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Earth Day – How will you celebrate Earth this year?

Our planet, Earth is indeed a beautiful planet. If you looked at it through a telescope or from outer space, you’d see the peaceful colors and vibrant life within it. It’s the only planet we can live on for now and until scientists and other experts tell us another planet is habitable, I’m going to try and help save my planet for now. Well, “saving” may be too astronimical of a word but each day I try to remember to do something that will help preserve the planet for my children and their children and so forth. Each year, on April 22, is what we call “Earth Day”. Earth Day is celebrated throughout the world and each nation has their own ways of celebrating Earth and finding ways to help make it better.

We can all make a difference in how we want our world to be. We as individuals can either make things better or make them worse. Basically, there are 3 categories that people may fall in. The first category are those who are constantly finding ways to help the planet, preserve the planet, and make the planet better. They are always recycling, reducing, reusing and never falter in their endeavor to make the world a healthier place. Then there is the second category where most of us may fall in. These folks try to remember to recycle and turn off their lights and electronic equipments when possible. They do what they can to be environmentally conscious. Then there is the third category where people do not care at all about the planet. They don’t bother with the environment and have no personal reasons to recycle, reduce, and reuse. They don’t know the difference between carbon footprint and their own footprints. Therefore, it’s up to the first and second categories to help make the planet a healthier place for everyone else.

It’s not hard to do something to make the world a healthier place. Even if it’s within your little town or city, any movement you make to help your environment can improve the outcome of our planet. Below I’ve outlined some guidelines in how to reduce your carbon footprint on this planet. According to Green Living of National Geographic, they explain carbon footprint as, ‘Your carbon footprint measures the total amount of greenhouse gases emitted as a result of your daily activities. When you drive to work, run the appliances in your home or sneak off for a weekend getaway, you cause the burning of fossil fuels, which provide the energy needed to power your lifestyle.’

– Walk to work (if it’s within reasonable distance). Walking is actually one of the greatest ways you can to reduce your carbon footprint.

– Walk to the grocery store (if it’s within reasonable distance).

– Take public transportation

– Carpool

– Buy organic. According to the USDA organic farming laws, toxic pesticides, herbicides, germicides and soil may not be used on food grown for consumption. Neither are chemicals, hormones, and antibiotics allowed to be used on livestock. Irrigation, water, pest managment, processing, and many other strict regulations are set forth to maintain proper organic practices within the US. Organic means a safer ecosystem and healthier living.

– Buy locally grown food and products. This also help reduce carbon footprint as less fuel is used to transport such goods. Some locally grown foods do not use toxic pesticides or chemicals but be sure to check with your local farms first.

– Reduce, reuse, recycle. You’ve probably heard this many times. It’s fairly easy to do this if you keep up with it. Reduce by using less materials that may harm the environment. Reuse by reusing what you have on hand. Recycle everything that’s possible. Check with your local facilities on their own regulations on what is and what is not allowed to be recycled.

– Bring your own reusable bags when shopping. Reusable bags can be easily stored in your purse or in your car. Be sure to buy bags that are made from sustainably grown materials or made from recycled materials to reduce raw ingredients from being used even more.

– Use solar energy where possible. Solar energy requires energy from the sun, which is a free source of energy. You can use solar energy to charge your electronic equipments and your house. Solar panels are quickly becoming popular in homes and you can probably find good companies out there that will save you a lot of money on your energy bills.

– Reduce your overall buying. Buying less, especially products that are harmful to the environment could make you feel better about how you can help the environment.

– Buy from companies who protect the Rain Forest through the Rain Forest Alliance.

There are probably a lot more ideas and ways of conserving energy, reducing your carbon footprint, and helping the environment. Good resources are companies like: http://www.earthday.org/, http://www.epa.gov/, and http://practicallygreen.com/ (which has really great ideas, products, and ways of living “green”). You can probably think up some of your own ways in helping the environment.

This year, we still plan on hosting an “Earth Day” event but just not sure what we plan on doing yet. EarthDay.org is a good place to visit on how you can help with the environment. So no matter what you plan on doing to celebrate Earth this year, any step towards improvement is a positive step. You’ll feel better and happier that you are doing something to make the world a healtier place to live for yourself and your future generations.

February 15, 2012February 15, 2012

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Do You Love The Imagination Movers?

