Instead…

• Make your own ride as efficient as possible. If you drive a serious gas guzzler but you drive less than other folks you’re still gonna come out ahead. Make a goal to drive less, combine trips, and bus it or bike or (gasp) even walk more.
• Empty out the trunk. The U.S. Department of Energy notes that simply removing excess weight from your car can green your ride. For example, when you lose 100 pounds of gear your MPG improves by 2% – which adds up.
• SLOW DOWN! How super fast do you really need to get to the store anyhow?
• Keep your car properly maintained. Things like old oil filters, badly inflated tires, and other basic maintenance blunders will make your car less efficient and thus less eco-friendly.
• Carpool whenever possible.
• Buy cheap gas – which sounds bad but actually the higher the octane, the worse it is for the planet. Aromatics, otherwise known as harmful pollutants, are added to high octane gasoline.
• Use cruse control on the freeway.
• No matter the car you purchase, make sure it’s got a longer life rating that average. Long lasting = greener.

And of course, keep on saving up for your dream hybrid

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

Also, a good programmable thermostat saves you time. ENERGY STAR qualified programmable thermostats come with four pre-programmed settings that regulate your home’s temperature in both summer and winter and even when your family is asleep or away. This means a programmable thermostat automatically help to reduce heating and cooling in your home according to your families schedule.

Visit the ENERGY STAR programmable thermostat page to learn about choosing the right programmable thermostat how to make sure that your thermostat is properly installed, and how to properly set and use your thermostat.

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

And our randomly drawn winner is…

Vicky H. who said, “My God-daughter would most likely like the body wash and body lotion.”

Congratulations to Vicky! I will be sending you an email later today so I can gather your mailing info in order to get you your prize. Please check your email account and your spam email as well. I do need to hear back from you in one week, or I’ll be awarding the prize to an second place alternative winner.

Thanks to everyone who entered and big glittery kisses to Sparklehearts for sponsoring this lovely eco-friendly beauty product giveaway.

P.S. If you didn’t win, you can still score a deal on these products! Right now Sparklehearts is offering a special sale code to Tree Hugging Family readers as well. Head over to Sparklehearts, choose your fave products, and when checking out, enter the code, Blog20, which is good for 20% off any purchase.

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

Then the day after tomorrow is you final shot to score some cool teen-girl-friendly organic beauty products from Sparklehearts. Your little miss green teen could win organic glitter body lotion, organic bubble bath, and more, so enter the Sparklehearts giveaway today before time runs out!

Good luck!

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

Product: Sweet Hearts Sparkly Body Lotion; the product specs note, “Glisten Up, Gorgeous. Sparklehearts Sparkly Lotion moisturizes and brightens your skin with a beautiful shimmer. Natural mica sparkles add glamour to your glistening beauty. Naturally antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory, sesame oils are pro-healthy and protective. Moisturizing murumuru butter feeds your skin fabulous nutrients, enhancing your inner glow. Skin-softening sweet almond oil improves your complexion.”

Reviewers: I reviewed this product, but being that I’m not a teen girl I also enlisted the help of my boyfriend’s daughters, who luckily, fit the Sparklehearts demographic perfectly. Jade is 13 and Katana is 11. I also ran this by my son, Cedar, who is 8, just to get a boy’s view. Whew – four reviewers and we all had different opinions.

Cost: $12.49 for 8oz – although right now you can save 20% (details at the bottom of this post).

Ingredients: Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice*, Vegetable Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol & Glyceryl Stearate (coconut derived), Tapioca Starch, Stearic Acid, Panthenol (Vitamin B-5) , Viola Odorata (Violet) Leaf Extract, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Flower Extract, Viola Tricolor (Pansy) Extract, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil*, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower)Seed Oil*, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*,Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter*, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Essential Oils, Mica, Titanium Dioxide. *Organic Ingredients

NOTE: The company did not link the ingredients – I looked them up on Skin Deep. I didn’t link all the scents, because most, like the Viola Odorata were scores of 0 (good).

