Money? What Money?! {#CarNatPar}

Welcome to the October Carnival of Natural Parenting: Money Matters
This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama. This month our participants have shared how finances affect their parenting choices. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.
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Photo by Aaron Patterson

I’ve learned that being “poor” is the easiest way to go green. Really, it is. Now, I’ve always leaned toward living naturally. Heck, I was the only person in my high school to celebrate Earth Day – and by “celebrate” I mean that I walked around the town I lived in and picked up trash for a couple of hours. I really didn’t know much else about it. I was raised in an upper middle-class family. We consumed and wasted a lot of stuff. Even when I was in my twenties and worked as a waitress, I didn’t really think about my lifestyle. I lived in Los Angeles, had The Oldest there, and was on a very tight budget. I guess it wasn’t tight enough – if I wanted something, I bought it. I didn’t think twice about the environment or the effects it had on my child. Then…

In early 2008, just weeks after hubby and I were married, I learned that we were expecting Little Guy. I was working third shift as a baker at a coffee shop. Just a month after finding out I was pregnant, hubby had an accident that totaled our minivan (thankfully, no one was hurt.) The next day, I found out that I couldn’t keep working at a job that had me on my feet & lifting heavy things for 8 – 10 hours a day. I had started bleeding and an ultrasound revealed that I had placenta previa. OK, no big deal. We talked it over and decided not to replace the van. Since I didn’t need to get to work at hours that the buses didn’t run anymore, we really had no need for a vehicle. It would save us a ton on gas money, insurance, and repairs (I swear, that thing cost us exactly $500 every time anything went wrong.) Hubby worked days and the buses ran right on schedule for him. So, #1 way to “afford” living more naturally:

NO CAR!

I decided to get back to school while I wasn’t working, so I started an online program that would have resulted in earning a Bachelor’s degree. I applied for financial aid and obtained a Pell Grant and a couple of student loans. Twice a year, I received a stipend check that helped pay for our utilities and rent (a.k.a. “room and board”), leaving some extra money out of hubby’s checks to pay for baby things, maternity clothes, little extras for The Oldest, etc. It was great – we were actually doing better with me home and not having a car than when I was working and driving!

We were even looking for a larger apartment. Our place was a one-bedroom, 625 sq. ft. apartment that we called “The House that Herb Built” (Herb being our landlord.) The angles of the walls, floors, and ceilings are wonky – you can never hang a picture and make it look straight because all of the angles are so crazy. The insulation (if there is any) in the walls is so thin that a gust of wind can be felt through the entire place. My Oldest had the bedroom and we were sleeping on a twin mattress in the living room. What were we going to do when Baby came?

Then, hubby was injured at work. It wasn’t a workman’s comp. type of situation, he had some medical problems that caused the accident and, as a result, was unable to work any longer. He filed for SSI in July of 2008. It was a good thing that I was at home because he needed care and someone to be around all of the time. Some of his medications had him walking around outside our apartment at 3am not knowing where he was. For a while there, I had one of those alarms on the door that beep loudly whenever it was opened so I knew if he had gotten lost on the five-foot walk from the living room to the bathroom and made his way outside. Without his income, we just couldn’t afford to move. We learned to make our small apartment work.

It can be hard, especially in the winter, with all of us in this little apartment. When cabin fever strikes, we do two things: purge our belongings and watch a TV show or DVD about how others live around the world. We receive all kinds of hand-me-down stuff from people. Rather than donating to the Salvation Army, people bring their useless junk to us instead. Then there’s hubby, who can’t go past a dumpster without peeking inside. Therefore, the place fills up rather quickly and a good purge helps. I read Momma Jorje’s Monday Minimalist posts to help get myself in the mood for this! And, because you just don’t know how good you have it until you see how other people live, I try to find some kind of show that features a family of 10 living in a hut the size of Oldest’s bedroom. We’ll all sit on the twin bed in the living room, passing around popcorn, and remind ourselves that we have it really, really good! There you have the #2 way to “afford” living more naturally:  

LIVE IN THE SMALLEST SPACE POSSIBLE.