Who loves The Imagination Movers? I’d have to say – “We do!”. My son and I love The Imagination Movers and have watched them on TV and anywhere else possible since he was old enough to watch TV. And I can safely say, that most people across the world also enjoys watching The Imagination Movers on their Disney show as well as their concerts and their DVDs and whatever venue they happen to appear at. It’s too bad The Movers live all the way in Louisiana and not California otherwise we’d be visiting them all the time. But not as stalkers – that would be too creepy – but more as devoted and loving fans.

The Imagination Movers, aka Dave, Rich, Scott, and Smitty have basically become a household name for us. Every day my son would ask to watch The Imagination Movers on TV or on the laptop. Luckily I saved some of his favorite episodes on our DVR and we can always watch episodes through their own website: http://www.imaginationmovers.com/ and through Disney’s: http://disney.go.com/disneyjunior/imagination-movers. We particularly enjoy the Warehouse Mouse short films – they are hilarious little episodes of Warehouse Mouse’s trials and tribulations as he tries to achieve something at the end. There are also fun games, party ideas, and coloring pages on Disney’s Imagination Movers page as well interesting tibits about The Movers- basically, you can spend a lot of free time on that site and have a lot of fun and learn something at the same time.

The Imagination Movers are like down-home folks, so to speak. They are truly the epitome of all things kids. In fact, their inspiration to start The Imagination Movers was through their own kids. As a fledgling band of good friends, they sang and played instruments together in New Orleans but soon their popularity grew and Disney decided to pick up their show with the same name, “The Imagination Movers”. After that, their fame grew worldwide and soon they added concert tours throughout the nation and in Canada. Their faces became popular in every child’s mind and you can see little “Movers” around the world even. And if you’ve never seen their concerts in person, you’re missing out on some great fun!

This year, The Imagination Movers “Rock-O-Matic” concert tour begins in March and will tour through May. It’s not too late to get their concert tickets if they’re in your area: http://imaginationmovers.com/events/page/1 and you can even buy their “Mini Movers” package which includes tickets as well as backstage Meet and Greet with the Movers. The kids will get a chance to chat it up with the Movers and snack and take photos. Hopefully we plan on going backstage to meet and greet the Movers and take some great photos with them!

With their concert coming up, new episodes on the Disney Jr. channel, and a brand new CD called, “Rock-O-Matic” out for sale, The Imagination Movers have really stepped up their game to bring your kids more fun, more excitement, and more learning opportunities. Below, I had the unique opportunity to acquire some Q&A from The Imagination Movers about their new album, their work, and their personal lives.

Q – How is ‘Rock-O-Matic’ different from your previous albums?

SCOTT DURBIN – There’s definitely more freedom in Rock-O-Matic. Recently, if the song we wrote was not tied directly to a narrative from the TV show, there was no way it would be heard. A tune like “Dance Kung Fu” which is a truly silly dance song or “Buckle Me In” about car seat safety would never have made it on the TV show but it can and does in our recent CD/DVD release. Honestly, we’ve been together writing songs for nearly ten years now but it’s been awhile since we could just do a song without having to wait for it to be approved or not. Our parameters have been removed.

RICH COLLINS – We’re still a bunch of dorky dads but we’ve gotten really good at writing pop and rock songs over the last decade, so you can hear a little bit of that swagger in these new tracks. It’s probably our most “rock” record to date but it’s quite diverse stylistically.

SCOTT “SMITTY” SMITH – ROM is definitely indicative of our musical growth and freedom. It touches on a wide range of genres and is the culmination of a lot of hard work.

DAVE POCHE – Rock-O-Matic is an interesting combination of our music sensibilities from the earlier days coupled with the production and songwriting skills we have gathered over the years. I think there is a real looseness and energy to it. “Everybody Sing” is a great example of the CD/DVD’s upbeat vibe. We set out to make a video that looks like a bunch of people having fun. Once we started shooting it was clear that this goal would be accomplished. You can really feel the energy that was on the set that day. It was a very positive, validating shoot.

Q – How does your family inspire you and your music? How many children do you have and what are their ages? Do your children ever get in on the fun?  

SCOTT – Our kids have always been a source of inspiration for our music, stylistically and content-wise. Had it not been for them, this idea would not have been born. They act as our focus group, letting us know what works or doesn’t. And we try to have them participate in all that we do, whether being in our music videos or even guest singing on our songs. We’ve always been about family and our work philosophy reflects that.

