Plant A Tree with Hefty

Hefty Basics are disposable paper plates that are free of inks, dyes and coatings, making them a more environmentally sound choice for your next get-together. They're just as strong as you would expect from their name but have a lovely natural brown color and are biodegradable in home composting.

If you're planning on using disposable tableware for your Superbowl party, you might want to check them out as a greener alternative to foam or regular paper plates.

For every 10 new "likes" of Hefty Basics on Facebook, a tree will be planted to reforest America through the Arbor Day Foundation.

Disclosure: In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that I received samples of Hefty Basics but all opinions are my own.

Bialetti Aeternum Saute Pan Review

I received a new saute pan to review. It's made by Bialetti, the Italian company that produces the iconic aluminum espresso makers. The Aeternum cookware features a proprietary nanoceramic coating that cooks evenly and prevents food from sticking. So, does it work? Look and see:

Powered by Whrrl

Disclosure: I received the pan shown in order to facilitate this review.

EcoSTORE for the Earth-friendly Dishwasher

EcoSTORE USA is the American outlet for  www.ecostore.co.nz, a New Zealand company known for making plant-based, non-toxic household cleaning, baby and personal care products for over twenty years. I love the simplicity of their credo: No Nasty Chemicals™. I've been even more thoughtful about what I use to clean our home and dishes since having kids so when I read about EcoSTORE USA on Maggie's blog (she is , I was curious to try some products out.


I chose the Auto Dishwash Powder and Natural Lemon Rinse Aid because I've been using my dishwasher more regularly lately and it seems like "normal" detergents and rinse agents are full of toxic, caustic ingredients. EcoSTORE's Auto Dishwash Powder, on the other hand, is a blend of simple mineral salts, citrus and coconut oils. Much nicer!

Even better, the Auto Dishwash Powder cleans beautifully– even without prerinsing. (Don't tell my mom!) I was also very pleased with the Natural Lemon Rinse Aid. Most of the traditional store brands are frighteningly blue and poisonous looking, smelling strongly of chemical fragrance. EcoSTORE's Natural Lemon Rinse Aid is made from plant based non-ionic surfactants, citric acid and water. It leaves a lovely scent of natural lemon verbena in the kitchen as your dishes dry. Ahhh.

EcoSTORE USA offers a wide range of products, from body and skincare to household cleaners, babycare and pet items. Find them on Twitter and Facebook, too.




Disclosure: I received the items shown in order to facilitate this review. No other compensation was provided and I was only asked for my honest opinion.

Serving in Style with Bob's Your Uncle

I'm not a sports fan but I do love a good cookout, especially now that the weather is starting to get cooler. It's time to bust out the grill and invite some friends over. I'm all about ease but not so much about careless consumption, so I want some low-maintenance dishware to serve on that can withstand toddlers and the occasional backyard drunk.

 

This retro roadsign plate set from  Bob's Your Uncle fits the bill nicely. Casual and easy to care for (melamine is dishwasher safe but please don't put it in the microwave!), they feature stunning images of kitschy neon signage by photographer Martin Yeeles. Unlike many functional objects made from photographic art, these have gorgeously saturated color in person. They remind me of the Polaroids I used to take all the time in the days before digital. In fact, I think the plates look even better in real life than they do in the stock photo. Here's how they look on my dishrack:

The ultra high gloss finish looks especially swanky with a big old bratwurst and some kettle chips obscuring the image! This set is the very first addition to my OpenSky store, so if you are interested in beautifying your picnic table and adding a little change to my coinpurse, click Buy Now! It's a win-win situation. The set of four 11" plates sells for $36 and there is also a coordinating 14" "Let's Eat" serving platter perfect for serving your cooked burgers or brats.

The In and Out Tray Set features two 9.75" x 6.75" trays that would be ideal for sliced cheese, onions or tomatoes and lettuce.

Stay tuned for more recommendations as I explore and continue to stock my Open Sky store.


Disclosure: I received the plate set featured in order to review the quality and I will receive a commission on any purchases made via the links in this post.

Recharged, Revitalized

Energizer's crazy pink drumming bunny hopped into our psyches in the '80s and he's still going strong, but it's nice to know that the brand's technology isn't stuck in the past. Energizer has a whole range of batteries that are specifically engineered for optimal performance in high tech devices. We've used their Lithium batteries for years but now that both kids are old enough to have battery-powered toys, it seemed wise to switch to rechargeables.