Eco facts:

• Certified organic. 99.6% natural ingredients.
• Not tested on animals.
• No harmful toxins ingredients used. Sparklehearts uses essential oils, violet extract, coconut, Shea butter, and green tea extract in their products.
• No artificial colors.
• Packaging made with 100% recycled plastic and is recyclable after use.

I covered all the eco-perks of this company in-depth in the company review. Learn more about the green benefits of the Sparklehearts company.

What I thought:

Of course I like the eco-perks above so besides that, here’s what I thought.

I like that they listed all the ingredients on the bottle and at the website. Sparklehearts is not listed at Skin Deep yet (Skin Deep scores beauty products on safety) but I did look up most of the ingredients myself, and based on that, I’m guessing this product would get a low to mid level score (good-decent). I LOVED the sparkle effect of this lotion – subtle glitter that smooths over everywhere and makes you look super sparkly. I thought it softened fine and went on easy. It’s not a deep moisturizing cream, more of a light all-over cream.

I wasn’t too keen on the scent. I didn’t NOT like the scent, it’s just not something I’d wear on a daily basis. It was just a little too sticky sweet for a grown woman – of course grown women are not their target market, so that’s ok. The website gave me a headache – really bright and bubbly, (again, I’m not their target market) but I will say that it was easy to navigate and very safe for young girls.

What Jade & Katana thought:

Both of them loved the sparkles right away but were undecided on the scent. Katana noted that she couldn’t figure out what it smelled like but that she thought it smelled a little like fresh play-dough, which she said was fine, but maybe not in a lotion. Jade couldn’t decide if she liked the scent at first either saying that she couldn’t place it. Later both girls decided that while they couldn’t totally place the scent they they did like it and would use it. Both of them liked the packaging a lot – i.e. pretty hearts, pink, bubbly, very girl-friendly.

In the last post I noted, “Kids can log on to Sparklehearts, learn about green beauty issues and even create their own Sparkleheart designs. The free design program allows little ones to save it to their computer to use as wallpaper, or print it onto an iron-on transfer for a one-of-a-kind T-shirt.” Katana was especially in love with the website. We played on there together for a long time, then when I got bored, she kept playing around on there. She designed a ton of her own Sparkleheart creations and really liked all the design choices and colors offered. Her favorite part were the virtual stamps you could choose from.

Of the two of them, Katana liked the lotion more I think, saying something akin to, “I would totally buy this and other products from them.” Jade was more undecided, but Katana told me later, “She would so buy this stuff.” This depends on how well you trust sisters, but in my experience (I had a sis 2 years younger) usually sisters are smack on.

What Cedar though:

Well, let’s just say Sparklehearts is not targeting young stereotypical boys. Cedar is so typical boy it hurts – trucks, dirt, sports, and all that jazz.  BUT he also has a bling addiction (weird) where he’ll note how much he likes shiny stuff, so I thought he might like the glitter aspect. No. He hated the bottle and hated the scent and got mad that I even dabbed the lotion on him. His exact words, “WHERE can I wipe this off NOW!”

Um, not a boy product.

Overall happy tree score:

4 out of 5 happy trees. Not bad. They lose a point because none of us were in complete bliss over the scent. While none of us, (minus Cedar) disliked the scent, we all pondered over IF we liked it for a little too long. I also thought it was a little pricey for pre-teen and teen girls. Although, I will also say that in my opinion organics are worth the cost because kids shouldn’t be exposed to toxic junk. Also, this product was comparable in price to other like-minded organic lotions.

Overall though, all of us girls loved the sparkles, loved the packaging, and both Katana and Jade decided that they’d use the lotion again AND would love to try other Sparklehearts products. Also huge bonus points for the fun interactive website. That said, the girl reviewers would like to highly recommend this product for pre-teen and teen girls. I think adult women who like sweet scents would also like this lotion. None of us thought this was a boy-friendly product.

