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{Lean Green Mama} My Status Update!

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6 Weeks to a LeanGreenYOU Lifestyle Bootcamp

Most of you probably remember the HUGE giveaway a month ago, where one lucky lady won the opportunity to join me in the LeanGreenYOU Lifestyle Bootcamp with Jennifer McCay. Well, I’m now in the 3rd week, halfway through the program, so I thought it would be good time for an update on my progress!

Cha-cha-changes…

This program is focused on helping moms make better lifestyle choices, and keep them for life. This isn’t a “diet”, or get-slim-quick type plan. This is a course to teach you how to make good, healthy food choices, and how to identify your weak spots related to food, and overcome them. When you’re “on” a diet, that means you eventually go “off” of it, and back to your old habits, which is why you gain the weight right back. So Jennifer teaches you, in simple steps, how to improve your eating for good!

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Week 1

In week 1 I learned a lot about myself by completing the 360 Degree Life Self-Assesment on the bootcamp site. This really helped me figure out what I was doing right that I could build on, and where I needed to improve. And the other materials included gave me a lot of great new nutrition info, to help guide my meal choices into healthier categories. The goal for the week was simply to add one healthy meal each day. I made sure to have a really great breakfast each morning, and that helped to set the tone for my whole day! I didn’t need to stress too much over my other meals, just make sure ONE meal per day was a good one. Easy peasy, right?

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Week 2

So far, so good. This week, there were more AMAZING tips in the weekly video training, and I listened to a recorded version of the Live Question and Answer call that I had missed. {The baby was crabby that night, so I missed it.} But I love that Jennifer allows us to ask her questions, and personally answers us and gives advice. That’s awesome. This week I added an additional healthy meal… So now both breakfast and lunch need to be prepared with some thought, and I’ve made changes to make them much better. No, I didn’t eat right EVERY day, which was my goal. But I’m making a huge improvement by following Jennifers tips! Also, this week I added exercise to my days. Ugh. Me and exercise have never really been friends…

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Moving that booty in Week 3

This week the goal is that all 3 meals each day will be healthy ones, which gets a little trickier for me. I’m working on finding ways to handle dinner… My brother and his kids live with me right now, plus my mother, the baby, and many nights my boyfriend and his other two teenage daughters. That’s alot of people to make meals for, and a lot of different likes and dislikes to manage! I’m a meal planner, so I’m just adding and subtracting a few things from the weekly meal plan, to make sure there is a healthy option each night for me! A little extra work, but maybe I can set a good example for the kids with my improved eating habits?

For exercise this week, the goal is 20-30 minutes, 4-5 days per week. At first, this seemed like a lot. But really, it is TOTALLY do-able. This is what I’m doing… Each afternoon, we have one hour of cleaning time. So, for that hour, we crank up the music, and run around cleaning as FAST as we can. I mean, running to put toys away! I do squats while I vacuum, and while I put laundry in the dryer. That one hour really gives me a workout, holy heck! And it also means that I’m not trying to find time to exercise, I’m combining it with chores, so I’m actually SAVING time. It’s working great so far! 

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Lean Green Success Packet

If you’d like to learn more, you can head over to LeanGreenMama.com to get her FREE Success Packet, including:

  • Special Report on 3 simple strategies moms can use today to lose the weight for life
  • Healthy Mama Hotsheet on conquering food cravings
  • Free weekly advice on how to get the weight off and get healthier in the process

I think that these will help you a TON! And if you’re interested in joining the 6 Weeks to a LeanGreenYOU Lifestyle Bootcamp yourself, you can find more information there on her site on how to get started.

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Stay Tuned!

I have a before picture that I’m WAY too embarrassed to post…. But I will, at the end of the 6 weeks. I’m hoping that by then I’ll have made some progress, and be brave enough to show the BEFORE and AFTER bikini pictures!! Yikes, right? We’ll see. But so far, I’m really loving the easy-to-make changes, and all of the wonderful materials, tools, and training available with this Bootcamp!

You can also check out the LeanGreenMama on Twitter, and on Facebook too, and stay updated and connected!

**Healthy Weight Loss and Living for Health-Conscious Moms**

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Your Family can Earn FREE Products & Gift Cards, or WIN a Vacation!

 Recyclebank Rocks!

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What is Recyclebank all about?

Whether you pledge to use less energy, increase your at-home reycling or even just learn how you can increase the green in your home and neighborhood, we’ll reward you through grocery store savings, drugstore coupons, and discounts on the brands you buy every day. This way, you reap the rewards of not only brightening your community and helping your environment, but also truly benefit from meaningful savings.

How Do I Sign Up?

Joining is simple! Just head over to the Recyclebank site and follow quick instructions to set up an account, easy peasy. Then, have a look around, and do as many {or as few!} activites as you want. Most of them are super simple.

WIN my DREAM Vacation!!

Enter the contest and learn easy ways to green your summer vacation. You can earn Recyclebank points by pledging to take green actions and by participating in a series of challenges.
The more points you earn , the greater chance you have to win over 100 amazing prizes, including one of two grand prizes:

  • A 10-day National Geographic/Lindblad Expeditions cruise to the Galapagos Islands.
  • A five-day/four-night stay at the eco-luxurious Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo.

