Earth Month Day 24: Reuse and Swap kids clothes with Thredup

Clothes don’t grow. Kids do.

Many people use springtime as a good reason to do the deep cleaning, reorganizing and purging.  It's also a time that we realize just how much excess we have.  And if you have kids, you know how quickly the out-grown clothes pile up! Last year I was discussing how my closets were overcrowding with a friend - we have both have two kids but of opposite sex of each other so we decided to swap clothes - my infant boy clothes for her preschooler girl clothes.  Not too long after that, I discovered thredUP.com - the online children's clothing swap site!  I thought that was just the coolest thing ever!  I had tried to sell my gently used clothes on Ebay and didn't have too much success.  I have also donated bags and bags to Salvation Army but with the increasing cost of new clothes (and the constant need to get larger sizes!) it would be nice to get something in return for the clothes.  That's were thredUP comes in... you give, you get, it's fast and it's easy!
thredUP is where families swap kids clothing (and toys!) online. Join thredUP's FREE online community to exchange stuff your kids no longer use, for clothing that fits & toys they'll love!

From Thredup.com:

Here's how easy it is to thredUP Picking Boxes of Clothes:
thredUP is the best way to clear out your kids clothes and toys that they no longer use. Take the clothes and toys your child has outgrown and prepare to thredUP—all on your schedule (monthly, quarterly, seasonally, annually). We've found that most parents list new boxes regularly once they learn how easy it is to do. Here's how:

•Receive a pack of FREE USPS flat rate boxes automatically sent to you (free of charge) upon registration.
•Sort clothes by making groups of the same size, season(s) and gender.
•Separate by clothing item type (tops and bottoms) and brand. Keep outfits and matching items together.
•Stuff USPS boxes with your organized groups of used kids clothing.
•Tell us about the clothing in each box in our "Build a Box" template.
•List your box and then wait for another member to pick it!

At thredUP we are committed to helping you exchange fantastic pre-loved clothes and toys. Real world clothing swaps are time consuming and hard to organize. We’ve created one for you that’s always available and always being updated with new listings from parents just like you.

•Navigate our listings similar to surfing eBay, iTunes or Amazon. Sort by gender, size, brand, season or type of item
•Find baby, toddler, or pre-teen clothing, and toys for all ages
•Pay $5 + shipping ($10.95) and it's yours
•Get your box sent directly to your doorstep by the parent who listed it
•Add listers to your Favorite Senders list and filter search results to view only boxes that your favorite senders have listed
•View community ratings to ensure high quality items and picking boxes with confidence

All you'll ever pay for basic swapping is $5 + ($10.95) shipping per box of kids clothes. At more than ten items per box, that's like $1.50 per item. No hidden charges. No recurring fees. You can decide at anytime to stop swapping clothes.



Building your box is super easy - you just simply select the categories your clothes fit into (group your clothes by size when building a box) and the brand names and write a brief description of the items.  You don't need to include photos or do anything special.  Once I got my clothes sorted and tested to see how many fit into the box, I was able to list a box on thredUP in minutes then just packed the box up.  My first few boxes got selected within a few days and my recent boxes got selected the NEXT DAY!  Sending them is even easier!  thredUP generates your shipping label and a USPS pickup will be automattically scheduled for the next day.  That's it - DONE!  SO EASY! Now I have more space in the closets too!

Now I have a credit in my account and I'm ready to start selecting boxes to see what goodies I can find!!

This is the ultimate way to reuse and reduce waste in our landfills!

Use my referal code http://www.thredup.com/Carmichael Nitzky69564 and receive a $5 credit!

*~ Sprout ~*

Earth Month: Recycle your Shoes and get $20

What do you do with shoes when they are out of style or you no longer wear them?  I usually donate them to Salvation Army but it would be nice to get something in return. Now you can! Shoes.com has a program that will give you $20 towards your order of $80 or more when you recycle your old shoes (restrictions apply).  Shoes.com and Naya have partnered with Soles4Souls to give you the opportunity to make a choice that matters. By giving to those less fortunate, you will receive.
Through the Renew Your Soles program, donate a pair of gently worn shoes and receive $20 off an $80 purchase at shoes.com. These shoes will be distributed to people in need in over 127 countries. The idea is that together, we can all leave a softer footprint while helping others.

1.All you need to do is put a gently worn pair of shoes in a box (even the box that contained your new shoes).

2.Fill out the form (found by clicking the box above) and include in your box.

3.Attach the label provided and send your package. Postage is not included.

4.You will receive an emailed coupon for $20 off an $80 or more purchase* on shoes.com.

5.Soles4Souls will also send you a receipt in the mail for your tax deductible donation.

*Exclusions apply.

Soles4Souls is a non-profit charity that distributes donated shoes free of charge to people in need, regardless of race, religion, class or any other criteria.  Check out this program and Renew your Soles today - click the ad at the top of this post.

