Conscious Box comes to your door monthly, and subscribers can select from the Classic Box, the Gluten Free Box, or the Vegan Box. And since everything — right down to the labels and packaging — is earth friendly, you can feel good about every goody box, whether it’s being given as a gift or being used in your household.

Today’s giveaway is for one free month of Conscious Box, delivered to you, filled with natural goodies! Entering is easy, and there are three ways to do so!

U.S Only Please!

Choose one or do them all for multiple entries:

1. Check out the Conscious Box website, then come back here and tell me what you liked or learned about it. INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL, PLEASE.

2. Like Conscious Box on Facebook. Come back here and tell me you did it.

3. Create a Free Account on Conscious Box. Come back here and tell me you did it.

4. Like me, Diane Kidman, on Facebook. Come back here and tell me you did it.

A winner will be randomly selected after midnight on Wednesday, 05/08/2012. The winner will be contacted by email, so be sure to leave your email address within your comment!

This is the first time I’ve offered up one of my ebooks for free so shortly after publication. I’m not sure what this means. In the event I’m making a huge error, I’d suggest you go right ahead and take full advantage of it, don’t worry about my feelings, no, really don’t. Just grab the puppy. While you’re at it, let your friends know. Family too, it’s important to share things with family (yes, even Aunt Ellen. She doesn’t mean to be that way.)

What’s the memoir about? Me and weeds and plants and horrible gardening techniques and experimenting with herbs in my house and getting lost in the woods. Here is the book’s description as read on Amazon:

Having a relationship with plants isn’t always easy. Just ask Diane. She never would have guessed her humble beginnings as a child weed picker would help prepare her for the life of herbalism and botanical bliss.

A self-proclaimed “lousy gardener,” she admits her friendship with all things green and leafy isn’t always glamorous. There are unattractive flower beds in her yard. Weeds take prominence in her landscaping. And her vegetable gardens look more like uncontrolled Amazon underbrush. But as long as she’s surrounded by plants, she’s happy.

In this new memoir by bestselling Kindle book author Diane Kidman, readers will get a personal look at her funny but flawed relationship with plants. From messy herbal experiments in her kitchen to getting lost in the woods without snacks, this fast-paced read will keep you laughing.

Includes a bonus section of Diane’s recipes and remedies from the Herbs Gone Wild series, Teas for Life, Smoothie Power, and Nature to the Rescue.

So there you have it. My new short memoir, free. Perfect for reading while stuck in traffic, at the doctor’s office while dressed in a paper robe, or in a chair in the sun sipping margaritas while being served by a large man named Hans who you’re pretty sure has a thing for you. Any of the above, really. It’s your book now, after all.

Try this eco-friendly slant to shopping.

I’m happy to share today’s guest post on coupon apps and e-coupons; this eco-friendly shopping method can save time, money, and trees. 

Coupons are an effective way to save money on the products and services your family uses on a regular basis. Nowadays, as eco-friendly products gain more mainstream popularity, you can even find coupons for such eco-friendly products as Method cleaning supplies and Seventh Generation paper products in weekly store circulars and in the coupon section of your local newspaper. Mainstream manufacturers, such as Scott Brands, are also making eco-friendly versions of their standard product lines.

However, clipping coupons to save money on the eco-friendly products you love presents a conundrum: to get the savings, you end up contributing to the non-eco-friendly practice of killing trees to print the coupons. And that’s not even taking into the account the trees killed to print the newspapers that come with the coupons.

So, how do you save your family money without compromising your ideals? Sure, you can reuse and recycle the paper, but why not focus more on the “reduce” part of the eco-friendly equation?

Enter e-Coupons and Coupon Apps

e-Coupons are electronic coupons that you can load onto a store shoppers card, or redeem online by entering a code obtained from a coupon website.

Store shopper cards have several advantages beyond saving trees: they save you time because instead of clipping or tearing out each coupon you need, you simply log into the store website and click on the coupons you want. Shopper cards also offer additional store discounts on top of the
coupon deals.

For example, a store could have a coupon for Seventh Generation diapers and, at the same time, have an in-store special on all Seventh Generation products resulting in double savings. Another advantage is that you no longer have to try to organize your coupons, and carry them with you, while you are trying to shop – especially if you also have to keep track of your kids at the same time. You also don’t have to keep track of expiration dates because the coupons automatically drop off your card when they expire.