RICH – Five kids ages 12 to 3. They give me ideas and tell me their opinion. They also set the tone of the whole project. We sing and write and perform essentially to make them smile

SMITTY – Our families are definitely our inspiration… and our test audience. None of this could happen without their support and input.

DAVE – My kids are 9 and 12 now, which is hard to believe. Our kids were the inspiration for this entire project. We had kids around the same time and were exposed to the world of children’s entertainment. We started writings songs for, and about, our kids. Each milestone represented an opportunity for a new song. And it was great to have an audience at home. We had a little test market that had no aversion to telling us exactly what they thought. In the earlier songs, you can hear their voices all over the place. We put them in front of the mic whenever we needed a little voice, or added a part so that everyone got a chance. When we filmed the show, our kids would look at the script drafts, visit the set regularly and even made a few cameos. We could not have made it without the contributions, inspiration and support of our families. They give us the energy that fuels the machine.

Q – What sets the Imagination Movers apart from other children’s groups?

SCOTT – What makes us different? From day one to now, there is so much in children’s programming/music that chooses to pacify our children. We’ve always wanted to change that. We truly want to challenge our kids, treating them as creators instead of consumers. We want to empower them to reach high, think big, work hard and have fun.

With performing music for kids and families, you know immediately what works and what doesn’t so insincerity simply doesn’t have a place here. You have to be genuine, sincere in your efforts and execution of ideals. We feel we are or at the very least aspire to those lofty goals. Whether its reflected in the composition or lyrics we pen in our songs to playing the music live – you’ve got to demonstrate your true colors. We choose to play our instruments rather than rely on lip-synching or tracks because music is organic and is evidence of the beauty of the creative process.

RICH – We’re real dads writing songs about real ideas and real feelings and playing real live concerts on real instruments AND most important: we can’t dance.

SMITTY – We are simply four regular guys who had a good idea and with the help and hard work of a lot of people, got to see this project blossom. Also, We are having fun doing what we love. This Project comes from the heart. It wasn’t created in a lab in Hollywood. It is “US.” And…. one of us is a full time firefighter in New Orleans. Not many kids groups can claim that.

DAVE – Well, for one, we are just regular guys, dads and husbands. 4 goofy dudes who are well aware that they are 4 goofy dudes. Filming the TV show or being on tour has it’s moments, but the vast majority of time we are lugging the kids around town, mowing the lawn, washing dishes, etc. We also have been, are, and probably always will be a children’s band. We were not an adult band who decided to exploit a niche or got tired of doing something else. And we never try to pander to our audience or talk down to the kids. Our tone is sincere. We write music that we would enjoy listening to with age appropriate lyrics. The goal is to make songs that are able to be enjoyed by young children, older siblings, parents and grandparents. We try to cast a wide net, and if our Ticketmaster reviews are any indication, we have done a pretty good job of entertaining everyone.

So there you have it. The Imagination Movers are just a bunch of regular folks who happens to enjoy playing music, sing, dance, and have a lot of fun with what they do. Be sure to catch them at their concert and on the Disney Jr. show (check your local listings), and pick up one or two of their newest album, Rock-O-Matic!

February 10, 2012

suzan1 Comment

Bob’s Red Mill – Products Worth Reviewing and Giveaway

When you’re seriously looking to eat better and live a healthier life, you must remember 3 important things: eat natural foods, exercise often, and reduce your stress. Sometimes it’s hard to find the balance between the 3 facts, but eating healthy is extremely important in maintaining and achieving a healthy lifestyle. One company who strives to bring you healthier food choices is a company called Bob’s Red Mill. At Bob’s Red Mill, they make a wonderful assortment of food products for people who strive to eat better and live healthier. In our home, we have countless products from Bob’s Red Mill ranging from their pancake mix to their cereal blends. Bob’s Red Mill makes wholesome, natural, and delicious food for everyone.

