Monday August 19th, 2019...Morning Thoughts

My Klean Kanteen water bottle. "More Ocean Less Plastic. The 5 Gyres Institute".

Things I’m thinking this morning in no special order....

I purchased this cute little frame 🖼️ in Ohio at Goodwill when I was out there visiting my husband's family. It is gold with small carved flowers. When I got home I realized that one of the pieces of art that I was looking for a frame for fit this perfectly and so I unstapled the back and placed the art in it. Then I used painters masking tape to hold the back to the frame. I did not want to staple the back to the art because that might have ruined it. I hung it up in my bedroom, but it fell apart off the wall yesterday. I am really glad it didn't break because it has a glass front. The back piece unfortunately only has a small sawtooth picture hanger on the back, but it didn't want to hold the weight of the whole frame. I think I need to find something that is more secure and maybe attached to the frame itself instead of the back. What do you use that works well and is secure for hanging your frames?

Yesterday I was very proud of myself. I finally remembered to use my reusable bottle at Dutch Bros for my Iced Apple Juice Chai I usually get. I wasn't sure they would fill it because it isn't one of their cups with a Dutch Bros logo on it, but they did. Unfortunately the drink I get is a 32 ounce usually and my reusable cup is a 27 ounce...so I was missing a little bit, but at least I am helping save the environment...maybe...you see, I watched them mix the drink and they used a plastic cup to do so, ugh! I might have to forgo going to Dutch Bros altogether. I could get the Oregon Chai and Apple juice at the store and mix it at home myself. I would miss the fun people working at Dutch Bros though and my husband loves going there. He probably won't ever stop getting his drink (a peppermint sprinkle freeze with whip) from Dutch Bros in a plastic cup with a plastic straw 🥤...unless Dutch Bros decides to change for the better. I wish corporations would be more environmentally conscience.

I also got some groceries yesterday at Winco and didn't use any bags 🛍️ because I had forgot the reusable ones out of the back of my car again. I was loading my groceries into my cart and the cashier asked me why I wasn't using any bags. I said I wanted to be eco-friendly, but forgot my reusable totes and I was just going to load the groceries into a foldable, collapsible crate I have in the trunk anyway. We, however; forgot a few groceries and so we came back and this time I was prepared. I brought the totes into the store with me. I am becoming more consciously aware of all the plastic and Styrofoam packaging around me. I had to buy toilet tissue 🧻 and the affordable stuff is all wrapped in plastic...wish it wasn't. I really don't know why it has to be.

Happy Monday beautiful people! I hope your Monday is wonderful!

Fluffy Layers Farm Queen Tote Review

Fluffy Layers is a wonderful company that was developed by Tara Grier. She and her team at Fluffy Layers are the creators of The Egg Collecting Apron®, The Egg Gathering Apron® & The Harvest Apron®. They also have some other cute, fashionable products for the farm lover in us all.

Fluffy Layers Farm Queen Tote.

I received The Farm Queen Tote from Fluffy Layers. It is a canvas type bag with handles that is great for holding groceries, farmers market goodies, or just about anything worth toting around. I love that this tote is eco-friendly and reusable. It has a fabulous design on the front of a rooster, a crown, and a partial circlet of flowers with the words "Fluffy Layers Farm Queen". I will love using this around the farm to hold my harvest from my garden to my home.

BUY IT
You can purchase Fluffy Layers Farm Queen Tote in their Fluffy Layers' online shop.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received these products for free to facilitate this review. As a Fluffy Layers Brand Ambassador I get occasional products to share with my readers for free. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

Back to School with Wild Dill

Back to School season is upon us. There is a lot to do to get ready for school to start. If you homeschool like me you are probably getting your curriculum and homeschool room ready and new school supplies bought. If you do public school you are probably buying a new ensemble and supplies for your school age children.

There is no reason that baby, toddler, and mom can't be fashionable too for the new school year. Wild Dill has great clothing, footware, and accessories for baby and toddler that are organic, fair trade, and natural. They have beautiful jewelry and bags for mom as well to spruce up her wardrobe.



Not only do they have clothing and accessories, they have educational toys that will help your little one's mind grow. These toys teach wonderful learning concepts that should be taught before littles get to school age. What better way to teach these concepts than with fun toys at home!