I have ALWAYS wanted to visit the Galapagos Islands, so this would be a dream come true to win…

Rewards

You also get to redeem all of those points you earn for cool stuff like coupons on great “Green” brands, FREE products, or my favorite, FREE Gift Cards from places like Home Depot or Walmart. Sounds pretty cool, right? Get started by joining Recyclebank today!

{More FREE stuff everyday… Free Samples!}

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Green Works: Simple Tips That Work!

Becoming a Green Momma

When I found out that I was pregnant, I started making lifestyle changes, so that I could provide the safest environment for my growing baby.

I was much more careful about what foods I ate, the air I breathed, and the products that I used. So when I started putting together the baby’s room, I knew it was important to make it “Green” too.

Green It Yourself!

You’re heard of DIY {Do it Yourself}, now you can learn to GIY {GREEN it Yourself!}I love this video, The Kids Room Tips Green It Yourself video on the Green Works Facebook page, since it gives new parents tons of great tips on how to set up a safe nursery.

Think about it, you put Mr. Yuck stickers on your cleaners, keep smokers away from baby, so why would you let chemicals around baby by using toys with BPA or paint with toxic chemicals?

My Favorite Tip

When I wanted to paint the baby’s room, I knew I wanted a No VOC Paint for the bedroom, and was surprised that none of my friends or family had even heard of that before!

Save $1 on any Green Works® product. 

So, watch the video, and check out the rest of the great tips from Green Works too! You can get a $1 off coupon just for becoming a fan of their Facebook page!

{Disclosure: This post in an entry to win a Clorox® Green Works® giveaway on the Mom Bloggers Club. But all opinions are totally mine, as always!}

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Plantsmart: The Garden Gadget That Gives Anyone A Green Thumb

Smart Garden Helper

Plants. They’ve been around since the Paleozoic period, so why is it so hard to keep them alive for one stinkin’ summer? Weeds grow without an ounce of effort, but when it comes to having flowers and plants that will make the neighbors green with envy you may need a little help from our newest find–The PlantSmart Digital Plant Care Sensor from Black & Decker. It takes the guess work out of gardening by giving you tons of invaluable gardening tips.

The Plantsmart – From Black & Decker – Saves the Day!

Stick the sensor into your soil for 24 hours and this cute little device will evaluate your soil, sunlight and temperature. Then just plug it into your computer for a detailed analysis of what’s at the root of it all your gardening woes. Even better, it will give you access to a database of thousands of recommendations for exactly which flowers and plants will thrive in your backyard. It also gives you great ideas for container gardening and wisdom when it comes to window boxes.

Watch this week’s Twirl as our resident gardening expert goes head to head with this remarkable garden gadget. You might be as surprised as she was at the results.

What do you think?

I do not have a green thumb. I have more like, the black thumb of impending disaster or something. My mother is a Master Gardener, so I was a hopeless disappointment to her. I love plants, I used to try so hard to grow my own garden, and keep my pretty flowering houseplants alive… Yet I never really succeed.

My secret weapon!

But now – I have a totally amazing vegetable garden. My mother helped me get it started, and helps me keep it up. The carrots and peppers breath a sigh of relief when they see her accompany me, since they know now that they are in good hands. A big reason I had such trouble getting started is that I really had no knowledge about things like soil types, how much sunlight was needed, when to water, etc. You know, the basic things you do to keep your plants alive. So this little gadget was like having my own little gardening wizard – helping figure out exactly what I needed to do! I could finally impress my mother by picking the right plants for the right place, AND keeping them alive. But shhhh…. Don’t tell her my secret!

More gardening help from technology!

  • Pocket Garden: This fun app will help you plan, organize, and track your veggie garden! With suggestions for proper plants, you’ll save a ton of money by finding the perfect plantings for any plot!
  • Get Growing: Another great app – This one helps you really see the value of growing your own food. You will be amazed by how just a few fruits and veggies can take a real bite out of your grocery bill! {Yep, pun totally intended!}

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Digitwirl.com Rocks my Socks!

Digitwirl is the weekly web show that offers simple solutions to modern day problems. In 3-minutes, Digitwirl brings busy women the very best time, money, and sanity-saving technology, and then teaches them how to use it, step-by-step. Digitwirl was created by technology lifestyle expert Carley Knobloch, who uses lots of technology to manage her busy life as mom of two and entrepreneur. Become a subscriber to get weekly show alerts and exclusive deals at Digitwirl.com, or follow Digitwirl on Twitter at @digitwirl.

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Free Book: Recyling Crafts!

Get it FREE!

Get this FREE eBook with really fun and creative ways to re-use the stuff around the house that you would normally throw away. I’m such a big fan of “up-cycling” and am planning to do a weeklong Thrifty Trash Crafts series of posts on it soon!

Until then, check out this fun book:

Free Green Crafts eBook: 42 Ways to Recycle with craft projects for paper, plastic, metal, glass and more. Save money, enjoy a favorite hobby and reduce your household waste with these green craft projects.

