It's Easy Being Green

Looking battered and beaten, the nasty winter weather certainly took its toll on our doormat this past year. At the time we bought it we were pleased, almost smitten with ourselves. We sprung for a bright, contemporary “designer” coir fiber doormat we found on clearance at Pier One Imports. We got it for a song but little did we know we’d only get half a year out of the darn thing.

Since my layoff last year and the landing of my new job, we’ve done little to support the economy. Homestead Hottie and I have an ever expanding list of wants but have come to the realization that most of it doesn’t even matter. We let products absolutely wear themselves out before replacing them. Some might say we’re cheap. We like to think we’re smart and frugal, so something as unimportant as a doormat will often get forgotten about.

It was forgotten until last month when we had to breeze through our local Menards to pickup some hardware to repair our gate (something we did decide to spring for). Not only do we often “save big money” at Menards but we love their product rebate system on select items. While we were buying our hardware both Homestead Hottie and I groaned to each other that we wanted to replace the doormat. If we’re both in agreement then we know it’s time to pull the trigger and part with the cash.

Taking a gander at their doormat aisle resulted in a pleasant surprise for us new age, non-stinky hippies. Stocked from floor to top shelf were a dozen or so styles of doormats all made from recycled tires and made in the grand ‘ol U.S.A

The first thing we noticed about the door mats made by Multy Home was their look. It’s a classy door mat you can be proud of and nothing like that $1.99 faux grass plastic wonder. Second was the weight and tough construction of the rubber and coconut fiber mats. It feels and looks heavy duty enough to stand the heaving traffic of kids, pets, four season weather and anyone else who might come knocking at your door. While more expensive than the “cheap” door mats, we didn’t think the pricing was too out of line.

We opted for a cobblestone pattern on our recycled tire door mat and I’m anxious to see how well it holds up over the next several months. I’m hoping the old treads that used to propel a vehicle will hold up to a year or more worth of foot traffic treading across the threshold of my Half-Acre Homestead.

*NOTE: I did not receive any compensation for this product review. This is my opinion of a product we recently purchased.

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I’ve always had a respect for families who schedule a “family night”, one night out of the week where everybody stays at home and hangs out together. Several friends of mine in high school had family night and I often had to work our extra-curricular fun around their schedules. At the time I thought it was lame. Now that I’m a parent, I can definitely see the merit behind a night at home with all the kids!

For now, every night is a family night with our two darling daughters. Since Everly is a toddler and Adalyn is still an infant I guess you could consider them a captive audience but they tire out early. Homestead Hottie and I recently stayed up late though and had the privilege to catch a sneak preview of a new movie perfect for a family night this Friday.

Game of Your Life revolves around character Zach Taylor, a teen graduating from high school who gets the chance of a lifetime to attend a prestigious video game design school. For Zach, the chance to leave home and make a bright future for himself is all fun and games until he is soon confronted with a big dose of reality.

Surrounded by friends and classmates who often spend more time making tough life decisions in a virtual world, Zach is snapped back to reality as he is forced to choose the path his life will take: the easy greed driven route that leaves his friends and school career behind or one that allows him to overcome the temptation and choose the door that will lead him in the direction his heart wants to go. Game of Your Life will air Friday, December 2 on NBC at 8pm ET/7pm CT.

It has been awhile since I’ve taken in a “made for TV” movie but I immediately noticed the quality of Game of Your Life is much better than the average after school special I grew up with. Sure, at times the dialogue can be corny and the constantly driving, royalty-free dance music that rubber bands in and out can be a distraction. In the end though, Game of Your Life presents a real life scenario most young adults will face based around a theme ever present in their electronic lives. It’s a feel good flick the whole family can enjoy this Friday night, December 2 on NBC at 8pm ET/7pm CT.

Make sure to check out the Family Movie Night website for more information on Game of Your Life and other family night ideas. You can also head over to their Family Movie Night Facebook page.

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Dad Central Consulting on behalf of P&G and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

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*NOTE – I did not receive any products or services for this blog post*

No question about it, my excitement was far more noticeable as Homestead Hottie opened up a gift box mailed to her. Packed inside, nearly a half-dozen bottles of Martha Stewart’s clean products, everything from glass cleaner, toilet bowl scrub, laundry detergent and dish detergent.

Martha claims her product line if “effective, responsible and safe” with most being 99% plant and mineral based cleaning products. All ingredients in the cleaning products are said to be biodegradable with no artificial ingredients. Even the bottles are fully recyclable. These are all great features and just the type of products we’re always on the lookout to use here at the Half-Acre Homestead.

Using this batch of green cleaning products left me thinking Martha should stick to other things, mainly baking that 12 hour cake or hot gluing the most fantabulous wedding decorations you’ve ever seen this side of the Mississippi. If fact, I found her green cleaning products less than effective at their labeled task.