You can find other organic, fair trade and natural essentials for baby and toddler at Wild Dill as well. They also have bedding, feeding essentials, bath products, nursery decor & furniture. Their products are made in the USA, are European made, or handmade. I love all of their gorgeous products. Wild Dill is a fantastic online store with a wonderful selection of products at reasonable prices that can't be missed!



DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: This is a sponsored post. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

Earth Day Freebies, Activites, and Events 2013

If you look around you can find all sorts of fun FREE Earth Day activities and events that are going on around where you live. Here are some I have found that most of my readers can participate in. 

© Day2Day Printing
1. You can get a FREE set of 4 Earth Day Cards at Day2Day Printing. These cards have seeds embedded into them and are biodegradable and earth friendly. If you plant them the seeds will grow.

2. Pottery Barn Kids has a free in store event on Saturday April 20 - Monday April 22. Go to your local store to get a FREE packet of seeds to plant (while supplies last). Plus the proceeds from of select lunch products will go to Trees for the Future. Find a nearby store to you to participate. There are other in store events there also throughout the year.

3. Jo-Ann Fabrics and Craft Stores has a free in store event on Sunday April 21 from 2-3pm at participating stores. You can make a FREE Make It-Take It Earth Day Planter.

© Target
4. At Target you can get a FREE reusable shopping bag (while supplies last) at participating stores the day before Earth Day on April 21st.

5. At the Disney Store you can get a FREE Brave or Cars 2 Reusable Bag when you come in and recycle 5 plastic shopping bags (while supplies last) on April 22.

6. At participating Michaels Stores on April 20 celebrate Earth Day and learn how you can upcycle your old T-shirts into trendy and fashionable accessories for FREE when you register at your local store.

7. At the Home Depot you can register online for their FREE in store event on April 20 from 10am-11:30am to Learn how to build and maintain a "Flower Tower".

© IKEA
8. IKEA Portland is having some fun Earth Day Events. If you don't live local to Portland, Oregon try your local store. On April 2 - June 23 you can donate $1 to plant a tree with American Forests while you are in the checkout line. On April 22 from 5am - 7pm IKEA Portland will be having a FREE Shred Day. Bring up to two boxes or bags of paper to be safely and securely shredded in their parking lot then recycled at no cost to you.

9. April 22 - April 26 is National Park Week and National Parks are FREE to experience during this time. You do not have to pay an entrance fee. So get outdoors!

10. Portland, Oregon is having some fun FREE local events for Earth Day for those of you that live nearby. Some are free on these lists... Red Tricycle, PDX Pipeline, Radio Disney Portland's Team Green, Around the Sun, NW Kids, PDX Kids Calendar

11. Cowlitz County in Washington is having a FREE event at the Cowlitz County Expo Center on April 20 from 10:00 am - 3:30 pm. Activities include steel drums, trout pond, whirly bird, gyroscope, rock wall, petting farm, reptile roadshow, wildlife rehab trailer, planetarium, OMSI, and historical society recycled crafts, to name a few.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I wrote this blog post because I thought you might be interested in knowing this information and taking part of these fun activities. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any compensation for doing this post.

Salvador Kitti The Kiss Cosmetic Bag Review

Salvador Kitti is an Etsy store where you can find neat gifts and accessories for the animal lover in all of us. You can find Key Cases, Change Purses, Wristlets, Cosmetic Bags, Paw Pouch, Kitten Purse, Purfect Tote, Cross Body Handbags, Vegan Leather Handbags, Messenger Bags, Backpacks and Book Bags, Watches, Holiday Ornaments and Apparel. They feature the original artwork of Amy Pugh-Campos on them. She does artwork of pets and animals that are wild, exotic and/or endangered. The store was named after Amy's cat, Salvador, who was born in her art studio and loved to paint as much as she did.

I chose the cosmetic bag in The Kiss, where two dolphins are kissing, to review for free because I love dolphins! I love how intelligent they are and how they glide through the water with ease. My husband and I met in a dolphin discussion forum online and we had dolphin alter egos on there (mine Finamoon and his Afalina)...so dolphins kissing is a great metaphor for him and I. Brian even made me a snow sculpture out of snow in Ohio to symbolize our love.

This cosmetic bag is great for makeup or a pencil case for kids. You can also put a few toiletries in it for travel. It is made of water resistant microfiber to keep your things inside protected. The image of the dolphin on this bag is taken from an oil painting and is vibrant, deep blues. It is complete with a heart zipper pull and two pockets to hold things on the inside.