Money started to get really tight with only my stipends to live on – they totaled only $8,000 a year. Our rent took nearly half of that, and utilities took the rest. We had to apply for food stamps – no choice. I also started going to WIC for milk, cereal, juice, etc. WIC even had a great program called Project Fresh that allotted me $50 a month to spend at the farmer’s market! We stopped eating out altogether – it was just way too expensive. We used to order pizza twice a month. I decided to make it from scratch, instead. It cost roughly $4 to make the same amount of pizza that we paid $25 to have someone deliver. (When I think about spending a whopping FIFTY DOLLARS on pizza – just two meals – every month, I want to kick myself!) I also started to make my own bread, froze as much farmer’s market produce as I could fit into the freezer, and stopped buying pop and junk food. Tortilla chips and shredded cheese, for instance, replaced chips. This was healthier AND the fact that we actually had to make nachos rather than grab a handful of chips when we were hungry made us all think twice about why we wanted to eat in the first place. Was it to fuel our bodies, or “just because”? I had also been reading a book called Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. She and her family agreed to eat only locally-grown food (I think it was within 50 miles of their home?) for one year. As she describes how the family met their challenge, some disturbing facts about fuel consumption, pesticides, and many other food-related eco-unfriendly truths are revealed. Yeah, our eating habits definitely changed and the #3 way to “afford” living more naturally was born:  

KNOW WHERE YOUR FOOD COMES FROM AND WHAT IT’S MADE FROM.

Little Guy was born and I learned that there’s a huge difference between “want” and “need”. We did not need the things that you always see on those lists from baby registries: bottles, swing, wipes warmer, monitor, crib, changing table… I had breasts (well, actually, I still have them!) that held his food at the right temperature and didn’t cost anything, I held him all of the time, we made our own wipes on an as-needed basis so the water was always warm, um – don’t need a monitor if you’re in the vicinity of baby all of the time, we co-sleep, a blanket on the floor or bed works perfectly as a changing table. I can go on and on about how all of those “must have” items are a waste of money, space, and resources. The only thing that we really had to worry about was laundry and diapers. I never had the full amount needed to invest in cloth and, just three years ago, the availability of affordable cloth diapers was limited (or I just didn’t know where to look.) Clothing, toys, etc. were easy to come by – we either received hand-me-downs or I hit up the local thrift stores. When he started eating food, I just made my own from farmer’s market finds. Rather than buying all kinds of little freezer bowls and special baby food making equipment, I just used the blender and asked on Freecycle.com for some baby food jars. Hence, #4 of how to “afford” living more naturally:

LEARN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN “NEED” AND “WANT”.

Since this is getting very long, I’m going to make this the last one (yay!)* One thing I worry about is my Oldest son. He is growing up with friends whose families are still stuck in consumer mode. Even though we live closer to the low-socioeconomic side of town, his friends still get new shoes & clothing, video games, junk food, etc. And here’s my kid, trying to be cool in last year’s styles from the thrift store, trying to keep up on the newest video games so he can talk about them without actually having ever seen them, and eating an apple for a snack rather than a bag of Cheeto's. He doesn’t complain, but I know it’s hard. Now that he’s in high school, it’s even harder. Other kids judge. And, while it’s all well and good to keep telling him that they’re just being stupid teens and one day they’ll realize that the style of shirt you’re wearing doesn’t define who you are – it doesn’t make today any easier for him.

So, without a lot of money and attempting to live green, I started to enter blog giveaways and take surveys that offer Amazon.com gift cards and PayPal payments. I use these to get gifts and “cool” stuff for the kids, especially my Oldest. Last week, he gave me his Christmas list. Yeah, I know… BEFORE October even started! You know why? “Because I know that if you win something, it can take a while for it to get here.” He made up a very modest list of things he’d like because he knows that I can attempt to enter giveaways or check out Amazon for sales of these items. Some of the things I win or buy aren’t 100% green, but I have to remember what I felt like when I was his age. I want him to feel good about himself and have the self-esteem that I didn’t. This year, he will be wearing his very first non-homemade costume for Halloween thanks to a giveaway I won (kinda cool since it'll be his last year trick-or-treating!) I know that he understands my lifestyle choices and he knows why I made the decisions I have made. He and I have had numerous conversations about why such-and-such is bad (for him, for people, for the earth…) and I see him making eco-friendly decisions more and more. However, it’s important to note that I made these choices for me. I cannot deprive him of the things he wants or make him feel bad for wanting them just because of my opinions. The final thing to remember if you want to “afford” to live more naturally is:

FIND WAYS TO LET YOUR KIDS BE PART OF THE CROWD.