Plus - check out this promo:

Save 20% on your purchase* at Shoes.com with code 25SALE plus Free SHipping. Valid 5/12 - 5/16/2011. Exclusions apply.Save 25% on your purchase* at Shoes.com with code 25SALE plus Free SHipping. Valid thru 5/16/2011. Exclusions apply.

Check out these Eco-friendly shoes:

Or get into shape with Sketchers Shape-ups:

Earth Month Day 22: Earth Day History

Every year on April 22 we celebrate Earth Day - a day set aside to think more seriously about our impact on the earth and a day to pledge to make changes that will decrease negative impact. It is a day that hopefully will incourage changes that will last the whole year and become part of our daily lives.  The first Earth day was in 1970 to bring attention to environmental issues and make them a priority on the federal level.  Not only did this first event bring together supporters from all walks of life, it did what it's founder intended and then some - the EPA was created and the Clean Air,Water and Endangered Species Acts were established.  Now in it's 41st year, Earth Day has grown into an international event and one that is as closely tied to community initiatives as it is to politcal agendas and is now even more broadly celebrated as economical issues have come into play.

Here is a history of Earth Day from Earthday.org:

The idea came to Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson, then a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, after witnessing the ravages of the 1969 massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. Inspired by the student anti-war movement, he realized that if he could infuse that energy with an emerging public consciousness about air and water pollution, it would force environmental protection onto the national political agenda. Senator Nelson announced the idea for a “national teach-in on the environment” to the national media; persuaded Pete McCloskey, a conservation-minded Republican Congressman, to serve as his co-chair; and recruited Denis Hayes as national coordinator. Hayes built a national staff of 85 to promote events across the land.


As a result, on the 22nd of April, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment in massive coast-to-coast rallies. Thousands of colleges and universities organized protests against the deterioration of the environment. Groups that had been fighting against oil spills, polluting factories and power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, freeways, the loss of wilderness, and the extinction of wildlife suddenly realized they shared common values.


Earth Day 1970 achieved a rare political alignment, enlisting support from Republicans and Democrats, rich and poor, city slickers and farmers, tycoons and labor leaders. The first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts. "It was a gamble," Gaylord recalled, "but it worked."


As 1990 approached, a group of environmental leaders asked Denis Hayes to organize another big campaign. This time, Earth Day went global, mobilizing 200 million people in 141 countries and lifting environmental issues onto the world stage. Earth Day 1990 gave a huge boost to recycling efforts worldwide and helped pave the way for the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. It also prompted President Bill Clinton to award Senator Nelson the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1995) -- the highest honor given to civilians in the United States -- for his role as Earth Day founder.


As the millennium approached, Hayes agreed to spearhead another campaign, this time focused on global warming and a push for clean energy. With 5,000 environmental groups in a record 184 countries reaching out to hundreds of millions of people, Earth Day 2000 combined the big-picture feistiness of the first Earth Day with the international grassroots activism of Earth Day 1990. It used the Internet to organize activists, but also featured a talking drum chain that traveled from village to village in Gabon, Africa, and hundreds of thousands of people gathered on the National Mall in Washington, DC. Earth Day 2000 sent world leaders the loud and clear message that citizens around the world wanted quick and decisive action on clean energy.


Much like 1970, Earth Day 2010 came at a time of great challenge for the environmental community. Climate change deniers, well-funded oil lobbyists, reticent politicians, a disinterested public, and a divided environmental community all contributed to a strong narrative that overshadowed the cause of progress and change. In spite of the challenge, for its 40th anniversary, Earth Day Network reestablished Earth Day as a powerful focal point around which people could demonstrate their commitment. Earth Day Network brought 225,000 people to the National Mall for a Climate Rally, amassed 40 million environmental service actions toward its 2012 goal of A Billion Acts of Green®, launched an international, 1-million tree planting initiative with Avatar director James Cameron and tripled its online base to over 900,000 community members.


Happy Earth Day and let your thoughts and energy on this day be continued all year long!
*~ Sprout ~*

Earth Month Day 21: Earth's Best Cereal Giveaway!

** GIVEAWAY CLOSED - SEE RESULTS BELOW**

It's never to early to start eating organic, healthy food - why not make their first solid food Earth's Best Organic Cereal!  To celebrate Earth Day (and Month!) I will be giving away 4 boxes of Earth's Best Organic Rice and Oatmeal cereal to a lucky reader.