BONUS: Sparklehearts sent me a great sale code for Tree Hugging Family readers to use. Head to Sparklehearts, choose your fave products, and when checking out, enter the code, Blog20, which is good for 20% off any purchase.

Don’t forget to enter our great Sparklehearts Natural Beauty Giveaway if you’d like to win your own Sparklehearts products to try.

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

SPARKLEHEARTS GIVEAWAY PRIZE:

One lucky Tree Hugging Family reader will win TWO Sparklehearts products of their choice.

HOW TO ENTER:

Right now Sparklehearts offers 5 yummy flavors of products. Scoot over to Sparklehearts, click on the “products” heart at the top of the page and check out the goods. THEN come back here and leave a comment on this post telling me which two Sparklehearts products you or your child would like to try.

THE SAME RULES AS ALWAYS:

1. If you don’t follow the ONE how to enter rule above I’ll delete your comment. Yup, comments that say something lame like, “Hey, enter me” will be deleted.
2. Anyone (minus yours truly) can enter once starting… NOW.
3. Comment entries must be posted by May 11, 2009 – midnight my time (west coast).

I’ll randomly draw a winner on May 12th, post the winner here, and send the winner an email with more details.

Good luck!

Don’t forget; right now Sparklehearts is offering a special sale code to Tree Hugging Family readers as well. Head over to Sparklehearts, choose your fave products, and when checking out, enter the code, Blog20, which is good for 20% off any purchase. Coming up, I’ve got a Sparklehearts product review too so stay tuned.

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

Some eco-perks of Sparklehearts:

• 99.6% natural and organic ingredients used in all products.
• No harmful toxins ingredients used. Sparklehearts uses essential oils, violet extract, coconut, Shea butter, and green tea extract in their products.
• No artificial colors.
• Never tested on animals.
• 100% post-consumer recycled packaging.

Obviously eco-body care for little girls is a good idea. Petroleum, sulfates, and other icky junk don’t belong on your daughter’s skin. In fact, recent laboratory tests by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) revealed that adolescent girls across America are contaminated with chemicals commonly used in cosmetics and body care products. Detected in the labs were 16 chemicals from 4 chemical families – phthalates, triclosan, parabens, and musks – in blood and urine samples from teen girls.

According to Skin Deep, “Studies link these chemicals to potential health effects including cancer and hormone disruption. These tests feature first-ever exposure data for parabens in teens, and indicate that young women are widely exposed to this common class of cosmetic preservatives, with 2 parabens, methylparaben and propylparaben, detected in every single girl tested.”

Currently Sparklehearts offers five yummy-girl happy products; Shine Shampoo, Rainbow Soft Conditioner, Peace Out No Knots Hair Detangler, Bubbling Blooms Body Wash, and Sweet Hearts Sparkly Body Lotion.

Sparklehearts website is super fun too. Kids can log on to Sparklehearts, learn about green beauty issues and even create their own Sparkleheart designs. The free design program allows little ones to save it to their computer to use as wallpaper, or print it onto an iron-on transfer for a one-of-a-kind T-shirt.

BONUS: SAVE MONEY & WIN SOME SPARKLEHEARTS!

Sparklehearts sent me a great sale code for Tree Hugging Family girls to use. Head to Sparklehearts, choose your fave products, and when checking out, enter the code, Blog20, which is good for 20% off any purchase. Coming up, I’ll also be reviewing one of the Sparklehearts products here (with help from two teen girls I happen to know) so stay tuned because you don’t want to miss that.

AND the best news: Sparklehearts is offering a cool prize for one lucky Tree Hugger Reader. Giveaway details coming soon!

Learn more at Sparklehearts.

[images via Sparklehearts]

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

I actually can’t remember if we’ve ever discussed Green & Save here, but even if we have, it’s been a while and it’s worth a mention. Especially with spring coming up as you may have plans for your tax returns (home projects) or spring fix-it projects.

Green & Save is a super cool green living site geared toward the money end of eco-living. Basically, Green & Save provides Home Efficiency Consulting for consumers who want to save money on their utility bills or who simply want to be sweeter to the planet. That’s the short story.