You may have seen and heard about Bob’s Red Mill. They’ve been around for over 30 years making natural products that are good for you and good for the planet. Bob’s Red Mill started humbly in a small town in Oregon by Bob Moore and his wife after his pursuit to find original stone-grinding flour mills. When by chance he came upon an old mill for sale one day, he took the opportunity to start his own business of stone-ground flours and cereals for his friends, family, and customers. From then on, Bob’s Red Mill products slowly but steadily became a popular trend in the health-conscious industry. Bob’s Red Mill started as a family-owned company but recently became an employee-owned company because of Bob’s dedication to his employees and his company. In fact, as the company stated, you might even meet Bob himself if you ever decide to visit his store and visitor center in Oregon.

Bob’s Red Mill truly has a great assortment of products to choose from for your everyday cooking needs. They make products ranging from 10 grain whole grain hot cereals to flaxseeds to dried fruit. In fact, you can probably make an entire meal out of Bob’s Red Mill products and be extremely happy and satisfied knowing that you made something healthy and wholesome for your family. I’ve used their whole wheat flour and oat flour to make cookies and on most mornings we like to eat their 10 Grain Hot Cereal. The 10 Grain Hot cereal is super delicious as it contains stone ground high protein hard red wheat, rye, triticale, oat bran, oats, corn, barley, soy beans, brown rice, millet, and flaxseed. Talk about a nutritional powerhouse! We love the 10 Grain Hot Cereal with a little bit of milk or soymilk and some organic brown sugar or honey – yummy! Bob’s Red Mill has so many great products to choose from, you’re bound to find something that you’ll like and stock up on.

Bob’s Red Mill’s philosophy in providing healthy, wholesome, and natural foods extends beyond other normal food companies. They do all the milling, testing, packaging, and distributing in house and they source their ingredients from responsible farmers and farms who abide by the organic standards and laws. Bob’s Red Mill believes in close relationships with their farmers to ensure quality control and they inspect every ingredient that comes into their facility. And Bob’s Red Mill’s belief that whole grains are better for you and for the planet is evident in the quality of their products. They don’t add any unnecessary ingredients like preservatives, artificial colors and flavors, or sulfites. Their products are pure and simple and you can use them in virtually any baking or cooking recipe you have. In fact, on their website, they even offer recipes using their own products: http://www.bobsredmill.com/recipes.php and they encourage you to submit your own recipes as well.

Bob’s Red Mill makes organic, natural, and even gluten-free products so there really is something for everyone. They care about their products, their customers, and the environment and you’ll even find biodegradable packing peanuts in their packaging. Their see-through bags are easy for customers to see what they’re purchasing and the friendly, familiar face of Bob himself is on every package. Simply put – Bob’s Red Mill products are healthy, wholesome, and can fill almost every cooking need you may have. Bob’s Red Mill was also interested in my review of a few of their products and to give away to 3 LUCKY readers of Happymomblogger! The products they sent me were the Date Pieces, Pecan Halves, and Raw Pumpkin Seeds. Imagine the things you can cook and bake with those! Bob’s Red Mill’s Date Pieces are little bite-sized pieces of real dates and coated with oat flour. They’re great by itself or mixed into your cereal or even in your trail mixes. The Pecan Halves are plump, dark brown pecans that has a nice crunchy bite in them. I like to bake them with some organic brown sugar and organic butter and they become incredibly tasty snacks! And the Raw Pumpkin Seeds are great for baking, stirred into soups, or eaten as a snack; just make sure to toast them first since they come raw. Whatever ways you want to enjoy these 3 delicious prizes from Bob’s Red Mill, make sure you enter the giveaway now! Read below to find out how:

Here’s how to enter in the Bob’s Red Mill giveaway:

(Please note, the rules have changed slightly. Please read carefully before entering)

ENTRIES:

#1 entry – “Like” Bob’s Red Mill on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BobsRedMillNaturalFoods and write on their wall that you are entering the contest at Happymomblogger: http://www.happymomblogger.wordpress.com/. Please put Happymomblogger as the heading.

ADDITIONAL ENTRIES:

#2 entry – Become a follower: http://twitter.com/#!/happymomblogger and “Tweet” me @happymomblogger that you are entering the Bob’s Red Mill giveaway. Become a follower of Bob’s Red Mill: http://twitter.com/Bobs_Red_Mill and “Tweet” that you are entering the contest at Happymomblogger.

#3 entry – Subscribe to my Blog.

#4 entry – Enter in my other contests.

#5 entry – Vote for me at Top Mommy Blogs using the link provided below.