Recycle old clothing and even light fixtures into functional and decorative items for the home. Turn 1-liter plastic bottles into Halloween Luminaries (pg. 46), junk mail into pretty Rolled Paper Beads (pg. 7) and old jeans into functional Potholders (pg. 80).

Click Here to get it free today! This can give you some great ideas for almost free activities for the kids… Summer break is almost here!!



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Kids Clothing Swap: How ThreadUp Works

Have you heard of ThreadUp?

I have used ThreadUp a few times now, and I can tell you… It is SUCH a great way to get kids clothes really cheap. Plus, it helps you find a new home for the stuff that your own kids have outgrown. I love trading in stuff that Abby has hardly worn for things that she really needs right now!

Here is how it works:

You get your first box free, to try it out. You browse the “Boxes” that other members have posted. Some include pictures, some link to pics on their Facebook, but all include a detailed description of all of the items included in the box. There are usually about 10-15 items in each box.

You get the box free, but you do pay shipping, about $10. Then the box is sent to you, and you have a bunch of gently worn, but new to you, clothes and accessories!

To continue swapping, you have to participate too! You just click the “request boxes” button, and they’ll send you out a bunch of shipping boxes. You put together a few boxes, and post the details on the site. When someone wants to buy your box (always only $5 a box) THEY pay the shipping, and you simply print out a shipping label, attach it, and have it picked up! Easy peasy. Every box you swap out gives you a credit to pick another new box!

Sounds cool, right?

I love this. My little girl had so many really cute baby outfits that she never even got to wear, so this was a great way to trade them in for stuff that she needs now! Check it out, sign up for a FREE account, and go check out the selection. I think you’ll be a fan too.

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Win the ConservingNow Great Green Giveaway! {$50 Value}

Enter to win in the ConservingNow Great Green Giveaway! {$50 Value}

Check out the super amazing Ultra-Sturdy Oversized Cotton Tote bag from ConservingNow that one lucky Sunshine and Sippy Cups fan is going to win…

AND, this awesome bag will be filled to up with a ton of great “Green” goodies…

Here are all of the awesome products that the winner will get to try out:

  • The simply amazing Ultra-Sturdy Oversized Cotton Tote from ConservingNow, plus a fun window cling to remind you to “Bring Your Own Bag”!
  • Baby products and coupon from Earth’s Best including a cute baby bib, whole grain rice cereal, feeding guide, diaper and wipe coupons, and 2 FREE baby cereal coupons!
  • The adorable Baby Banana Brush Combo Pack with Spry Training Tooth Gel. {Not pictured, click the link to see it!}
  • Natural cleaning products from Ecover including two trial packages of dishwashing tabs, and a mini Grapefruit and Green Tea Dishwashing Liquid, plus coupons!
  • Freebies from Nasoya! Coupons for one FREE Nasoya Super Hummus, and one FREE product of your choice.
  • A sample of Sprout Baby Food in my little girls very favorite flavor, Roasted Bananas!
  • Samples of the natural snack, Chocolate Covered Strawberry thinkThin bars from Think Products!

One lucky fan will win it all, a package of green goodies worth over $50!! What a great way to try out a ton of new natural product companies, right? These are all brands that I use and love, and I’m excited to share them with you.

Now…. How do you enter??

Remember, to be eligible to win any of my giveaways, you MUST be a blog follower. You can subscribe by email, or follow with GFC.

Mandatory Entry:

Leave a comment letting me know how you follow Sunshine and Sippy Cups. Make sure to include your email, so I can contact you if you’re the lucky winner!

Bonus Entries:

  1. 1. “Like” ConservingNow on Facebook and leave me a comment letting you know that you are a fan! And if you’re feeling friendly, stop and say hello and show some love from the Sunshine and Sippy Cups fans!
  2. 2. Follow ConservingNow on Twitter, and leave me another new comment letting me know that you did this, and what your Twitter name is.
  3. 3. Visit ConservingNow and let me know which bag is your favorite! {So many good ones, I don’t know how you’ll choose!}
  4. 4. “Like” Sunshine and Sippy Cups on Facebook, and leave a comment letting me know that you’re a fan!
  5. 5. Follow Sunshine and Sippy Cups on Twitter and leave a comment letting me know!
  6. 6. One bonus entry EVERY DAY for sharing this giveaway on Facebook or Twitter! {You can share very easily by using the share buttons under each post!} Leave me a comment here EACH DAY that you share the giveaway, to get your daily bonus entry!

Rules:

Contest ends on Sunday, April 30th, 2011 at midnight PST. Winner will be chosen on May 1st, 2011. Giveaway is open to U.S. Residents only, 18 and over. Winner will be contacted at the email they provide here, and will have 48 hours to respond before an alternate winner will be drawn.

Woooooo!!!! Let the fun begin!! Check out the ConservingNow site, learn lots of new info, and browse their great products. Follow them on Facebook and Twitter, and share the giveaway. And leave a NEW comment for EVERY action you complete, for lots of entries!

Also, make sure you join the fun during the Natural Parenting Blog Party, and read more about ConservingNow in my review here!

BabytoBee

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