KidsCraft Recycled Rocket ✮ GIVEAWAY ✮

Who doesn't love rockets?  KidsCraft Playhouses has made it possible and very convenient for your child to have one of their very own.  This Space Imagination Shuttle  was a smashing hit at my son's birthday party.  It is big enough to fit five pre-school age kids (though it's designed to fit up to three comfortably) and withstood a lot of rough housing and excitement.  The kids lit up when they walked through the door and saw it--the scale is quite big and dramatic.  This sort of takes the concept that kids would rather play with the box than the toy inside to a new level.

They come with recycled star crayons so the kids can decorate the rocket and they are made of 100% recycled materials and are completely recyclable when you are through with it.  We are going to carefully repackage it and keep it in the attic for future use.  But not until my son has had enough time to enjoy it.  You can put blankets and pillows and books and whatnot in there for a fun little haven.

KidsCraft Playhouses also make a cottage playhouse.  I think both would be wonderful in the classroom or for a special occasion.  If you are hosting a birthday party or event, consider one of these to liven up the festivities.  Or if you have a big space or are okay with one of these spending a little time in the living room, check out KidsCraft Playhouses HERE.  Proceeds from this Space Imagination Shuttle as well as all KidsCraft products go toward children's causes throughout the US.

                                        ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ GIVAWAY ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮

Win Your choice of the Space Shuttle or Cottage Playhouse by doing the following.  Each thing you do counts as an entry, just be sure to leave an individual comment for each.  These are super cool and totally worth the effort.  Good Luck!

1.  Visit KIDSCRAFT and tell me one interesting thing about this company.

2.  Tweet or blog about this giveaway (one entry for each).

3.  Follow KidsCraft on FACEBOOK. 

4.  Follow KidsCraft on TWITTER. 

5.  Follow this blog by going into your blogger dashboard and adding me to your public reading list.

Update:  This giveaway is now closed, Averie You are the winner!

True Random Number Generatorwinner:7Powered by RANDOM.ORG

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Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World

This has been an action packed week at my house.  My son's birthday, lots of cooking and baking (raw food prep too), hanging out with friends and family, and eating.  Lots of eating.  Do you know about Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World?  This is my go-to book for parties and the recipe for chocolate cupcakes is the best I've ever had, fail proof and always a crowd pleaser.  They were wolfed down before I could take a picture, but trust me, they alone are worth the purchase of this book.

If you make your cupcakes with whole grain flour and use all organic ingredients, you can afford an occasional indulgence, I think (barring any allergies or other health issues like diabetes). For those of you who have been following, my high raw detox resumes in full April 1, woohoo!

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simplehuman Fingerprint-proof Trash Cans

A trash can is something we use every day but don't really think much about.  But it's a pretty integral part of the kitchen and in the last few years, trash can designs have become much more sophisticated.

Enter the simplehuman Fingerprint-proof steel Trash Can.  This is the ultimate trash can.  First of all, it will last at least 10 years.  In five years I have purchased three trash cans for the kitchen and they either fell apart or were awkward to use in some way and didn't last.  I thought I was buying quality--they were stainless--but they just weren't made that well.  Simple Human has a warranty on these so you don't have to worry about your investment.

The trash can is very good looking, but more than that, they have really thought the design through.  The step is easy, the lid opens and closes quietly and seamlessly to keep in odors, and my favorite part is the ease with which the bags go in and out.  It has a special little grip for the trash bags so you don't have to struggle to hide the bag or keep it in place.  There's also a little stash place for spare bags.  It is not completely fingerprint-proof on the top of the lid for my four year old, but he has been very interested in it and I think when the curiosity wears off it won't be an issue.  No fingerprints have shown up anywhere else on the can.

For those that need a recycling solution, they make a Rectangular Recycler Trash Can which I think is a great idea.  Currently I keep recycle bins on my porch that work for me, but this would be ideal for those living in apartments or condos.  simplehuman makes all sorts of organizational tools to make life easier, check them out HERE

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Spring is Here

Hiroshige (1797-1858)
Cherry Blossom From 100 Famous Views of Edo

I've always loved Spring.  The new life unfolding, the spirit of adventure and the bursts of color everywhere like flower fireworks.  Right now there is something that is making me sneeze but I'm enjoying it anyway.  I read this great post over at A Bitt of Raw yesterday and it brought back memories of a wonderful time I had in Japan a few years ago.  Just the word cherry blossom takes me right back there.

I'm a huge fan of Hiroshige and got to see some of his original work in person, including one of my favorite woodblock prints, Cherry Blossom from a series called 100 Famous Views of Edo.  It was a thrill and I remember it like it was yesterday.  Japan is a magical place.

Cherry blossoms are quintessential and beautiful symbol of Spring, a great time for new beginnings, for embarking on a challenge, a new project, a cleanse.  The liver is the corresponding organ for Spring and some choose to do a liver cleanse.  Some do spring cleaning at home, it's a great time to put away your warmer clothes and take out the Spring/Summer wardrobe and donate what you haven't worn in a while.  I'll be doing a little bit of all  of this.
Happy Spring everybody!

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FINE & RAW's Raw Organic MESQUITE CHOCOLATE BAR: Yippeee!

Want to try something completely unique in the world of chocolate?  I've just tried FINE & RAW's raw organic Mesquite chocolate bar and it's all I can do not to eat the whole thing.  The texture is fantastic, slightly grainy and not like any other chocolate I've ever had.  The flavor is mild but complex. 

There are layers of detectable notes.  When I saw the word mesquite, I thought it would be spicy or smokey, but it's not at all, just very different and exciting and mellow.  Interestingly, this is the one chocolate in their range that uses no sweeteners other than lucuma and yacon.  It is sweet, but in a very subtle way.  
I'm completely in love with it to the point of almost declaring it my favorite chocolate bar ever (I know better than to do that).  FINE & RAW is a refreshing and eco friendly company with aspirations to change the world throough chocolate and silliness.  Check them out HERE.  

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Green Party Goods: Eco Friendly Party Supplies

Have something to celebrate?  Green Party Goods is one stop shopping for festivities of all varieties, making it possible to have our cake and eat it too, in a more sustainable manner.

Look at this fabulous birthday banner.  This is so much nicer than the paper or plastic throw-away banners.  It's well made and can be reused over and over, and it looks even nicer in person than it does in the photo.  The little dangling stars are adorable and the banner itself is quite large, and makes a fun presentation.  

Check out Green Party Goods for a wide variety of party supplies that fall into one or more of these categories:  organic, biodegradable, recycled, or reusable.   Find them HERE.

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Proteak FSC Certified Organic Teak Cutting Board

Need a cutting board?  I use cutting boards of varying sizes every single day--every single meal. Proteak makes some lovely options which are FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified organic teak.

Proteak operates on a responsible and eco friendly business model.  Their forests cover over 8,000 acres of reclaimed Mexican ranch land and protect over 2000 acres of rain forest.  They've planted over three million trees which serve to offset the carbon emissions of over 20 thousand cars each day.  Pretty impressive numbers, huh?  A win-win approach like this just makes good sense.

The cutting board itself is beautiful.  I love the handle and find myself reaching for it every day.  It covers the right half of my stove so if I am doing food prep (raw or cooked) it makes for a handy work space.  When I'm done, I just rinse under warm water and go over it with a brush, dry it off and I'm ready for next time.  There are many different shapes and sizes to choose from.  Check Proteak cutting boards out HERE.

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