Free or Paid Blogger Opp: Share the Planet

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Prize:

16" Earth Ball
+
Winner School of Choice will receive a
1 Meter Earth Ball

ARV $143 Total

Hosted by:

A Lucky Ladybug
and 
M.O.O.N.

Sign-ups close 9/3

**The blogger with the most referrals will receive the additional links at no cost so tell them
Mama Making Changes sent you!

Click HERE to sign up and for more html info.

M.O.O.N. has now added several perks/discounts for frequent participation in our events but you must be a member of our Facebook group to be eligible.  Please visit the M.O.O.N. group if you are a blogger and would like more information regarding these perks and other group events.
**If you are a company and would like to see your brand advertised in a M.O.O.N. event similar to this please contact MakeOurOwnNetwork@gmail.com

More Changes

A little less than two weeks ago, we spent our first night in our new home. Moving from the city to a small town (population less than 400) would mean lots of changes and we knew it when we made the decision. But I was totally unprepared for such a disruption in the way we eat! Ironically, this area is full of farmers but doesn't sell any locally produced food! To get locally produced food, I will have to drive into the city, which is half an hour down the highway, too far to go more than once or twice a week. 

After several trips to the only local grocery store, a very small IGA, it became apparent that not only was I not going to see any local food, but there isn't any organic either! With the exception of Horizon Organic Skim Milk. I don't want skim milk! If I'm not buying raw milk, I prefer whole milk. Their egg choices are store brand or Egg and I Farm (which is local but is also your typical inhumane egg farm with miserable birds in tiny cages). If I can't have fresh eggs, I'd at least like to be able to buy free range organic eggs. 

No thank you! 

They also do not sell any natural cat food or any cat food with greens in it (I have an elderly, long-haired, indoor kitty). If you have a recipe for homemade cat food with greens that won't be hard to chew, please share!  



I just find it incredible that moving to farm country could make it more difficult to get fresh produce, meat, eggs, and dairy! I even checked MMC's most recommended website, localharvest.org and found nothing in my area!

My plan, for now, is to go to the small organic farmer's market in the city on Thursdays during my lunch and to make a list of things we need so that if I find myself there on Wednesday or Saturday I can pick up what we need without making a special trip on another day. I will have to pick up cat food in larger quantities, too, until I come up with a better solution. 

My plan in the long run is to build a coop and buy some laying hens, plant a nice garden, buy a deep freezer, and buy meat in bulk from the farmer I was using before the move. 

Do you live in a rural area or tiny town? Have you encountered similar obstacles? What did you do?

Photos in this post are courtesy of www.freedigitalphotos.net. 

Monday A La Mode: August 19, 2013

Visit MMC each Monday to see what's new and happening! I hand pick the news, products, websites and more that I believe will interest MMC readers most and compile it all into one easy to read weekly post.

Subscribe to this blog by email in the right sidebar and you'll receive each new Monday A La Mode post in your inbox. 

This week, here's what I discovered for you:

In the News...

• Apparently this isn't new news, but it was new to me so maybe you too. As an animal lover and a volunteer at my local shelter, I was horrified by the DNR raid (yes raid) on a shelter because they had a "wild animal" at the facility, which was carried out in a body bag. The wild animal was Giggles, a baby deer who'd been found without a mother and was scheduled to be released at a wildlife reserve the next day. See more by clicking here and share this story so that our outrage can be heard.
• The White House, under President Obama's direction, has installed solar panels on the roof! Epic win!!!!! Inspiration to keep shouting for greener policies in Washington! Share the good news and keep making your voice heard. Follow happenings at The White House via Twitter by clicking here or leave a comment at The White House Blog by clicking here.

Blog Posts of the Week...

• Silent Springs is one of my fave blogs and this week the site featured a post about frogs that contained alarming info. I've heard before that frogs are dying at an uncanny rate and malformed frogs are becoming more and more common. The stats in this post shocked me anyway. Buy or grow your own organic to keep pesticides out of our waterways! Click here to read the post. 
• Tales of a Pee Dee Mama is written by a personal friend of mine here in the Pee Dee Region of South Carolina. She posted an excellent recipe for homemade taco seasoning last week that I tried and loved. Why buy the packets that are full of preservatives if you don't have to? Make up enough for several meals and this recipe will save you money, save on packaging waste in landfills, and taste better than than the packets! Click here to see the recipe on her blog.