Here's how to enter:
1. You must be a follower of Sprout's Green Family on GFC or Networked Blogs (see links to the right)
2. First Entry: Please read through my Earth Month posts and tell me which post is your favorite or an idea that you will try soon - leave a comment below

**please leave your email address in your comment so I may easily contact you if you win!!

Extra Entries:

• Follow Sprout's Green Family on Twitter (@sprout5) leave a comment with your Twitter handle
• Tweet (once daily) and leave the tweet address in comments below:  Check out the Earths Best Organic Cereal #Giveaway from @sprout5 - enter now: http://bit.ly/dJkR6V ends 4/30 pls RT
• Like Sprout's Green Family on Facebook leave a comment below along with your FB name
• Make a purchase of $5 or more from my blogsite or Sprout's GREEN Store and list item(s) purchased in comments below (worth 10 entry comments!!)
• Check out My First Art Gallery and tell me what you think in the comments below (1 entry)
• Refer a friend to follow Sprout's Green Family on GFC, Twitter, or Facebook - have them leave a comment below telling me you sent them after they have followed (worth 3 entries!)

Giveaway ends on 4/30/11 at 10:00pm EST. Winner will be chosen by Random.org and notified by email.

Want to purchase something now?  Click on any of these or go to
Earth's Best on Amazon.com

















Results of Giveaway:
Winner is:  Comment #2

Earth Month:EPA's Pick 5 for the Environment

Saving the entire planet is a huge task that could not possibly be accomplished by just a few people but if we all do something small to help protect the environment we live in, our collaborative effort can be BIG!  That is the mantra of the Environmental Protection Agency's Pick 5 for the Environment program.

Pick 5 for YOUR environment!



Environmental action can mean doing different things in different places, but it begins by taking the simple steps where you live. Doing your part means doing what you can do. By choosing five or more of these ideas and sharing your own, you are joining thousands of others who are doing the same. Together we can make the biggest difference, so make your actions count today!

Pick 5 is the U.S. government’s official web portal to make your environmental action count. Pick at least 5 eco-actions you can take where you live, and watch the green grow around the world! Register your choices and share ideas and inspiration with others who have done the same – all from one easy location!

Check it out today and pledge to make 5 small changes to help make our environment more green:
http://www.epa.gov/pick5/index.html

*~ Sprout ~*

Earth Month Day 19: Educational Insights Giveaway

Awesome Colored Smencil Giveaway to new Educational Insights fans!

I discovered Educational Insights last year during a Twitter party and became a fan on their Facebook page. I ended up winning their Laundry Jumble game and I was so excited!  My kids were even more excited and really love playing the game.  I learned more about their toys and absolutely love their products and their educational value.  They're products blend education and fun in the best possible ways!  They even have a new table-top clear compost container so kids can actually see things break down into soil! (more on this in a later post...)

Today I found out that they have a great little giveaway for Earth Day - For Earth Week, they will give away their Colored Smencil - scented pencils made of 100% recycled newspaper and wrapped in individual biodegradable tubes - to EVERY new Facebook fan who posts a hello on our site AND to the friend who referred them will receive one free Smencil!



All you have to do is go to: http://www.facebook.com/educationalinsights and leave a comment on their wall and say that I referred you.  That's it!  BTW - they have an AWESOME Facebook page and always have fun contests and giveaways!  See - they even make it fun for parents and teachers!  :)

Here are some other great finds from Educational Insights:

Earth Month Day 18: Simple Switches to Green your Kitchen

Green your Kitchen! Are you wanting to go green but not sure where to begin?  Start in your kitchen by making some simple switches to your cleaning and kitchen supplies.  So many traditional cleaning supplies are full of harmful chemicals and toxic fumes - these are not only harmful to the environment, they are REALLY harmful for your family.  Many also use petroleum and petroleum by-products - another negative impact on our environment.  We also don't think about the fact that many of these cleaning products end up in our water system!  Many eco conscious families abandon traditional store bought cleaning supplies and opt to make their own or use more natural solutions like baking soda (my personal favorite!), vinegar, lemon juice and essential oils.  If you are not ready to go full-on natural or just want to use better store-bought products, here are some great choices that use natural ingredients, work well and even smell great!  Click on any of these links for more info or to purchase at Amazon's great low prices:

Earth Month Day 17: Aveeno Be an Active Natural Pledge + Coupon!

Aveeno's new program, "Be an Active Natural" encourages everyone to take small steps towards sustainability and for Earth Month, they have a great pledge that you can take on their facebook page.  You can pledge to Educate others on sustainable living, Commit to cleaner air by purchasing plants, and Live by planting a tree to lower your neighborhood's CO2.

By pledging to take these steps, you can also earn points to redeem for great rewards like AVEENO product samples, coupons, sustainable tote bags and more.  You can also get a $1 off coupon just for "liking" Aveeno on Facebook.


“Like” AVEENO on Facebook, at
http://www.facebook.com/aveeno?sk=app_192486454119700

For Earth Day this year, Aveeno created a pop-up forest in one of the most famous urban environments in the world, New York City’s Times Square. On April 7 – 8, hundreds of trees were placed in the middle of New York’s concrete jungle, creating an educational, green oasis and marking the AVEENO Brand’s commitment to raising awareness for healthy living and environmental sustainability.  I wish there were more areas in NYC this GREEN!!




*~ Sprout