Getting Ready to Mulch

April 19, 2013 By Anne

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Scotts Miracle-Gro for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

It’s time to spruce up the yard! Spring is finally here in North Florida. A few months ago we actually bought some mulch and started to add it to our beds. But we ran out and haven’t finished it. That’s okay, though. I want to get some annuals to plant as well. Now that the weather is warmer I can get to work.

I wish I had known the proper ways to mulch before we got started, but now that I know, I’ll share with you!

Get all your tools and gardening supplies ready: gloves, rake, plants and mulch.

Spread the mulch 3 inches deep. Keep the mulch several inches from tree trunks and house foundations or other wood structures.

Apply around trees, shrubs, flowers or vegetables after seeds have germinated and plants have developed.

Do not use before seeds have germinated, around underdeveloped plants, and within several inches of house foundations or other wood surfaces.

One 2 cu. ft. bag will cover the following: At a depth of 2 inches, 12 sq. ft of bedding area. At a depth of 3 inches, 8 sq. ft. of bedding area. At a depth of 4 inches, 6 sq. ft. of bedding.

photo 6d50af2c-aba7-44e2-b0ed-d3510804d726_zps3aae88a5.jpg

For my Florida friends use Scotts Florida Select Natural Eucalyptus Mulch. It’s made from 100% Florida-grown Eucalyptus. Eucalyptus Mulch is a sustainable Cypress alternative, grown in Florida, for Florida! Next time we buy mulch I will look into Eucalyptus Mulch. It’s said to be the best option for your landscape because it’s sustainable gardening, natural, effective and local. All good reasons to use!

Eucalyptus is considered a renewable resource because it re-grows up to 4-times faster than Cypress. It’s made from 100% plantation-grown Eucalyptus trees. Eucalyptus Mulch is guaranteed free from any construction, demolition, pallet, or other waste materials. Also, it’s 100% Florida-grown, which helps support your local economy.

Not in Florida? Make sure to check out Scotts Nature Scapes mulch. It comes in different colors: Classic Black, Sierra Red, and Deep Forest Brown and they’re natural forest products – no waste wood and come in a variety of textures.

Anne

I'm a mother of 2 who likes to get involved in too much! Besides writing here I started a non-profit, I'm on the PTO board, very active in my community and volunteer in the school. I enjoy music, reading, cooking, traveling and spending time with my family. We just adopted our 3rd cat and love them all!

Terracycle/Earth Day

April 19, 2013 By Anne

GoGo squeeZ^® Rewards Brigade^® Participants for Earth Month

GoGo squeeZ and TerraCycle^® Expand Popular Recycling Program to Meet Demand

TRENTON, N.J., March 7, 2013 – GoGo squeeZ, the popular healthy snack brand, has been working with TerraCycle to solve the issue of snack pouch waste through a recycling collection program called The GoGo squeeZ Brigade. For each pouch collected and sent in to TerraCycle, the collector earns points toward charity gifts or donations. More than 220,000 pouches have been collected since the Brigade launched two years ago, and more than half of the pouches were collected within the past six months. Due to the success of The GoGo squeeZ Brigade, additional spots are being opened for Earth Month, which will allow thousands of additional people to participate. GoGo squeeZ has exciting opportunities coming up for its collectors during Earth Month 2013. In order to reward Brigade participants for recycling their products, GoGo squeeZ is:

Adding an extra 1,000 open slots in the GoGo squeeZ Brigade for new participants to join in April. They have been filling up quickly, but there are still a few hundred locations available for new participants to join.
Running a GoGo squeeZ collection contest from March 25 through April 30 where the top five collectors win bonus points for their Brigade account, upcycled TerraCycle products, and a case of GoGo squeeZ.
Opening an online store at gogosqueez.com where consumers can buy GoGo squeeZ products directly. Shoppers who spend more than $50 will receive a free upcycled pencil case as part of the partnership with TerraCycle.