So, how do you live more naturally and still make ends meet? We’ve gone without and learned how to live comfortably, but there’s always room for improvement!
Any suggestions?

*I have a lot more to say on this subject, but I wanted to keep it at a readable length. :)

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Visit Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!

Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:

(This list will be live and updated by afternoon October 11 with all the carnival links.)

• Money Matter$ — Jenny at I'm a full-time mummy shares her experiences on several ways to save money as a parent.
• A different kind of life... — Mrs Green from Little Green Blog shares her utopian life and how it differs from her current one!
• Show Me The Money! — Arpita of Up, Down & Natural shares her experience of planning for parenting costs while also balancing the financial aspect of infertility treatments.
• Material v Spiritual Wealth - Living a Very Frugal Life with Kids — Amy at Peace 4 Parents shares her family's realizations about the differences between material and spiritual wealth.
• If I Had a Money Tree — Sheila at A Gift Universe lists the things she would buy for her children if money were no object.
• Financial Sacrifices, Budgets, and the Single Income Family — Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama looks at the importance of living within your means, the basics of crafting a budget, and the "real cost" of working outside of the home.
• Overcoming My Fear of All Things Financial — Christine at African Babies Don't Cry shares how she is currently overcoming her fear of money and trying to rectify her ignorance of all things financial.
• Confessions of a Cheapskate — Adrienne at Mommying My Way admits that her cheapskate tendencies that were present pre-motherhood only compounded post-baby.
• Money Matters — Witch Mom hates money; here's why.
• Money? What Money?! — Alicia C. at McCrenshaw's Newest Thoughts describes how decisions she's made have resulted in little income, yet a green lifestyle for her and her family.
• What matters. — Laura at Our Messy Messy Life might worry about spending too much money on the grocery budget, but she will not sacrifice quality to save a dollar.
• Making Ends Meet — Abbie at Farmer's Daughter shares about being a working mom and natural parent.
• Poor People, Wealthy Ways — Sylvia at MaMammalia discusses how existing on very little money allows her to set an example of how to live conscientiously and with love.
• The Green Stuff — Amyables at Toddler In Tow shares how natural parenting has bettered her budget - and her perspective on creating and mothering.
• Jemma's Money — Take a sneak peek at That Mama Gretchen's monthly budget and how Jemma fits into it.
• 5 Tips for How to Save Time and Money by Eating Healthier — Family meal prep can be expensive and time-consuming without a plan! Dionna at Code Name: Mama shares five easy tips for how to make your cooking life (and budget) easier.
• Belonging in the Countryside — Lack of money led Phoebe at Little Tinker Tales towards natural parenting, but it also hinders her from realizing her dream.
• Total Disclosure and Total Reform — Claire at The Adventures of Lactating Girl gets down to the nitty gritty of her money problems with hopes that you all can help her get her budget under control.
• Save Money by Using What You Have — Gaby at Tmuffin is only good with money because she's lazy, has trouble throwing things away, and is indecisive. Here are some money-saving tips that helped her manage to quit her job and save enough money to become a WAHM.
• Two Hippos & Ten Euros: A Lesson in Budgeting — MudpieMama shares all about how her boys managed a tight budget at a recent zoo outing.
• ABBA said it — Laura from A Pug in the Kitchen ponders where her family has come from, where they are now and her hopes for her children's financial future.
• Money vs. Time — Momma Jorje writes about cutting back on junk, bills, and then ultimately on income as well ~ to gain something of greater value: Time.
• An Unexpected Cost of Parenting — Moorea at MamaLady shares how medical crises changed how she feels about planning for parenthood.
• 5 Ways This Stay at Home Mom Saves Money — Charise at I Thought I Knew Mama shares 5 self-imposed guidelines that help her spend as little money as possible.
• Frugal Parenting — Lisa at My World Edenwild shares 8 ways she saves money and enriches her family's lives at the same time.
• Conscious Cash Conscious — Zoie at TouchstoneZ shares her 5 money-conscious considerations that balance her family’s joy with their eco-friendly ideals.
• Money, Sex and Having it All — Patti at Jazzy Mama explains how she's willing to give up one thing to get another. (And just for fun, she pretends to give advice on how to build capital in the bedroom.)
• Money could buy me ... a clone? — With no local family to help out, Jessica Claire at Crunchy-Chewy Mama wants childcare so she can take care of her health.
• Spending Intentionally — CatholicMommy loves to budget! Join her to learn what to buy, what not to buy, and, most importantly, where to buy.
• New lessons from an allowance — Lauren at Hobo Mama welcomes a follow-up guest post from Sam about the latest lessons their four-year-old's learned from having his own spending money.
• How to Homeschool without Spending a Fortune — Deb Chitwood at Living Montessori Now shares tips and links to many resources for saving money while homeschooling from preschool through high school.
• It's Not a Baby Crisis. It's Not Even a Professional Crisis. — Why paid maternity leave, you may ask? Rachael at The Variegated Life has some answers.
• "Making" Money — Do you like to do-it-yourself? Amy at Anktangle uses her crafty skills to save her family money and live a little greener.
• Money On My Mind — Luschka at Diary of a First Child has been thinking about money and her relationship with it, specifically how it impacts on her parenting, her parenting choices, and ultimately her lifestyle.
• Spending, Saving, and Finding a Balance — Melissa at The New Mommy Files discusses the various choices she and her family have made that affect their finances, and finds it all to be worth it in the end.
• Accounting for Taste — Cassie at There's a Pickle in My Life shares their budget and talks about how they decided food is the most important item to budget for.
• Money Matters... But Not Too Much — Mamapoekie at Authentic Parenting shares how her family approaches money without putting too much of a focus onto it.
• Parenting While Owning a Home Business — In a guest post at Natural Parents Network, Lauren at Hobo Mama lays out the pros and cons of balancing parenting with working from home.
• Crunchy Living is SO Expensive...Or Is It? — Kelly at Becoming Crunchy talks about her biggest objection to natural living - and her surprise at what she learned.
• Mo' Money, Mo' Problems — Sarah at Parenting God's Children shares how a financial accountability partner changed her family's finances.
• The Importance of Food Planning — Amanda at Let's Take the Metro discusses how food budgeting and planning has helped her, even if she doesn't always do it.
• Kids & Money: Starting an Allowance for Preschoolers — Kristin at Intrepid Murmurings discusses her family's approach and experiences with starting an allowance for preschoolers.