You can enter by telling me the 5 entries in the LEAVE A COMMENT box. Please be sure to give me your name and email address so that I may contact you if you win. Contest is open to residents of US only. 18 years and older please. Please be sure to provide a physical address and not a P.O. Box. Only 1 contestant per household please. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery of prize. Any violation of the rules will deem your entry as disqualified. Happymomblogger is not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged prizes but will do the best to ensure your prize gets there. In the event the winner can not be contacted within 3 days of email sent then another winner will be chosen. No purchase necessary to enter. Void where prohibed by law.

Contest Start Date: February 6, 2012

Contest End Date: February 20, 2012 – CONTEST CLOSED. WINNERS WILL BE SELECTED.

Only 3 winners will be chosen at random and I will post the winners names on my blog.

GOOD LUCK AND THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING!

Disclaimer: The product(s)were sent to the author for review by the manufacturer/PR. All reviews on “Happymomblogger” remain unbiased and unpaid and are the sole decision of the author. The opinions of these product(s) were not influenced in any way, shape, or form. As always, please read the ingredients carefully when trying new products.

Please read the labels and ingredients carefully and follow all manufacturer’s instructions (if any). The products selected for the giveaway were generously donated by the companies/PR to help readers learn more about their products. The winner’s choice in using/consuming these products are entirely up to the winner and will not hold the author and her family liable nor the companies/PR liable. These products are made with non-toxic ingredients but always be safe with what you use and consume.

http://www.topmommyblogs.com/blogs/in.php?id=storm

February 7, 2012February 22, 2012

suzan56 Comments

Healthy Child Healthy World Party – Company Worth Reviewing and Giveaway

It’s not easy trying to bring world peace, advocate healthy eating and making the world a better place all the while raising a child. No, not many people can do it but luckily you can get great ideas on how to raise a healthy child and live a healthy lifestyle. The good folks at Healthy Child Healthy World had that goal in mind when they started their fledgling company over 20 years ago with the launch of their Colette Chuda Environmental Fund (CCEF) in honor of their daughter. Through suffering and hard lesssons they learned from the founders daughter’s disease, they dedicated their lives to helping other parents learn about the dangers of carcinogens in the air due to environmental toxins. After all, it was the toxins that eventually encumbered their daughter’s life.

Healthy Child Healthy World is a non-profit organization dedicated to the awareness and education of using non-toxic products in our homes and in our lives. Through their website, fundraising events, and charity work, the Healthy Child Healthy World organization helps parents and everyone know about the importance of eating healthy foods and using healthy products. Their goal is to teach and educate as many people as possible on the dangers of toxic materials in our homes and in our bodies. Healthy Child Healthy World are advocaters of a greener planet through their never-ending support of people, companies, and causes. They hope to reach as many people around the world as possible in hopes of educating the awareness of living a cleaner life in a cleaner planet.

With over hundreds of volunteers across the nation, Healthy Child Healthy World partners with many natural and organic companies to bring you products that are safe for people and for the environment. Through partnership with health organizations and health professionals around the globe, they hope to educate others about how to live healthier and help the planet become healthier. With the help of Healthy Child Healthy World, anyone can access their information whether on their website: http://healthychild.org/, through their fundraising events, or through their home parties.

Healthy Child Healthy World’s Home Parties was created to inform and educate people about the availability of safer, non-toxic products and food. With their parties, a “kit” is sent to the recipient with samples, product information, dvd’s, and literature on how to bring the world together in campaigning for a healthier planet. Their samples include well-known natural and organic companies such as Earth Friendly Products, HappyBaby, LUNA, Cleanwell, Plum Organics, Baby Organics, and many more. All the products are from the same companies who also wish to provide the planet with healthier and safer products. In each Kit, their are plenty of educational materials and pamphlets to pass around to your party attendees and a DVD for you and for your attendees to watch for further information. Although there is a small donation asked to order these Party Kits, Healthy Child Healthy World provided me with a free kit to review and to give away to 1 LUCKY reader of Happymomblogger. Although the Party Kit that I received is slightly different from the winning prize, the new kit will also include full size samples of Bona floor cleaner, Dolphin Organics shampoo and Green Planet Parties cutlery set. With this informative and useful party kit, you can plan a great event and help others learn about the importance of non-toxic food and products. So do you win this ultra-helpful party kit? Read below to find out!