I like the pump spout on this bottle of laundry detergent but that was about the only thing I liked.

Martha Stewart’s clean Laundry Detergent smelled pleasant enough and had a thick, detergent like cream to it. We used the whole bottle of detergent and as long as your clothes weren’t soiled, they came out smelling and looking clean. Light to moderately soiled clothes often came out with stains and dirt still in place. Heavily soiled clothes didn’t stand a chance of coming clean with Martha’s detergent. Any level of soiling required the clothes be washed with our homemade natural laundry detergent.

Steer clear of Martha's Dish Detergent if you're looking for clean dishes.

Much of the same is to be said for the Martha Stewart clean Dishwasher Detergent. This detergent is fragrance free but I noticed right off the bat that it is extremely runny. While most liquid dish detergents are gels, Martha’s is watery and not very viscous at all. We used most of this bottle and found each and every wash with the detergent to leave our dishes covered in a scummy film. Dried or baked on food debris was never removed by the Martha Stewart clean Dishwasher Detergent and most truly dirty dishes had to be washed by hand following a run through the dishwasher. The results were so bad I quit using the detergent and it has since taken me several washes and hard hand-scrubbing to remove the film that Martha Stewart’s detergent left coating my dishes.

Martha's All-Purpose Cleaner has been effective in quickly cleaning lightly soiled areas of the house.

I have used the other cleaning products off and on, mainly just for convenience factors so I don’t have to sprint to another area of the Half-Acre Homestead when I need to clean. For the most part I’ve found the Toilet Bowl cleaner and the All-Purpose cleaner to be pleasant smelling and effective at cleaning. The Carpet Stain Remover had a “spotty” track record on our carpets, cleaning half of the stains with a bleaching effect noticeable while the other half of the stains were left untouched.

As for now, we will continue buying green cleaning supplies from the likes of Seventh Generation and Dr. Bronner’s. The rest of the cleaners we will make on our own. It was wonderful to receive a box full of green cleaners as a gift but I would recommend not buying them for lack of effectiveness.

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Congratulations to reader Julie K. of Goodyear, Arizona for being randomly selected as the winner of the Lands’ End Polo giveaway. Your new shirts is on the way for your favorite guy!

A special thanks to all of you who entered the contest. Stay tuned to GreenPreferred for future giveaways and feel free to subscribe to my RSS Feed to make it super easy to stay up to date.

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Ever since I was just a little guy, I was a true prepster. My Mom dressed me in tiny polo shirts that over the years, grew with me. Whether it was Lacoste or Abercrombie, polo shirts have been a staple of my wardrobe through high school and into my current thirty-something years. I’m guessing they’ll be with me for the rest of my life but not just because I like them.

I think polo shirts are one of the most utilitarian yet stylish pieces of clothing a guy could have. The short sleeves and collar can take you from business casual to active sporty to date night all with little effort. That’s perfect for the Dad on the go.

One quintessential brand of polo that I’m proud to have in my collection is Lands’ End and their new Mesh Polo can’t be beat. The fabric of many well-made polo shirts can often be heavy and stiff. The new LE Mesh Polo is made from a hefty fabric but it’s also soft which is a big plus in my book. The seams and yoke of the shirt (two places that can often rub you raw if you’re not wearing a high-quality polo shirt) are specially finished to feel extra soft on your skin. Lands’ End has also developed a no-curl collar that lays flat wash after wash.

I’ve been wearing my new LE Mesh Polo for a couple weeks now. I picked a bold summer color called “Soft Orange” and have been rocking it with a new pair of blue and orange plaid shorts that Homestead Hottie picked up for me as a birthday gift. Not only does the polo truly look great but it feels wonderful too. It’s already endured a couple of sauna-like southern Indiana summer days and I didn’t feel like I was being suffocated by an entire roll of fabric. The polo really does hold up well in the wash and the treatment to the color is truly one of the finest improvements to the polo. Folded polo collars are honestly one of my biggest pet peeves with my favorite style of shirt.

If you’re still on the fence about what to pick up your Dear ‘ol Dad, you should think about one of Lands’ End New Mesh Polo Shirts. It’s a remarkable value for a preppy wardrobe piece any guy should have. Even better than buying one, how about trying to win one? I will be giving away one of Lands’ End New Mesh Polo shirts to one lucky reader this next week. Leave a comment on this post, telling me why you would like to win a Lands’ End Mesh Polo shirt. One lucky winner will be drawn at random on Thursday, June 23rd at 9pm CDT and have a Mesh Polo in their choice of size shipped to them. Good luck!