Earth Day {Post I}

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So, today is Earth Day. Here's my problem: Our community doesn't celebrate until next Saturday. With the holiday weekend, it's hard to get people to participate in this kind of thing. To get more participation, they decided to wait a week and do it then. Good idea. Just think about it: 1) It will be held on a Saturday, when more people will not be working, 2) There won't be bunnies, eggs, and candy on most people's minds, 3) It will be held at the end of our area's Spring Break, when most kids are "bored" and parents are willing to do anything to get them busy!

I will write a second post that pertains to what we did in the community next week! As for today, we really don't go all out and celebrate Earth Day. We try to live with the earth in mind every day. I tend to feel that the big to-do of Earth Day is more aimed at those who just don't think about becoming more green. I feel having this single day per year as a way to educate others about the need to think about the planet and to give them easy-to-do ideas that they could actually use in their daily lives. So, here is a brief list of some of the (easy) questions you can ask yourself in your every day decisions:

How can I use this again?

I save nearly everything. My kitchen looks ridiculous. But, I reuse nearly everything at least once. Jars, bowls, bags, spice jars, paper bags... I use them for food storage, to wrap gifts, to keep things organized, and to keep the kids busy. For instance, those spaghetti sauce jars are great for freezing soups, sauces, and even produce that looks like it's going to go bad soon. I just sent my sister a bunch of seeds that I saved from last year's garden in spice jars and prescription pill bottles that I washed out. I put a nice bows on them and used a little paint to add a picture of the plant that would grow from the seeds inside. And, finally, my kids love messing around with my pile of "junk". I give them markers or crayons and some glue and off they go! They've made robots, cars, and many abstract pieces of art from all of the boxes, bags, and toilet paper rolls I have laying around. The best part? They're being creative, not using any energy (i.e. TV), and they can spend hours screwing around with little help from me!

Can I use the packaging for something else when the product is gone?

This kind of goes hand-in-hand with the above. Yes, I have been known to buy a new brand just so I can get my hands on the package it comes in! I think that it's important to consider the packaging a product comes in before buying it. There have been times when I've passed up a good sale on something I wanted (not needed) because the amount of packaging that would go directly into the trash can was staggering. I've even written to these companies, telling them why I opted to buy a different brand or not buy at all. When enough consumers don't but these things, companies will have no choice but to rethink their packaging. In the end, it'll save us from tons of trash making its way to landfills!