BUY IT
You can buy Salvador Kitti products on Etsy. I love their holiday ornaments too! These are so perfect for this time of year to hang on the Christmas tree! The smaller gifts and accessories are great for stocking stuffers and larger ones for wrapping to put under your tree. Take a look at their great selection of animals, you'll be sure to find one for your animal lover or you can get them a gift certificate so they can choose.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received product for free to review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

My "Brave" Experience

June 22nd Disney/Pixar's Brave opened in theaters across the country. I went to see it with my husband and my boys on July 1st in theaters. I kinda wished Disney/Pixar didn't put out so many trailers for the film as I felt as though I had seen most of it. But the high spirited flaming red-haired lass, Merida, was my favorite of course along with her triplet wee devil brothers and her horse Angus. Her mother Queen Elinor was also another one of my faves because of her role in the whole movie.

Here I am sitting in front of the movie poster at the theater with my free Brave Kid's Reusable Meal Bag my kids got me at Subway :) These are free with purchase of Subway Fresh Fit For Kids Meal. You can collect all 6. You can also possibly win free tickets to Brave with entry code that comes inside the bag. These are available while supplies last and only while the promotion is going on so hurry and get yours soon! I have the 'Merida and the Highlands' one so far.

I loved Merida's archery! I would love to be able to shoot arrows like that, especially while riding a horse! My oldest son Delbin got a trainer bow at the Pacific Northwest Sportsmen’s Show back in February and my husband just got him arrows and some bales of hay to practice on.

I've put this doll on my daughter's wishlist! This doll is by Tollytots and is of Merida with Angus. So cute!! I love horses! I also love their other dolls and they make other Merida ones too.

Also, look at this neat Brave - Aim For Your Dreams Disney Gift Card. You can get cool Disney gear with it at Disney Theme Parks and stores.

You can also download Brave Family Activity Sheets here.

Anyway, if you haven't seen Brave it is definitely worth watching. I enjoyed the movie very much. Have you seen it yet?

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I wrote this blog post because I thought you might be interested in knowing this information and taking part of these deals and opportunities. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any compensation for doing this post.

My Birthday and Teela's Visit at her Babu's

My birthday was May 10th. I didn't get to do a lot because my husband was working, but here is a recap of my day.

Here is what my kids did: Jaedan made me breakfast in the morning. He made me a breakfast burrito with sauteed green peppers, potatoes, and cheese. It was very yummy! Delbin gave me a necklace he made and some pieces of really neat pottery he found to make a mosaic with. Teela came home from visiting her grandparents, Babu and Papa, and she got me a small pretty fabric gift bag and made me a card that she put in it. She also colored a picture of Pinky Pie (a My Little Pony) and while she was away made me the following special program called Teela's Visit to Babu's 2012...



My parents (aka Babu and Papa to my kids) took me shopping at Ross Dress For Less and I purchased 3 awesome shirts, a beautiful long missoni skirt and a Wilton Mini Rectangle Pie Press with money allotted for me from my husband for my birthday. I also received a very nice dress also from Ross Dress for Less from my parents.

After shopping for my birthday we then had a late picnic dinner with BBQ chicken and potato salad. My mom brought her yummy homemade cinnamon rolls that I ate this morning for breakfast :) I also received a $10 Amazon GC (just another great perk for being a Purex Insider) that came on my birthday from Purex in the mail (actually for Mother's Day, but a very nice treat anyway). My other gifts were a pretty Shamballa bracelet and a bronze floral deer necklace.

Itzy Bitzy Klippie Klub Review 2nd Shipment

I received the 2nd shipment of hair accessories from the Klippie Klub from Itzy Bitzy and these were in red, black and gray. The first shipment was in pink and blue and came with a Klippie Klutch (great for storing the hair clips and hair bands in and for taking them with you traveling) and a extra flower clip with hair band. I love them and so do my girls! The hair clips of flowers and bows are so adorable, well made and very affordable too! It is the perfect way to add to your little girl's collection so you always have the perfect hair accessories on hand, without spending an arm and a leg. Also, every purchase goes towards the support of raising awareness of children with differences so that people are more accepting of them.

Klippie Klub is a fairly new hair clip of the month club where members get to purchase exclusive new release hair accessories at 60% off retail!

