K-5 fret about the germs in their children´s classrooms (according to a survey conducted by Seventh Generation).

This school year, Seventh Generation is sharing tips from best-selling author and pediatrician, Dr. Alan Greene, to help parents protect their child´s health during back-to-school season. Dr. Greene suggests taking the following precautions:

Optimize the immune system

• Reap the benefits of probiotics like those found in yogurt. A recent study showed that children who received enough probiotics daily throughout the cold and flu season had a significant reduction in the number of illnesses they had and, when they did get sick, the symptoms were both milder and didn't last as long.
• Be sure your child is getting plenty of vitamin D from the sun, from food, or from a supplement.
• Build a strong foundation. Good food, good sleep, and good physical activity all help the immune system to flourish.
• Be wise about reducing unnecessary exposure to harmful germs
• Teach children the key times to clean their hands in the classroom. The most important times include after sneezing, coughing or using the restroom, upon leaving "high-risk" places (recess, naptime, play stations) and before meals or snacks.

History of germs (video courtesy of Seventh Generation)


ENTER TO WIN

To win this wonderful tote bag filled with Seventh Generation products, just visit the Seventh Generation website than return to leave us a comment telling us what product you would most like to try from their fine line of eco-friendly products. Deadline is August 20, 2010 at midnight EST. Open to US residents only.

More Chances to Win

Extra entries for:

• Linking to this contest
• Subscribing to our feed, follow us on Twitter or following us with Blogger,
• Having a link or button to the Goodies for Mom site on your site
• Tweeting about this giveaway

Just leave us a separate comment for each letting us know. Make sure to share your links with us.

P.S. You can get great coupons for Seventh Generations products by clicking here and joining the Seventh Generation Nation.

About Seventh Generation
Seventh Generation is committed to becoming the world's most trusted brand of authentic, safe, and environmentally-responsible products for a healthy home.  For information on Seventh Generation cleaning, paper, baby and feminine personal care products, to find store locations, and explore the company's website visit http://www.seventhgeneration.com/.

Disclaimer: We received the products, gift pack, and an aadditional gift pack to give away free of charge from Seventh Generation through MyBlogSpark.

Back-to-School Sanity Saver Tips from Annie Pleshette Murphy

from Office Max

With summer winding down, it’s important for the entire family to transition from a summer playhouse to a more structured environment BEFORE school starts.

To do this without loosing your sanity, Annie Pleshette Murphy a psychologist, author, parenting expert for Good Morning America, and former editor-in-chief of Parents magazine recently teamed up with OfficeMax to host the “Back to School Sanity Savers Blogcast” where she provided tips and tricks for getting your family prepared and your kids ready to head back to class without a hitch.

You can view some of Annie’s great tips below, or check out the 30 minute Sanity Savers video provided by OfficeMax by clicking here!

1. Roll back your child's bedtime in 10-15 minute increments leading up to the first day of school, so they're in the habit of going to bed and waking up earlier!

2. Schedule a nightly "Family Quiet Hour" to avoid the evening "witching hour" when homework time can be particularly challenging. During quiet hour, the entire family should turn off the TV and literally do something quiet. For kids, they can do homework or read. For parents, this is a great time to pay bills, read, do a puzzle with the kids, etc. This hour builds good work habits and also helps you connect as a family in ways that TV just can’t.

3. Kick first day anxieties your child may experience by trying to meet the teacher or a few kids in your child's class before school starts. There’s nothing like having a few familiar faces to ease first-day jitters. And if it’s the first day of first grade or a new school, definitely do a dry run by walking or driving them to see the building.

4. Engage your child in the back-to-school process! Sit down with your child, read the school materials and fill them out together. Talk about his/her teacher, the room number, school supply list, and any after school activities. Most importantly, remember if you model calm, collected behavior, your kids will be far more relaxed as school approaches.

5. Setup a family calendar in a central location that EVERYONE can view. Color-code activities for each child and mark important dates for school on the calendar. Find out ahead of time what your child will be participating in and keep an eye out for conflicts. For the first week of school, don't make any plans, so you can adjust as a family. And don't forget to schedule down time as a family and a regular date night for mom and dad!

6. Create a Parent/Kid station. A clever, easy solution to morning madness is to designate an area near the door or place you walk by every day where you can set up a central station for everyone’s necessities. The idea is to have space and easy access to all the things you don’t want to leave behind. The parent's station could include a space for house keys, spare change, cell phone charger, and inbox/outbox for your child’s school forms. The kids' station should include a place for their sports equipment, lunch box, snacks, backpack, etc.

7. Buy school supplies early and let your child select items that reflect his/her personality. New school supplies can make the back-to-school process fun and exciting. Let your child choose items that reflect their taste and personality. When it comes to the almightily backpack, look for wide padded straps and padded back. Teach your child to pack the heavy items at the back of their bag to prevent shoulder strain. And remember, you're child's backpack should not way more than 10-20% of their body weight.

8. Create savvy shoppers by engaging your child in the school supply shopping experience. If you're child is old enough, arm them with a calculator, list and budget and do the shopping together, considering the available funds. Explain that they can spend a lot on one special item – like a new backpack – but that they will then need to buy plain pencils or use last year’s binders. You can also teach kids that private brands like OfficeMax's Schoolio product line are a great way to save on supplies while still getting fun designs and patterns.

9. Involved parents equals good, happy students. Several studies show that children whose parents are involved in their education do better academically and socially. Open the lines of communication as soon as you receive your child’s classroom assignment. Most teachers are accessible by email, so a quick note expressing your hope for a great year, eagerness to meet the teacher and willingness to volunteer in the classroom is a nice gesture.

10. Stay engaged in your child’s class throughout the year. Create a weekly report card that addressed your child’s specific challenges. For example, list 3-4 questions on an index card: Is my child keeping up with the reading? Getting homework in on time? Participating in class? Yes/No questions are best. Needless to say, having to hand the teacher a card is a good incentive for your child to connect with his/her teacher and a nice way for you to stay updated on your child’s progress.

Learn more about Annie Pleshette Murphy at annpleshettemurphy.com. Find your local school supply deals at OfficeMax or view school supply lists by grade on OfficeMax’s Back-to-School site. You can also find OfficeMax on Facebook or @OfficeMax on Twitter.

Fisher-Price Recalls Little People Play 'n Go Campsite™

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, in cooperation with Fisher-Price has announced a voluntary recall of the Little People Play 'n Go Campsite™. The plastic Sonya Lee figure in the play set can break at the waist, exposing small parts that pose a choking hazard to young children. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. They have received eight reports of the Sonya Lee figure breaking. Thankfully, no injuries have been reported.

[More Information]

Source: Consumer Product Safety Commision. (2010). Fisher-Price Recalls Little People Play 'n Go Campsite™ Due to Choking Hazard.