The long story: Following is just some of what you can find at Green & Save, which by the way, is info offered free of charge.

Learn how much money you can save if you spend money on green goodies: For example, if you spend $375 on Solar Path and Garden Lights you can save $176 in a year or $1,760 in ten years. Another cool component is you get to see the return investment. Examples, your return on the solar lighting example above is 46.9% while your return on composting is only around 15%. This allows you to see where you can gain the biggest bang for your eco-dollar.

Learn what you’ll save on TONS o’  green home items: From basic home tune-ups, to energy and other green audits, to major remodels and so much more. If it’s green and home related, there’s a good chance you can learn about the money side of it at this website.

Snag seasonal green living tips.

Get green deals and discounts: You can sign up for their green email event which sends out tips about the best values and opportunities for home savings and weatherization, seasonal sales and they track the political landscape and offer tips for Tax Credits, Rebates, Incentives, and even reduced utility charges for using various green systems (like a heat pump, low-flow toilet, etc.).

And MUCH more. There’s a ton of cool green news, tips, and ideas at Green & Save, including a handy green home business directory, an ask the expert section, and community forums.

If you’ve got some spare cash marked for greening your pad, or just want to learn more about green homes in general, visit Green & Save.

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

When it comes to powering up your house it can take a lot of energy and cost some big bucks. Nowadays we power up everything from lamps, to laptops, to toothbrushes, and more. To save energy and money try the following…

1. Use rechargeable batteries whenever possible. This not only saves you cash but saves landfill space as well. Some studies show that it can take as many as 1,000 regular batteries to cover the lifespan of one rechargeable battery.
2. Install light sensors that automatically turn off when people leave the room.
3. Use voice mail service vs. an answering machine. If you have only a cell then you likely already use voice mail. If you still have a land-line phone, and an answering machine, consider switching to a voice mail service in order to cut out a little clutter plus save energy. Because your answering machine is plugged in 24/7 it drinks up energy.
4. Use compact fluorescent bulbs, solar charged lights, or LED lighting where possible (both inside and outside) over incandescent bulbs.
5. Unplug anything that’s not in use. While one lamp sitting plugged in doesn’t drain too much energy during the day, consider everything you have plugged in. It all adds up. In the kitchen alone people have their microwave, toaster, blender, and more plugged in all day. It’s unnecessary.
6. Close air vents in all unused rooms of the house. It’s silly to heat or cool unused rooms, and it’ll save you money.

[Image via Stock.xchng]

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

The folks from Night Owl Paper Goods posted the code, but then emailed me an even better one. I’m pretty glad about this, because it gives me an excuse to show another cool product from them. Since it’s a nice holiday code, you should know that they have these adorable wooden santa owls cards made from eco-friendly, sustainably harvested yellow birch available. Look:

YOU know you want one.

Here’s the new code they sent me…
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:: Night Owl Paper Goods Owliday Discount :: www.nightowlpapergoods.com

:: Receive 25% off ALL ORDERS now thru Dec. 31st! :: Coupon Code friend08

:: Share with friends! :: Use over & over! :: It’s easy to be Green & Save Green!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

AND, heads up, another featured item here at Tree Hugging Family is on sale right now. Remember the B Hive Designs post I did a while back? Maybe not, it’s been a while. Let me jog your memory with some new organic items I adore from the shop… (click on the image to learn more).

Barbara from B Hive Designs says that her lovely items are on sale right now through Dec 7th. 25% OFF all Women’s shirts, plus FREE SHIPPING on everything! That’s a great deal on organic clothing. You can also find B  Hive at Etsy (which rocks – I have a major Etsy crush).

If I see any more green deals soon, before holiday shopping time is up, I’ll throw those your way too. I know for sure that I’ve got details about a great 3R Living code in the The Gigantic Green Holiday December Kick-Off! post

[Images via B Hive Designs & Night Owl Paper Goods]

Post from: Tree Hugging Family