COINcidentally Green

Freebie Alert: Redbox (Or Should I Say Greenbox) Movie Codes

I'm sure many of us have rented a DVD or video game from a Redbox Kiosk at one time or another. But how many of you have thought that you were helping the environment when doing this? I consider my Redbox movie rental to be green living.

First of all, renting reduces the amount of DVD's that are manufactured, thus decreasing pollution and carbon footprint associated with the manufacturing process. Also, if you buy a movie that you haven't seen yet, you may watch it and decide you don't want to keep it. Then what do you do with it? Best of all, if you rent rather than own, you eliminate the storage needs for a movie that you'll probably only watch a few times during the time you own it anyway.

I've decided increase my awareness of what I'm consuming and I'm trying to eat more foods that are natural and organic. Hence, I was interested in this sample and thought you might be, too. Wholesome Sweeteners is offering a free sample of their organic sugar. This offer is in the latest publication of Organic Gardening magazine. To get the sample, you just need to send an email to them at cd@organicsugars.biz and mention the code word: GARDEN.

UPDATE: You can also try a sample of Sooo Sweet! all-natural sweetener from the Stevia plant. I haven't tried this yet, but the website says that it's 300 times sweeter than other sweeteners, so you just need to use a pinch. Best of all, it's calorie and carbohydrate free!

What about you: Do you try to eat only organic, natural foods? What do you think about this organic sugar sample?

Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo: An Eco-friendly Dress for Cinderella

Have you ever wondered what to wear to your friend's wedding, prom, or your work Christmas party? You want something unique and attractive, but you don't want to spend a fortune. Some people shop at consignment or thrift stores to find that perfect outfit and to do their part to be eco-friendly. But have you ever considered making your own dress...out of trash?!?

There was a high school girl in the news recently, who had her mom sew her a prom dress made out of Starburst candy wrappers. What a cute, colorful, and definitely original fashion statement.

Environmental educator Nancy Judd has created a multitude of outfits and fashion pieces out of trash and has them on display at Recycle Runway. There are dresses made from popcans, plastic bags, junk mail, rusty nails, and many more. Visit her website and see if you can guess what trash items are used to fabricate the various designs. Her goal is to promote conservation and increase awareness of environmental stewardship. Okay, so some of these clothing pieces took hundreds of hours to assemble, but it's the thought that counts, right?

What about you: Can you figure out what Nancy Judd used to make the coat in the photo at the top of this post?

Co+op Deals Through May 10th

Health food stores and co-ops are a very good source of organic and natural products. This list contains some co-op deals and coupon match-ups to help you save green while living green. Co+op Deals are good at over 150 co-ops that are part of the National Co-op Grocers Association. This list is based on the Midwest-area Co+op Deals Sales Flyer so some prices may vary depending on your area.

There’s a new Co+op Deals Savings Booklet available at your local Co+op Deals store. All coupons in the booklet are valid 4/01/2011 through 5/31/2011.

**Note the special deal listed below. Kiss My Face Pure Olive Soap for only 50 cents! This would be a great addition to a great Mother's Day gift!**

A few years ago, I routinely changed the oil in my vehicles in my garage at home. Recently, the auto shop nearby has been offering oil change deals that were less expensive than doing it myself. So I decided to have them do it for me. With the promotion that Green Earth is offering in honor of Earth Month, I may just switch back to doing my own oil changes.

Green Earth manufactures a certified bio-based motor oil. They blend nature's American grown base oils (beef tallow) with nanotechnology to produce an Ultimate Biodegradable motor oil. According to the MSDS (material safety data sheets), their G-Oil products will biodegrade at least 60% in only 28 days. Furthermore, the oil bottles/packaging are recyclable and eco-friendly.

You can try this motor oil for free ($26 value), if you purchase it before April 30th. Just purchase a 5 quart bottle of G-Oil, save the UPC and receipt, and send it in with this rebate form. This oil is available at Walmart, or check the Green Earth website for another retailer near you. Again, you must make your purchase by April 30th, but you have until the end of May to send in for the rebate.

What about you: Do you ever change your motor oil at home? How often do you have your oil changed?

Deal Alert: Save 73% On Organic Produce

You can purchase $70 worth of organic produce from MyOrganicAcres for only $19, but you must act quickly. The deal ends tomorrow (4/26). Moolala.com (similar to Groupon) is offering the Taste of the Farm Sampler Box ($70 value) for only $19. Shipping charges are included with the deal, so you won't be charged any extra when you order your box. In the box, you will receive:

40 servings of herbs and vegetables, total of 10-15 pounds
Extensive selection of in-season, pesticide-free produce
Produce shipped direct in cooler containers

This deal was so popular and sold out so quickly that Moolala restocked with more coupons. The new coupons must be purchased now, but you'll have to wait until June to redeem them. Hope you enjoy!

