Unique, Affordable Organic Kid's Clothes

I just received the nicest gift for my boys from my dear friend who always knows the best places to buy organic and green products. It was a set of organic t-shirts from Hanna's Dream, an e-store that offers unique, affordable organic clothing for children. The shirts are very nice quality - very thick and soft, vibrant colors, and an adorable quilted raccoon design on the front.

I think the website is worth checking out, and here's why:

• While the clothes are still priced higher than I would typically pay, they are definitely more "affordable" than most other organic clothing stores out there.
• You certainly get your money's worth in terms of originality, quality, and eco-friendliness. If you value quality over quantity, Hanna's Dream is a good resource.
  
• There is an "outlet" page with great discounts.
• There is also a "gently used" section. This not only saves money, but is a great way to recycle clothing.
  
• The customer service has been great so far. The owner, Diana, emailed me back promptly when I asked about exchanges. She was also very reasonable about shipping costs when I needed to make an exchange.
  

Here is a picture of my little raccoons wearing their new organic shirts!

33%-Off Coupon at Borders

Get 33% off any one item at Borders. Click HERE for an in-store coupon or use promo code BJT7138P on-line. Expires February 1, 2010.

Free Bagel at Einstein Brothers

Click HERE for a FREE bagel at Einstein Brothers. If you have not already become a fan on their Facebook page, become one now and click on the "Free Bagel" tab. Old and new fans alike get to enjoy the deal! Expires January 31.

Tropicana Juicy Rewards Coming Soon

Tropicana will soon be launching a rewards program called Juicy Rewards. You can use codes from specially-marked Tropicana products to save on activities like massages, water parks, golf, museums, and more.

Hmmm.....I think I'd rather get free orange juice, but I'm willing to give it a try. I buy a lot of Tropicana orange juice anyway.

The numbers are already appearing on the products, so hang on to them. Enter your email address on the Tropicana website, and they will notify you when the program is up and running.

Make Your Car a No Phone Zone

People who text while driving are six times more likely to get into an accident, and people who talk on the phone while driving are four times more likely, according to study published in Human Factors in December 2009. Click HERE to view the complete study.

Monday's Oprah show about the dangerous mix of cell phones and cars really inspired me to stop talking on the phone in the car. I rarely text anyway, so that's thankfully one habit I don't have to kick. Click HERE to view the full episode.

Is your car a no phone zone? Take the poll in the right-hand column of this page.

Free Chobani Yogurt at Publix

Chobani yogurt is on Advantage Buy at Publix for $1 each. If you combine the 2-for-3 coupon found HERE with two of the $1-off coupons from the newspaper on December 13, you can get three 6-ounce cups for FREE!

I find that it pays to have two sets of the Sunday paper coupons, especially when it comes to BOGO (buy one get one free) sales, since you can use a coupon for each of the items. It's also nice to have extra coupons for stocking up on especially good sales. Although this Chobani deal is kind of unusual, it was great that I had two coupons!

My goal is to find a way to get my hands on the coupons without having to actually buy the entire Sunday paper. I would love to save the subscription fee. Even more importantly, I'd love to stop wasting all that newspaper!

Any suggestions?

Get Rid of Fleas Without Dangerous Pesticides

If you are trying to get rid of fleas, but you don't want to use dangerous pesticides, consider using Borax. It's cheap and safe enough to use around pets and children. Click HERE for instructions.

We have used this method a few times over the years and it works great. Sometimes you have to repeat the process two or three times and vacuum more frequently than usual. I've also read that Borax can help with roaches and ants.

Remember, anything that kills insects will also present a certain amount of risk to people and the environment. Click HERE for information provided by the Pesticide Action Network (PAN) about the toxicity and environmental effects of Borax.

Is Stoneyfield Rewards Worth the Trouble?

There are a lot of rewards programs out there that really aren't worth the hassle. However, I'd say that the Stoneyfield Rewards Program provides a decent payoff, especially if you buy organic yogurt products regularly.

Since my last post about the Stoneyfield Rewards Program in October, I've racked up 50 points just making my normal yogurt purchases. I redeemed 25 points for a free 32-ounce yogurt. A coupon for the yogurt came in the mail within a couple weeks.

My biggest complaint about the program is that the codes are very difficult to read. It usually takes me two or three tries to get the code entered into my account. Also, I noticed today that the list of rewards have dwindled a bit. I hope that my preferred reward (a 32-ounce yogurt) makes its way back eventually.

If you are saving your lids for the codes, consider mailing in four of them to get a free reusable yogurt cup. Details are on the lids of the 32-ounce yogurts.

By the way, the Stoneyfield Rewards Program ends on March 10, 2010.

Dirty Dozen & Clean 15

Let's face it - it's just not frugal to buy only organic produce. However, if you are selective about which organic produce you purchase, you can still effectively minimize your exposure to dangerous pesticides without breaking the bank.

Click HERE for a free Shopper's Guide to Pesticides created by the Environmental Working Group. The guide will help you to decide when to splurge on organic, and when conventional is not so bad.

You can print the list out and keep it in your wallet or download it to your iPhone (how eco-friendly).

Flannel Sheets $13.98 at Target

Some Target stores have a lot of sheets on clearance, including the Home Flannel Sheets priced at $13.98 (regular price $19.99). We bought these sheets several weeks back and they have been so warm and cozy during this chilly winter. They are 100% cotton and they have held up very nicely through several washes. I like them so much, I went back to get a matching set for my boys!