Read This..,

• I love to read, but not just anything. I often find myself standing in the library wondering what I'll enjoy that I haven't already devoured. This week I hit the jackpot with Home, the newest novel for Nobel Peace Prize winner Toni Morrison. I was first introduced to Toni Morrison in a Woman Writers class in college and fell  in love with her stories and her style. Home is about a black southern man who survives Korea and lands in Southern California. He embarks on a literal and figurative journey to find himself. The story gripped me from page one! Buy it on Amazon by clicking here.  

Why Raw is Better...

• It turns out apple cider vinegar loses many of it's health benefits during distillation, according to a book I've been reading called Vinegar Fridays. Check out the Vinegar Fridays page on Facebook by clicking here.  You can buy the book on Amazon, as well as Bragg's Raw Apple Cider Vinegar, by clicking here. 
• It turns out the same is true for processed honey! Honey in stores is clear because it is processed, which is new news to me! With the pollen removed, this product loses health benefits also, and technically is not even honey. Read more here. Check with local farmer's markets or www.localharvest.org to find local, unprocessed honey. 

That's it for this week my friends! I'd love to hear your comments or questions on any of these issues. Share your opinion below. 

If you love Monday a la Mode, please share this post using the buttons below. And have a wonderful week!

Dehydrate It Right Giveaway

Mama Making Changes is happy to bring to you another great green giveaway! Dehydrate It Right is brought to you by A Lucky Ladybug and M.O.O.N., whose clickable links are below. Feel free to hop on over and leave a comment on their page telling them thank you for organizing this great giveaway event!

Prize:

Nesco Gardenmaster Digital Pro Food Dehydrator

ARV $170

Hosted by:

A Lucky Ladybug
and 
M.O.O.N.

"New Digitally Controlled" unit has all these features:
Top mounted fan eliminates liquids dripping into the heater chamber. Expands to a giant 20 trays so you can dry large quantities all at once!  1000 watts of drying power means you can dry more, faster.  Patented Converga-Flow® forces heated air down the exterior pressurized chamber, then horizontally across each individual tray, converging in the center, for fast, even and nutritious drying.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for entering the giveaway and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for entering and good luck!

Razoo Fundraiser

Today I started a new fundraiser on Razoo for a cause near and dear to my heart. I have been a volunteer at several animal shelters since my college days and most recently have been fostering for the Darlington County Humane Society. Because they are entirely funded by donations and because they took in over 5000 dogs last year and many cats as well, they depend on volunteers and rescue groups to save these animals from euthanasia. 

My daughter and I have taken a short-term break from fostering while we make our transition from Florence to Pamplico but we don't want to stop helping. So I've started a fundraiser for a new "puppy house" at DCHS. The current puppy house is old and is currently being used for overflow when the shelter is full. Again, they do everything possible to prevent putting animals to sleep at this shelter. But when nursing puppies and their moms come into the shelter, they desperately need to be separated from the rest of the population. Weather and stress are not the only hazards to these pups. Until they have received their vaccinations, they should not be exposed to other dogs that are potentially carriers of deadly viruses like parvo. My daughter and I personally experience a heart-breaking incident where a young brother and sister died of parvo just three days apart, just after one of them had been placed in foster care with us. 

You can help in so many ways. 

• If you can, please donate by clicking here to go to Razoo.com, or by using the clickable Razoo update icon below, or by using the donation widget in the right sidebar. 
• But whether you donate or not, please share this fundraiser with others via Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media so that we can spread the word. 

Thanks so much for having a heart for these puppies!

Monday A La Mode: August 12, 2013

Count on Monday A La Mode for the latest news, products, websites, and other updates that green moms will want to see! 

This week's Monday A La Mode is shorter than usual. I'm a real life mama and I'm currently moving my family from the city to just outside a very small and friendly town. I hope to have Monday A La Mode back in full swing next week so stay tuned. 

In the meantime, here's what I did find for you:

Support this bill...

You are probably aware that bees are dwindling and that without bees humans will not be able to sustain life as we know it on this planet. Bees pollinate plants, which provide food and oxygen for us. It's simple really - we can't live without them. Unfortunately, chemical farming is taking a huge toll on our flying friends. Click here to show your support of a bill to ban pesticides that kill bees.

Coffee Without Electricity...

My Coffee Press

Energy conservation is a biggie when it comes to being green. With global warming becoming a frightening trend, we must all do our part. Instead of plugging up the automatic coffee maker, try a chemex or coffee press. Both are excellent for camping, too! 