Energizer offers a whole slew of Rechargeable Batteries and Chargers. We have a zillion AA and AAA rechargeables floating around our home, since those are what we use most, but what about that new toy grandma brought over that requires D batteries? Oh, yikes. When I was little, it seemed like most battery-operated toys took Cs or Ds. And a lot of them. These days, not so much. Still, it happens. Jasper loves robots and it seems like they're all foreign and require gigantic batteries, which I don't tend to keep in the house. Luckily, there's a fantastic solution: the Energizer® Family Charger.



The Energizer® Family Charger charges up to 8 AA, 8 AAA, 4C, 4D or 2 9V NiMH rechargeable batteries. I didn't even realize they made rechargeable Cs, Ds or 9 volts! I was so excited. The Energizer® Family Charger is Energy Star-certified, will only charge when the door is securely closed (safe for kids!) and can recharge batteries quickly- in about 2 hours for 4 AA batteries and 7 hours for 2 9V batteries! Better still, it features an LCD screen that shows the charging status of the batteries so you know what to expect. I think this is a great item to keep in the house, but how handy would it be to throw in your suitcase on family vacations? It seems like you could recharge your batteries overnight and never have to make pit stops to buy batteries for your cameras and DVD players.



Thanks to Linsey (an official online advocate for Energizer) for hooking me up with the Energizer® Family Charger. I am sure we will get a lot of use out of it in the future.

Earth Month '09- Little Green Giveaway

***WINNER PICKED 4/23 WITH RANDOM.ORG***


***CONGRATULATIONS, #422 As They Grow Up!!!***

her comment...
I learned that CFL bulbs are better for the environment




Walmart is celebrating Earth Month by helping shoppers "save & live green" with a special eco-focused section of their website. Consumers can educate themselves with informative articles and tips, share advice with the Walmart community and, of course, shop smarter AND greener! There is also an accompanying Walmart Earth Month YouTube Channel, where you can view money and earth-saving strategies from the Elevenmoms.

As a member of the ever-growing More Than Elevenmoms splinter group, I received several products from Walmart's Earth-Friendly Housewares and Earth-Friendly Appliances selection to review. I've written about the Clorox Greenworks line before so I knew that I would love the Green Works Natural Dishwashing Liquid and Green Works All Purpose Cleaner Spray. These products work just as well as traditional cleansers but they are 99% natural and biodegradable, with no fumes or chemical residues. This Earth Month factoid really strikes a chord with me: If every Walmart shopper bought one canister of Green Works™ natural biodegradable cleaning wipes, we could keep 12 million pounds of petroleum-based plastic from being produced*. Plus, I love the fact that they're compostable so keeping the counters tidy doesn't mean throwing endless paper towels into the landfills.



I also received a jug of Tide Coldwater. I already prefer washing my laundry in cold water and I do use Tide so this is a great product for me. It's been specially formulated to wash better in cold water, which saves energy and potentially a little money on your heating bills: If every Walmart customer switched to washing in cold water with Tide® Coldwater for 50 loads, we could save nearly $4 billion and 39 billion kilowatt-hours of energy*.



The Brita Riviera Digital Pitcher is an updated version of the filter pitcher I came to know and love in college. It has an electronic filter change indicator that reminds you when to change the filter so you have clean, odor-free drinking water. This is really a great thing in a town like Wichita that tends to have stinky tap water! And if you pair it with a reusable cup or container, you save the waste from buying bottled water: If all 200 million Walmart customers used filtered water, we could keep billions of plastic bottles out of our landfills*.



The last thing I reviewed was a Bissell Little Green Floor Cleaner. With six cats, a five year old and a particularly messy 20 month old, having access to a spot cleaner was very nice indeed. We don't have carpeting but we do have area rugs and Jasper is fond of smooshing berries into them. I was impressed with the Little Green's performance, even on old stains. Better still, it features a sustainable design and packaging, PVC-free tanks and hose. Even the formula is clean and green! Best of all is the fact that the Little Green is made from recycled plastics: If every Walmart customer bought a Little Green machine, it would be like recycling two million bags of trash*.



*Here's the data to back up the earth-friendly claims of these products!