Is it worth the drive?

Now, many of you know that we don't have a car anymore, but we once did. I remember looking in the fridge and seeing that we were low on milk. I'd jump into the car and drive a mile to Kroger to get milk and maybe pick up a few other items. I didn't need those other things, just the milk, but while I was there... Anyway, before the car was only a memory, I began to question myself: What else do we really need? Can I walk to the little store on the corner (a block away) to get what we need? The answer was most often - Yes, go walk down there. It may have been snowing or raining, but when I considered how much time I'd be outside when I had to go from the house to the car, the car (usually waaayyyy out in the parking lot) to the store, and back again, the walk to the store was a better deal.

Is there a different form of entertainment?

We used to go to the movies a lot. Then we realized that it was just a wasteful way to spend the afternoon. I mean, we might have arrived to the theater together, but movie-watching is kind of an individual experience, you know? We'd but treats there. The packaging is nuts - a small box of candy wrapped in a piece pf plastic. A cardboard tray with a handful of nachos and a couple of squirts of "cheese food" in plastic cups. It all gets tossed into a trash can when you're through with them. Theaters have managed to turn their audio systems up to full-tilt, causing any conversation after the movie to be pointless - WHAT???

Can I make this from scratch?

Yeah, cooking from scratch has such a bad rap. My theory is that a bunch of women got together and decided to scare the pants off of younger women. "Oh, wait until you have to cook dinner every night!" and "You'll be slaving over a hot stove, just like me, one day soon!" It's kind of the same mentality that has every young pregnant woman in complete fear of labor and delivery to where they just say they're not going to try natural, "I'm asking for an epidural the minute I walk into that hospital!" seems to be the mantra of those who listened a little too closely to Aunt Maude's horrific story of childbirth their entire lives. 

ANYWAY, I'm here to say that the torture of cooking from scratch is all a myth. It takes a little longer than popping something frozen into a microwave for five to seven minutes, but not an all-day project unless you want it to be. I make homemade pizza about two times a week. The dough is easy - mix five ingredients in a bowl, cover it up for an hour or so, roll it out, and you're done. Slap on some spaghetti sauce and shred cheese over it all and you merely need to bake for 15 minutes! You can add meat, veggies, etc. but it's not required. Crock pots make it even easier. Cut a bunch of stuff up, cover, turn a little knob, and in a few hours you have a delicious dinner! What I'm saying is that cooking from scratch is simple. It saves you money, It keeps packaging out of the trash. It keeps companies from creating waste and pollution when they make your frozen dinner... Get the idea?

How did they do this in the Depression Era/times of war/before _____ was invented?

Really. It works! What did people do when they didn't have Zip-Loc bags? How did anyone live before TV? What did kids play with before video games and electronic toys? When you think of all the things you do nowadays, take a moment to think about what it was like before the things you use all of the time were around. I often show my kids the typical toys that kids in the 1920's played with. My oldest has always been interested in having his own go-kart/scooter thingy. I've told him over and over again where he could find wood, wheels, nails, and a hammer. He wants instructions. I don't believe that kids way back then had books or the Internet to look this stuff up. They just tries and tried again. This summer, that's his project - to make one by using his own wits and some scraps I've been saving (for whatever) in the basement! Hopefully I'll be able to have him help me write a post of his trials and errors in August. But, back to the point - People had to use their own imaginations to figure out how to do things for themselves. They didn't pop over to WalMart to stock up on Rubbermaid containers, Fry Daddies, and Gorilla Glue, you know? See if you can find a way to replace some of your everyday items with something else that is cheaper and friendlier to the earth!

 

Is it really that much more convenient?

I often think that people spend more time and energy trying to figure out how to get out of doing things than just rolling up their sleeves and doing the stupid task. leaning, for instance. It is great to just grab a paper towel to clean up that puddle of ???? that your kid just left on the kitchen floor. But, why not use a cloth? "Oh, if I use a cloth, I'll have to rinse it out, throw it in the washer, dry it, find a place to keep it... Think about those paper towels, though. You had to go to a store and buy them. Where did the money come from? If you work a minimum wage job, those paper towels probably cost you nearly a half hour of work. Are they worth it? Think of all the half-hours you spend each year working just so you can clean up a little puddle in the kitchen. Puts a new perspective on things, doesn't it? And then there's the environmental impact. Many paper towel manufacturers use a little polyester in their formulas to give you a stronger towel. This stuff is essentially plastic, and we all know by now that plastic doesn't break down in landfills. An old shirt turned into a rag is certainly strong and it takes just a second to rinse out. When the rag has outlived it's usefulness, it WILL break down, too! There are a lot of things that seem convenient (fast food!) that really end up NOT being all that great when you really analyze them.