Visit www.terracycle.com to join The GoGo SqueeZ Brigade or to find out more information about the contest. Visit www.gogosqueez.com to shop the online store or learn more about GoGo squeeZ. About Materne’s GoGo squeeZ GoGo squeeze, all-natural squeezable applesauce is simple, yummy fun, and it delights like a game of tag or a run through the sprinkler in the backyard. We believe in real fun foods that are easy, smart and fit into moms’ busy lives, giving them the freedom to say “yes” more often when their kids want a treat. GoGo squeeZ was originally founded in France where it is known as Pom’Potes and was launched in the U.S. in June 2008. Since the brand’s U.S. expansion in 1998, Materne has sold more than 1.9 billion pouches to families around the world. Materne North America is headquartered in New York City. For more information, please visit: www.gogosqueez.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. About TerraCycle TerraCycle, Inc. is an international upcycling and recycling company that takes difficult-to recycle-packaging and turns it into affordable, innovative products. Founded in 2001, TerraCycle is the world’s leader in the collection and reuse of non-recyclable post-consumer waste. TerraCycle works with more than 40 major brands in the U.S. and around the world to collect used packaging and products that would otherwise be destined for landfills. It repurposes that waste into new, innovative materials and products that are available online and through major retailers. The waste is collected through TerraCycle’s Brigade programs, which are free fundraisers that pay for every piece of waste collected and returned. For information on how to join a TerraCycle Brigade and on purchasing TerraCycle products please visit www.terracycle.com. This is not a sponsored post.

Anne

Baby Buds – Eco-Friendly (Giveaway)

April 18, 2013 By Anne

My little ones are not so little anymore, but I have a few neighbors that are expecting. So, when I was invited to review some new baby toys from Baby Buds, I almost declined but thought these are too cute to pass up. I know you, my readers would be interested to hear about them!

Had these been around 6 years ago, I would have been all over them!

Baby Buds is a new line of toys and nursery décor that are environmentally friendly! Items are made from eco-friendly fabrics, including certified organic cottons, natural silks, virgin cornfibre fill and low impact inks and dyes. Each item is packaged as minimally as possible.

Baby Buds is available at Target and includes plush toys to mobiles, teethers and rattles. Look how cute this Wiggling Cribside Buddy is! I love the owl!!

Check out Baby Buds on Twitter, and Pinterest.

Want to win some Baby Buds for yourself? ( You win will win 2 products, I’m not sure which 2) See details below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received products to review as part of a promotional program with Baby Buds and MomSelect. Opinions are my own/

Anne

Campus Clean Up/Earth Day Activity

April 16, 2013 By Anne

Last Wednesday, my daughter’s school hosted a Campus Clean Up. The Recycling Committee hosted the clean up. We decided to do it last week to get the children in gear for Earth Day coming up on April 22nd.

We brought in garbage from our own homes. Bins were brought in as well and labeled: “Garbage”, “Compost”, “Recycle”, “Terracycle“* and “Donate”.

We explained how not all garbage is garbage. There is so much more we can do with items we no longer need.

It was fun! We dumped the garbage on the floor and had children come up and see if they knew which bin to place the items in. The older children seemed to understand more than the little ones. But even the little ones knew about recycling.

Check out this craft one of the moms brought in – all made from recycled materials.

We then had the children color on long strips of paper some Earth Day pictures.

Then it was time to go outside and clean up! The little ones picked up trash on the playgrounds and courtyards. (We did have to add some “trash” as the school was pretty clean.)

The bigger kids had buckets of soapy water and cleaned the playground.

*About TerraCycle  TerraCycle, Inc. is an international upcycling and recycling company that takes difficult-to 
recycle-packaging and turns it into affordable, innovative products. Founded in 2001, TerraCycle is the world’s leader 
in the collection and reuse of non-recyclable post-consumer waste. TerraCycle works with more than 40 major brands in 
the U.S. and around the world to collect used packaging and products that would otherwise be destined for landfills. 
It repurposes that waste into new, innovative materials and products that are available online and through major retailers. 
For information on how to join a TerraCycle Brigade and on purchasing TerraCycle products please visit www.terracycle.com.

This is not a sponsored post. I love Terracycle!!

Anne

Earth Day Activity Guide/April 22nd

April 15, 2013 By Anne

Green Kid Crafts — an earth friendly craft kit subscription service for kids — has produced a free, downloadable Earth Day Activity Guide for Kids available at GreenKidCrafts.com/Earth-Day.

Looking for something to do with your young children to support Earth day? This guide explains the importance of reducing, reusing and recycling with fun facts, kid-friendly challenges, and creative craft projects and games. Content is appropriate for ages 3-8.

This is not a sponsored post. I just wanted to share the information. I am a big advocate for recycling and reusing!