To enter and win your own Bissell Little Green Floor Cleaner, please comment on this post with something you learned from the Walmart Earth Month YouTube Channel.




Entries will be accepted through April 22nd and I'll pick the winner using Random.org. US readers are eligible. Only one entry/comment per person, please.


For an additional entry, post my button on your blog, follow my blog, fave me on Technorati or subscribe via email or subscribe via reader and leave an extra comment letting me know.




Make sure you leave an email address in your comment or that you have one accessible on your blog so you can be contacted if you win! Or, you may choose to check for your nickname at Prizey.Fetch, a site that compiles winners in one convenient place:

***Click Giveaways on my sidebar to see what else you could win!***

Kitchen Luxuries

I spend a lot of time on my feet in the kitchen, either at the sink washing dishes or at the stove, stirring endlessly. Our kitchen floor is fifties marble tile, laid directly on the concrete slab foundation. The strain on my body is palpable. Lately, I've been having weird foot pain which my stepfather (a doctor) attributes to Plantar Fasciitis from going barefoot on hard floors all the time. Back pain and arthritis are also said to be spurred on by too much standing on hard surfaces.

GelPro Mats are designed to provide comfort and relief from hard flooring. They feature a shock-absorbing gel core that allows ergonomic redistribution of weight to lessen fatigue. They are cushier than anti-fatigue mats that I've seen in office supply stores and certainly much more aesthetically pleasing. GelPro Mats come in a wide array of colors and textures so you are likely to find one to go with almost any kitchen decor. Even our bizarre, dirty-looking fifties terrazzo marble. We chose the Rattlesnake texture in Macadamia.





Everyone in the family LOVES the GelPro Mat! The kids like to play on it. I caught Roo trying to drag it into her bedroom, even! The cats like to sleep on it. I still don't like to spend hours washing dishes but the GelPro Mat does make it moderately more pleasant. I like it so much that I think we're going to have to get another one so we can have one in front of the sink and one in front of the stove. I kept moving the sample mat back and forth but I think two would be the way to go. If they sold seconds, I would snap them up for Bob to use in the studio but they're a bit pricey to get paint and wood chips all over them.

If your favorite home cook is still not checked off on your gift giving list, GelPro Mats offers gift cards and they can be emailed to recipients directly… and GelPro Mats would be the perfect hostess gift for someone who loves to cook, too.

Spoonman

winner: Seahorse Lady







I love it when form and function intersect, creating a thing of beauty that also serves a purpose. Jonathan's Spoons are truly utilitarian pieces of art. For almost thirty years, Jonathan has been carving wooden spoons from wood. He has refined his designs over the years, coming up with serving pieces and kitchen tools that are as beautiful as they are functional. The ten-person Jonathan's Spoons workshop in Kempton, Pennsylvania uses locally available cherrywood, noted for its fine grain, warm color and durability.



Kathleen introduced all of us to Jonathan's Spoons and we were thrilled to try them out in person. I received a Kitten Tail Spoon and a Honey Stick. From the moment I unwrapped them, I could tell they were quality items. The wood is light but strong and the shape of the handle is so graceful it begs to be held! I am smitten with the Kitten Tail Spoon, especially, because I love stripes and cats and tiny things…



The stripes are flame blackened on each piece and almost seem like they occur naturally in the wood. I would love to have a full set of tableware made like this because they are so lovely to hold! The whole Cat Tail Collection is just magnificent. I would love to get the Cat Tail Salad Set one of these days.



The Honey Stick is also lovely, with tiny holes like the cells of a beehive meant to trap and transport your honey. My husband is an artist and loves to carve wood. Generally he is a total snob about craft vs. fine art but even he was impressed by the craftsmanship of Jonathan's Spoons. He spent quite some time staring at the honey dipper, contemplating how the holes were achieved… And Roo and Jasper assumed these were meant for them because of their small stature. But no, they are all mine! I snatched them out of my kids' hands, I must admit. The Honey Stick is ingenious, a mess-free way of serving honey at the table, sans honey bear!



To enter and win a two piece set including a Kitten Tail Spoon and a Honey Stick, please visit Jonathan's Spoons and comment on this post with your favorite finds.


Entries will be accepted through November 26th and I'll pick the winner using Random.org. US readers are eligible. Only one entry/comment per person, please.