I love my press and I do believe the coffee tastes better than any other method I've tried. I add course ground coffee and boiling water, put on the lid, and four or five minutes later press the plunger all the way down. That's it! And, of course, I also recommend organic and/or fair trade if they are available to you. Click here for a list of reputable coffee companies from Fair Trade USA (list is at bottom right of page).

My mother-in-law prefers a chemex, which is another great way to make coffee without electricity. View the video below to see how it works. Have you ever used either of these methods? Do you have a preference if you've tried both?



If you'd like to view other Monday A La Mode posts, click here to see a full list, sorted by date. Just click on the date you'd like to view!

Thanks for visiting MMC and have a great Monday!

Dehydrate It Right Giveaway Coming Soon!

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<a href="http://www.aluckyladybug.com/2013/07/dehydrate-it-right-moon-giveaway-event.html" title="A Lucky Ladybug" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbNLY87-ulzyJz07yCrQxKWEa5s-3duUnIgKSJx83qrvCbOBBnpRUIvz9rc4vzPROnY-nWbBcyjzmhoLXhKaOfpVJwYiDmVAnTe2k3Jc9WxNpMYbpKcl2Clunox-Jb32w-MQhBwYcGJyHK/s1600/fd1020lgwb.jpg" alt="A Lucky Ladybug" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Prize:

Nesco Gardenmaster Digital Pro Food Dehydrator

ARV $170

Hosted by:

A Lucky Ladybug
and 
M.O.O.N.

Sign-ups close 8/11/13 so don't miss out!

**The blogger with the most referrals will receive the additional links at no cost.

Click HERE to sign up and for more html info.

M.O.O.N. has now added several perks/discounts for frequent participation in our events but you must be a member of our Facebook group to be eligible.  Please visit the M.O.O.N. group if you are a blogger and would like more information regarding these perks and other group events.
**If you are a company and would like to see your brand advertised in a M.O.O.N. event similar to this please contact MakeOurOwnNetwork@gmail.com

Monday A La Mode: August 5, 2013

Welcome to this week's Monday A La Mode, where you can see what's new and happening in the green mom world without spending hours on the internet. Here's what I found this week that may interest you. Hope you enjoy! 

Lovin' This Blog...

• DIY Inspired  is a great resource for do-it-yourself project ideas! Not only are there tons of tutorials, you can submit your own ideas for upcycling, repurposing, etc. Check it out at www.diyinspired.com and, while you're there, let her know that you are visiting from MMC. 

In the News...

• Jamie Oliver, renowned burger chef, has seen his campaign against McDonald's finally make a difference. The chain has announced that they are changing their hamburger recipe and will no longer be using "pink slime" as a filler in their patties. Go Jamie! Check out some of the great recipes and blog posts on his website by clicking here. 
• The EPA has approved higher levels of Monsanto's RoundUp and other chemicals on food grown for human consumption. Now more than ever, it is important to buy local and organic or just grown your own! To find local organic farmers or to buy non-gmo seed, visit www.LocalHarvest.org by clicking here.
• In Iowa, a judge has stopped the opening of horse slaughter plants that planned to open today. A temporary measure, the permanent ruling will be determined by the outcome of a pending court case. Meanwhile, the Obama administration is attempting to reinstate a prior ban on horse slaughter in the United States. For more info on the issue and why many are opposed, watch the video below or visit the Humane Society's information page by clicking here. 

 

Check Out This Contest...

• If you are in the Pee Dee area of South Carolina, enter your favorite original salad recipe for a chance to have it published and win prizes valued at up to $250! Click here for more details and to enter on SCNow.com. 
• Green Apple Supply, founded in 2010, offers a variety of affordable green products. The company has just launched a  new website to make green shopping choices easy and affordable.  To celebrate, they are giving away a $25 giftcard. Click here to enter to win! To visit their site, click here. Their are lots of great items on the site and I'll be ordering some things myself after we finish moving. Check it out!
  
  
  

Quote of the Week...

• "Organic farming has been shown to provide major benefits for wildlife and the wider environment. The best thing that can be said about genetically engineered crops is that they will now be monitored to see how much damage they cause." - Prince Charles

That's everything for this week. Have a great Monday!

I love to read your comments. Let me know what you like, how you feel, and if you have any suggestions for Monday A La Mode. Did you learn anything?  If you like this article, please share with your friends using the buttons below for Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google. 

To see previous Monday A La Mode posts, click on the Monday A La Mode tab at the top of the page.