Earth Day Activities For Kids

What are you doing for Earth Day 2011? That's what my children keep asking me. They're anticipating the holiday with as much excitement as they have before Christmas. So I made a list of a few ideas to make the day fun and meaningful at the same time.

1. Plant a tree, shrub, flower, or seeds. The main objective is to get the kids to appreciate nature and what it provides (i.e. tree=shade, shrub=shelter for small animals, etc.). Seeds can be planted indoors to be transferred outside at a later date.

2. Attend an organized community event. Many cities and/or communities sponsor events on or near Earth Day. The event may include a "fair" with various eco-friendly organizations showing their products/services at booths. The event may involve a trash clean-up at a local park or other public place. Visit earthday.org to find out if there's an event in your area.

3. Organize your own trash pick-up. If your community isn't already doing this, you can initiate it yourself. Start at a park in your neighborhood and walk the paths picking up trash along the way. Don't forget to bring a large garbage bag (or two) to throw everything in. Leave the trash bag next to the trash can at the park to be picked up on garbage day. My family did this one year and by the end of our walk, we had several neighbor kids who had joined in our effort -- very fun!

4. Go on a hike. Get out and enjoy nature by hiking a trail in your area. The goal is to help the children experience the peacefulness that nature has to offer. This activity could be combined with the trash pick-up described above.

5. Visit a farmer's market. If you live in an area that has a farmer's market open, take the kids and let them choose an item or two to serve for dinner. If you're like me and have just received another dusting of snow, this might not be an option. Instead, visit a co-op or grocery store that sells local or organic products and let the kids choose an item or two. Cook a meal using only local ingredients and discuss the benefits to the environment when you eat local.

6. Get crafty. Use some of the trash that you picked up earlier in the day (or items you have around the house) and be creative. See what ideas you or your child can think of to craft with the trash. How about a plastic bag kite, or a CD jewel case scrapbook. For inspiration, take a look at the "Kids" section of this blog.

What about you: Does your family do anything special to celebrate Earth Day? Do your kids get excited about this "holiday"?

Trash to Treasure: Plastic Bag Kite and Parachute

Looking for a use for all those plastic shopping bags? Well, you could either use them as garbage bags in a small garbage can or bring them back to the store for recycling. OR you could do something much more fun -- make a plastic bag craft with your children! Here's how:

Plastic Bag Kite:
1. Gather the following materials: ball of string approximately 50-75 feet in length, plastic shopping bag, scissors, and tape.

2.  Go outside and find two straight sticks about 1-2 feet in length. Can substitute with dowel sticks, if preferred.

3. Lay the sticks in a cross pattern and wrap string around their crossing point until secure and tie off with a knot. This will be the frame of the kite.

4. Open a plastic shopping bag by cutting down the side. Spread bag out flat.

5. Lay the frame on the bag and cut the sticks of the frame to size, if necessary.

6. Use string or tape to attach the plastic bag to the ends/points of the frame, making sure the plastic is taut.

7.  Cut a piece of string slightly longer than the horizontal stick of the frame.  Tie this on each end of the horizontal stick. There should be a bit of slack in this string once tied.

8. Tie the remainder of the ball of string onto the the cross string from Step 7. This is the string you will use to fly your kite.

9. Cut strips of plastic from another bag and attach ribbons and a tail as desired to help the kite balance.

10. Go outside and have fun flying your kite.

Note:  The plastic shopping bags are not very strong and will likely be torn by the wind after a short time. To obtain a more durable kite, a plastic garbage bag can be used in place of the shopping bag.

Plastic Bag Parachute:
1. Gather the following materials: piece of string approximately 4 feet in length, plastic shopping bag, scissors, and tape. You will also need a heavy weight such as a rock, plastic toy (army man), etc.

2. Open a plastic shopping bag by cutting down the side. Spread bag out flat.

3. Cut a square out of the plastic bag.

4. Use the scissors to make a small hole in each corner of the square.

5. Tie a 1 foot section of string to each of the four corners of the square.

6. Gather the four strings (already tied to the corners) and tie them in a knot approximately 3 inches above the end of the string.

7. Tie a small toy or rock to the parachute using the 3 inches of string below the knot.

8. Throw the parachute up in the air or drop it from a high location and watch it fall.