For an additional entry, post my button on your blog, fave me on Technorati or subscribe via email or subscribe via reader and leave an extra comment letting me know. You may also leave an extra comment with your favorite non-Tea Party post from any of my co-hosts' blogs! Just visit Angie, Candice, Cheryl, Kathleen, or Kristin, read a bit, and leave the URL in a separate comment– that's up to five extra chances to win in each giveaway!

Get another extra entry (and get into the Tea Party mood!) by putting our button on your sidebar (code is below, just copy and paste):

<a href="http://superdumbsupervillain.blogspot.com/search/label/tea%20party" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="tea party" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm402/Katwalck/teaparty.jpg"/></a>

***Click Giveaways on my sidebar to see what else you could win!***

Panda Party!

I hope you've been enjoying our Tea Party this week! One more day to go and it will be a lot of fun, too. (I saved the actual tea giveaway for last, don't ya know…) It's been fun having so many visitors, I hope many of you will continue to stop by from time to time. And aren't my co-hosts fun? I wish we could be doing this in real life, too!

I came across this super-duper-spectacular china on Babygadget today and had to share, since this is by far the coolest tea set I have ever seen:





Can you believe it's Wedgwood?! Yes, that Wedgwood, but it was specially commissioned for the FLASH restaurant at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. The artist is Will Broome, a UK illustrator who is apparently very fond of pandas. When I first met Bob, he was doing a lot of paintings of cartoony panda bears (they were the forerunners of his current life sized panda bikini girls), so this pattern really makes me nostalgic. I never did register for china… this is honestly the first set I've thought was really "me." I wish I could afford it! If anyone has a Wedgwood hook-up, let me know!

C'mon, Get Happy!

winner: Becky (non-blogger)






Today, my Tea Party posts are all about pampering and soothing. The Happy Company's motto is "Tools for Healthy Living" and they do, indeed, offer a whole arsenal of pampering products. I was lucky enough to try a couple of their most popular items. The first is the Soothing Gel Eye Mask, which features a knitted pink cover with a gel insert that can be chilled in the refrigerator for maximum refreshment. It can also be used without the insert as a sleep or relaxation aide.



The other item I tried is the Warming Scarf. This fleece scarf features grain-filled inserts around the neck and in two pockets that retain heat when microwaved. This is a great find for winter chills and I think that it would be a much-appreciated gift.



Most of The Happy Company's offerings can be chilled or heated for therapeutic relief. Many feature aromatherapy benefits. They're great for gift giving and a great way to pamper yourself, too!

To enter and win a Soothing Gel Eye Mask or Warming Scarf, please visit The Happy Company and comment on this post with your favorite finds. Let me know which item you prefer in your comment, too.


Entries will be accepted through November 26th and I'll pick the winner using Random.org. US readers are eligible. Only one entry/comment per person, please.


For an additional entry, post my button on your blog, fave me on Technorati or subscribe via email or subscribe via reader and leave an extra comment letting me know. You may also leave an extra comment with your favorite non-Tea Party post from any of my co-hosts' blogs! Just visit Angie, Candice, Cheryl, Kathleen, or Kristin, read a bit, and leave the URL in a separate comment– that's up to five extra chances to win in each giveaway!

Get another extra entry (and get into the Tea Party mood!) by putting our button on your sidebar (code is below, just copy and paste):

<a href="http://superdumbsupervillain.blogspot.com/search/label/tea%20party" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="tea party" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm402/Katwalck/teaparty.jpg"/></a>

***Click Giveaways on my sidebar to see what else you could win!***

Snuggle in a Slanket

winner: Smiles Across Miles



The Slanket is one of those ideas you initially think is silly but upon further inspection, you wonder how you ever lived without it. It is essentially a fleece blanket with sleeves but its simplicity belies its supreme coziness. I am certain I am not the only one who has struggled with keeping a blanket over my shoulders while trying to read a book or flip channels with a remote… the cold chill in the air means it's Slanket season!



Now, I know this Tea Party is supposed to be lady-centric, but I'd like to point out that there are now kid-sized Slankets available, too. Roo is constantly making me drape blankets around her, so a Slanket Kids model would be a great gift for her.



To enter and win a Slanket (a $45 value), please visit their website and comment on this post with your favorite color. Let me know if there is a special color or print you'd like to see on a Slanket.