Do I really need it?

Oh! I think I just hit a nerve with a few of you. "Do I really need it?" is a tough one. I have tons of things I say I need: shoes, make up, new vacuum cleaner, new rugs for the kitchen... I don't really need any of them. I think that American culture has us in the mind-set that we "need" everything. My oldest "needs" the newest video game. My husband "needs" new headphones. Even Little Guy has gotten in on the game by recently telling me he "needs" donuts. I have old shoes that are not worn out anywhere, I don't wear make up often enough to warrant any kind of need, my vacuum hose is broken and fixed with tape - it works, do I really have to have rugs in the kitchen?, oldest has enough games, hubby's headphones work just fine (they're not as loud as he likes, but I think his ears would disagree!), and Little Guy does NOT need donuts! By merely thinking of those in third world countries that go without all of the time but still survive and even in more advanced countries, people live much simpler, happy lives without having houses filled with junk. It's all in your mentality. You only feel the need for the unnecessary when you have envy or want to keep up with the Jonses! 

That's it for my little lecture. LOL  

PLEASE ADD ANY SIMPLE IDEAS YOU HAVE THAT WOULD HELP OTHERS BECOME MORE GREEN WITHOUT HAVING TO PUT A LOT OF SACRIFICE INTO IT. I'D LOVE TO SHARE THESE NEXT WEEKEND!!!

I'll have a great post next week after we hit the Earth Day Fair on Saturday and participate in some of the community activities in our town next weekend! 

Oh, and if you have a second, check out my post about a great Earth Day giveaway going on at Environmental Booty. There is a prize package worth $1350 that will be given away - ends tonight at midnight!!!

Had to Share This: WIN $1350 in Eco-Friendly Prizes Blog Giveaway!

I just couldn't know about this giveaway an not pass it on to others. Environmental Booty is having it's 2011 Great Green Earth Day Giveaway right now. There are just under 500 entries and it ends Earth Day (Friday, April 22) at midnight EDT! With all of the options for entering, the odds are great. Plus, with random number choosers, even one little entry could win you all of these amazing prizes:

• "The Sister" style of Sandals from Naya - $120
• Amazon Herb Co. Lluvia Basics skincare products - $190
• Pro Energy Consultants Home Energy Audit - $500
• Brightly Green All-Natural Aromatherapy Household Cleaners package - $51.43
• Shaklee 'Get Clean Water' pitcher filtration starter kit - $67.70
• two leaves and a bud Bamboo Tea Chest Sampler - $89.95
• Coco-Zen Organic Truffles Gift Certificate - $25
• BabyBearShop Organic Baby Wash + Shampoo - $20
• Baby Harmony Pure Household Cleaners Spring Cleaning Package - $54.40
• Rosie Emery CD for Children - $10
• Oh Plah! Bracelet for Mom/Teether for Baby - $14.99
• Sweet P's Organic Romance Gift Set - $20
• NYR Organics Lip Gloss - $16
• Outdoor Technology Inked Recycled Speakers - $7.95
• BuyGreen.com EcoStrip Power Strip + $25 Gift Card - $64.95
• Mia ella's Eco-Friendly Gourmet Jar Candle - $20
• Reflex Safety Gear "Hot Lips" Pepper Spray - $8.99
• Green Garnmeto 4-in-1 Garment Bag - $9.99
• Geogenex Probiotic Hand Sanitizing Gel - $14.95
• Book: Whole Earth Discipline by Stewart Brand - $20
• Book: Signed Copy of Celebrate Green by Corey Colwell-Lipson and Lynn Colwell - $24.95
• Book: Signed Copy of Plastic: A Toxic Love Story by Susan Freinkel - $27

OK, that's it! I'd LOVE to win this amazing package, wouldn't you???  Hurry on over an enter - you have until Friday night to do so!!!

**The only thing I'm getting out of posting about this giveaway is 10 extra entries. Hopefully, it'll be the difference between my winning or not. If YOU enter the giveaway ecause you read about it here, please let me know. I'd be so happy!!!