2 Membership Packages to choose from:

Krazy

• Over 70% total savings
• Free Klippie Klutch (value $25.00)
• 1st Kit Free (value $40.00) (only pay $4.99 S&H)
• Free Shipping
• $15.99 per month
• Retail Value $40.00
• Commitment: purchase 6 monthly kits

For a limited time become a Krazy Klub member and get the 1st month's collection + Klippie Klutch Hair Accessories Organizer and Travel Bag FREE (retail value of $65)! Just pay $4.99 S&H.

Kasual

• Over 50% total savings
• $18.99 per month
• Retail Value $40.00
• Free Shipping
• No Commitment

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to Itzy Bitzy for sending me product for free to review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

Rubbermaid Hidden Recycler Review and Giveaway

The Rubbermaid Hidden Recycler attaches to the inside of a cabinet door to collect recyclables out of sight and keeps your counters clear. The bag is durable, machine washable, and made of recycled material. Collect your recyclables and then easily lift the bag from the lid and cabinet by the handle to take them out to your recycle bin.

• Hinged lid attaches easily to cabinet door with over the door hooks or screws
• Bag has wipe-able leak-proof liner and is machine washable for easy cleanup after possible spills inside
• Bag is soft-sided allowing for flexibility inside any cabinet
• Bag is made from 65% post-consumer resin, meaning it is recyclable too
• Packaging is made from recyclable material, making it very earth friendly
• Convenient handle for transport to larger receptacle for recycle pick-up
• 5 gallon bag holds 36 uncrushed 12-ounce cans and is large enough to fit 1 gallon milk jugs
• Great for single stream recyclers
• Great for apartment living

My Thoughts:
Last year I found out that our city does pick up recycling, but unfortunately here it isn't highly advertised about because the city doesn't want to pay more for it than they think necessary. We only get one day each month to put out recyclables for them to come and pick them up and so as you can imagine it piles up quickly, especially for my family of 6. A lot of people in my neighborhood don't know about this service my city provides or just don't do it because of the inconvenience. I do it every month now and I hope that the city changes so that it is picked up more often and so that more people know about it.

I received the Rubbermaid Hidden Recycler from Rubbermaid to try out for free and review on my blog. I thought this was a great product to add to my Spring Gift Guide as it is very eco-friendly and it is for recyclables. It was fairly easy to put together and I tried it with the only cabinet that I thought would work with it, my kitchen sink cabinet since it is an open cabinet with no shelves in the way for the bag. I found, however; that when installing the Rubbermaid Hidden Recycler with the over the door hooks and then shutting the cabinet door, the lid to the recycler hit the side of the bottom of my sink. So, for my cabinet it didn't really fit well inside, but my sink isn't original to the house and has a larger basin than the old one had, so I think that plays into it a little. I could still install it with the screws though and it would fit, however; I don't really like the idea of putting more holes in my cabinet door even though they are not the nicest cabinets and the place where the screws go in on the product is made of plastic and looks a bit like it might break if I did. With the screws I would still have to install the whole product a lot lower than it says to in the instructions and the screws are a little long so they would go through my thin cabinet doors also. If Rubbermaid made the hook's length to be adjustable that would make it a whole lot better in my opinion.

Otherwise the Rubbermaid Hidden Recycler is a very good product and is great for recyclables. I placed mine on the outside of one of my cabinets because it wouldn't fit any where else...so not very hidden, but it is attractive so I don't mind looking at it. I also love the strap on the bottom of the back of the bag to help tip it over to dump out the stuff into the recycle bin outside. It is space-efficient if placed out of the way, compact, durable, washable, and easy to use.

Other uses you can use the Rubbermaid Hidden Recycler for:

• In the kitchen to store dirty kitchen linens before they go to the wash.
• In the laundry room for your unmentionables or delicates and/or hand wash only items.
• In the kitchen to store plastic grocery or shopping bags in so they can be reused.

Link Up with Rubbermaid:
Follow them on Twitter @Rubbermaid. Visit their Adventures in Organization Blog. Fan/Like their FaceBook page.

BUY IT:
The Hidden Recycler is currently available for purchase online at Rubbermaid.com and in store at Meijer.

WIN IT:
Prize: Win a Rubbermaid Hidden Recycler.

I am trying out Rafflecopter on my blog. Please click on this post link if you do not see the script for it below. Also, if there is anything that is wrong with it let me know by emailing me: finamoon AT gmail DOT com I will try my best at fixing it. Thanks for being awesome readers!

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to Rubbermaid for sending me product for free to review and one to give away for free. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.