Entries will be accepted through November 26th and I'll pick the winner using Random.org. US readers are eligible. Only one entry/comment per person, please.


For an additional entry, post my button on your blog, fave me on Technorati or subscribe via email or subscribe via reader and leave an extra comment letting me know. You may also leave an extra comment with your favorite non-Tea Party post from any of my co-hosts' blogs! Just visit Angie, Candice, Cheryl, Kathleen, or Kristin, read a bit, and leave the URL in a separate comment– that's up to five extra chances to win in each giveaway!

Get another extra entry (and get into the Tea Party mood!) by putting our button on your sidebar (code is below, just copy and paste):

<a href="http://superdumbsupervillain.blogspot.com/search/label/tea%20party" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="tea party" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm402/Katwalck/teaparty.jpg"/></a>

***Click Giveaways on my sidebar to see what else you could win!***

I'm Registering for…

Holy moly! Renaissance woman Amy Butler has designed a stunning new collection of dinnerware for Mikasa. It's called Vintage Botanica and it is, predictably, unimaginably lovely. I just remembered that we never registered when we got married six years ago, maybe we should renew our vows just so we could register for this set…

The Little Things

Jasper has strep, just like his daddy. We went and got a culture today and it was positive. (Roo and I are still healthy so far, knock on wood.) So while we were loitering at Target waiting to fill his prescription, I bought a new dishrack. It's big and shiny and folds up flat. The drain tray is deep and practically-designed. It's one of those Michael Graves things that look like they're trying too hard to be Alessi but are surprisingly decent quality. And I love it*.

How sad is it that I get excited over such a thing? I am so old and lame.

Just thought you should know.




*Aside from its lack of a utensil cup. Who dries cutlery flat?! Well, I suppose I do, for now…

Oh, You Handsome Devil

***WINNER PICKED 8/7 WITH RANDOM.ORG***


***CONGRATULATIONS, RobynsOnlineWorld!!!***


her comment...
I think I really like the Kruz the best. We are getting laminate flooring 3 rooms in a couple of weeks so I think this might really be useful in helping keep them swept up. Hopefully, it would work really well on cat hair also because I have 2 cats that shed a lot!



Blogged about you also
http://robynsonlineworld.blogspot.com/2008/07/great-blog-found-from-giveaways.html


Small appliances have come a long way. Dirt Devil's designer series, for example, features incredibly useful vacuum cleaners housed in haute couture plastic fashions by the ubiquitous designer Karim Rashid. (Is there anything this guy doesn't design?!) I never thought I would ever call a hand vac sexy, but you know, never say never…


The KURV, a rechargeable, cordless hand held vacuum cleaner that looks more like a genie's bottle than a functional appliance. It is, indeed, curvy as the name implies but it has a very narrow nozzle that is particularly useful for sucking up little things from nooks and crannies. KURV, like its conical cousin the KONE hand vacuum, is meant to be left out in plain view. They are funky objets d'art and ostensibly having them out makes you more likely to use them, which I found to be true.



Dirt Devil's designer recasting of stick vacuums is the KRUZ. It's a nifty, lightweight solution for homes with hard flooring. It sucks up dirt and the detritus of toddler mealtimes pretty handily from our tile floor with its 12 V motor. And it is awfully sexy for a vacuum cleaner! (Am I blushing?) I have the champagne color and it goes with everything… like Cheerios and cat kibble.



One model that I haven't tried is the brand new broom vac, with the slightly predictable moniker BRUM. It's a 9.6 Volt Rechargeable Broom vac that sucks and sweeps simultaneously. Genius! I am crushing on the Choco-Latte color, although it is available in the sublime champagne, as well. I think this would be especially great for hardwood and also for cat hair on low-pile carpets like our Flor rugs. The swirl motif on the broom head is actually the removable dust tray! Very cool.



To enter and win a KRUZ stick vacuum cleaner (a $100 value), please comment on this post with your favorite item from the Dirt Devil website and how it would make your life easier.

Entries will be accepted through August 6th and I'll pick the winner using Random.org. US/Canada readers are eligible. Only one entry/comment per person, please.

Make sure you leave an email address in your comment or that you have one accessible on your blog so you can be contacted if you win! Or, you may choose to check for your nickname at Prizey.Fetch, a site that compiles winners in one convenient place:

***Click Giveaways on my sidebar to see what else you could win!***