Bonus Entries:

• Tweet a link to my contest and post another comment on this blog post with the direct link to your post
• Share my contest on your Facebook page. Post your username and a link as another comment on this blog post
• Write your own blog entry related to Father’s Day, sharing a link to my contest. Post a link to your post as a comment below.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Dad Central Consulting on behalf of Lands’ End and received a polo shirt to facilitate my review, one to giveaway, and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

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You’ve seen the mug. Some probably have the t-shirt. You know the ones I’m talking about, screen-printed with the phrase World’s Greatest Dad. It’s so subjective, how could one argue with such a special title. Maybe that Dad is the World’s Greatest for one person but not necessarily another

There is no other place to analyze and compare the styles of fatherhood closer than on TV. Throughout the decades we’ve been able to watch the role of dads change along with societal expectations and the progression has been interesting to watch. Gone are the days of Ward C leaver being served breakfast by his wife before he departs for his 9 to 5, only to return again for a cocktail, dinner and a brief fatherly anecdote on some life lesson mom has been dealing with all day. Finally, to have his slippers and robe fetched before turning in for the night. It seemed to work for Wally and the Beave but is it the best way to father?

Strangely, one TV dad I think has influenced my style a bit is Herman Munster. Yes, the guy does stick out like a sore thumb (something I try to battle on a daily basis) but he has a level of fatherly empathy that I applaud.

Herman, played by the great Fred Gwynne, was always there to coach his son Eddy and daughter Marilyn through life’s ups and downs with a measure of grace. Respecting his children for the individuals they were (werewolf or not), Herman provided love and guidance with the perfect mix of humor to keep things from getting overly awkward. Besides, I think humor is such a great way to keep a connection with your children and reveal that you don’t always have to be quite so serious.

My Darling Daughter is still young (barely turning two) and with another girl on the way, I consider myself fairly new at this ultimate life test called being a dad.  Only time will tell if I’m the World’s Greatest Dad for these girls. I hope with all of my heart to show them all the love, empathy, guidance, fun and humor one  man can have with his wife and kids.

So who do you think was the World’s Greatest Dad on TV? The guys over at Man of the House have a bracket going on right now, pitting TV dads against each other. They’re in a showdown as people vote for their favorite until one will be named World’s Greatest TV Dad for Father’s Day this year (June 19th).

After taking a look at the field, I’m placing my bet on Phil Dunphy (Modern Family) and Charles Ingalls (Little House on the Praire). Phil is just a goofball with a big heart, two qualities I hope come through in my parenting. Charles, aside from the obvious quality of being able to support his family by living off the land, was able to handle the rough and tumble frontier life but still be an even-keeled and tremendously loving father. Take your pick and register a vote for your favorite TV dads!

- I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Dad Central Consulting on behalf of P&G and received promotional items to thank me for taking the time to participate.

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I just wanted to take a moment to give some mad props to some sweet bubble bath we picked up for Everly this week. Heading back from this month’s prenatal appointment at The Farm, we made our usual pilgrimage to the Whole Foods in Franklin, Tennessee. One special that caught our eye this week was the Alaffia Every Day Shea, Shea Butter Bubble Bath.

Everly ran out of the “cheap” econo-sized bottle of bubbles we bought at Walmart a few months back. Finding the Alaffia bubbles was perfect timing. She loves these bubbles more than any other brand we’ve purchased. The comforting Eucalyptus Mint fragrance calms our Darling Daughter right down when it’s time to hit the tub. The sudsing action is amazing and even better, Alaffia’s bubbles don’t contain sodium laurel sulfate. These bubbles smell great and lather my daughter in a rich, shea butter based cocoon of bathtime goodness. What more could a parent ask for?

After reading the bottle, I now know that Alaffia is Social and Fair Trade Certified by the IMO. Since shea butter is primarily produced in West African nations, this is important in ensuring the farmers and workers there are receiving a fair price for their product and labor. Even better, 10% of my purchase with Alaffia goes to support community empowerment projects in West Africa. Some of the funds help ship used children’s bicycles from the U.S. to impoverished villages so young girls can get themselves to school. Funds also go to support the purchase of school supplies and repairs. Money is also used to help fund pre and post natal care at a maternity clinic in Togo, an area gripped by high infant mortality rates and sub-standard healthcare.

Some of the proceeds from every Alaffia purchase helps transport used bikes to West Africa so girls can have an opportunity to get to school.

I’m so proud of this socially conscious purchase. I know it may sound silly but when you take the time to find products that really do improve the world, you’ll know your dollars are helping to make a difference. Can you say that about the bubbles your kids use at bath time? Sure these bubbles might cost a little more than petroleum based bubbles bought at your local big box store, but I think the end result is worth it.

If you’re looking for some sustainably produced, Fair Trade Certified, extra gentle and non-toxic bubbles for your baby that rock, check out Alafffia! You can also read up on them at their blog.

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