The only down side is that you have to keep track of what coupons you have stored, but that is often a simple matter of visiting the store’s website before you visit the store. Also, some stores have mobile apps that let you add coupons to your card on the fly, and review your stored coupons on your smartphone or tablet. Some stores also offer rewards for shopping, such as discounts on gas or rebates. You redeem e-coupons by scanning your shopper’s card at checkout.

Coupon codes are primarily used for online shopping at vendor sites, such as PetSmart or Kmart. By using coupon codes, you not only save money, you also reduce fossil fuel emissions and energy consumption because you can shop at multiple stores without having to drive to each location. You can find coupon codes at coupon code websites, or by doing a product-specific search. For example, a web search for Brownells coupons, or coupon codes for Brownells, brings up several results for sites with codes for purchase discounts and discount shipping. You redeem coupon codes by copying the code from the coupon code site, then shopping at the company’s website and pasting the code into the “coupons and promotions” field at checkout.

Coupon Apps

Coupon apps, for your mobile phone or tablet device, offer the speed and advantages of shopper’s cards, but they also reward shoppers with money or credits for the items they buy. Shoppers can then redeem those points for cash, or withdraw cash rewards, to be deposited into a bank account. Unlike the shopper’s card, coupon apps find deals from multiple vendors and manufacturers to find you the best deals. Some apps also allow you to make shopping lists and find coupons for the items on your list. How you redeem the coupons is based on the functionality of the app. In some cases you purchase the products at the store price then scan your receipt to redeem the savings in the form of cash rewards or points. In other cases, the app provides you with a coupon code.

Regardless of which method you use, the greatest advantage to all of them is that you help the environment by reducing your energy use, drive time and paper consumption.

Yuzu Dream Tea by Mellow Monk

Around our house, there’s no argument: Mellow Monk is our favorite Japanese green tea, hands down. That’s why I’m so happy to have two packets of Mellow Monk tea to give away to two lucky readers.

I first discovered Mellow Monk several years ago when I had the opportunity to review them here. Ever since that first taste, we’ve kept some in stock at the house; in fact, it’s become a Christmas tradition for my husband to find some in his stocking each year. I’ll tell you what makes these teas so special: They’re truly artisanal, grown on small family farms in Japan. And since the company finds sustainable, environmental stewardship to be very important, you can feel good about any purchase you make.

Green tea lovers will enjoy browsing their selection of eleven exquisite teas. The two I’ll be giving away are Top Monk and Yuzu Dream. Top Monk is one of their bestsellers and is possibly our favorite as well (although Mountain Snow, this year’s stocking stuffer, is making it tougher for me to say that). It’s a clean tasting tea that earns the stamp of “mellow”, and we like its silky smoothness. Yuzu Dream is a green tea with sun-dried yuzu peel and is described as “sweet, tangy, and earthy, with citron flavors and notes of orange blossom and rose.” Sounds to me like we might need to stuff a spring stocking!

I’ll be choosing two winners for this giveaway. The Top Leaf tea contains 100 grams of loose leaf tea ($14.95 retail) and Yuzu Dream contains 50 grams of loose leaf tea ($21.95 retail). Follow the simple instructions below to get yourself entered. Or if you’re too darned impatient (I sympathize), visit Mellow Monk now and place your order. You’ll be enjoying a delicious cup before you can say, “Arigatou”.

How to Enter (Do one or all three for multiple entries):

1.) Visit Mellow Monk and check out their tea selection. Come back here and leave a comment telling me which tea appeals to you most.

2.) Follow me on Facebook at the Diane Kidman fan page, then come back here and let me know you did!

3.) Tweet, blog about, and/or post a link to this giveaway on your Facebook page. Then come back and let me know you did! (I’m @dkmommy on Twitter, by the way.)

Winners for the Mellow Monk Green Tea giveaway will be chosen on February 7, 2013.

I decided today to share how I got introduced to doTERRA essential oils.  I recently had a baby.

In February, to be exact.  A beautiful baby boy.

See?  He’s pretty durned cute.

I was nursing one day and noticed a lump in my right breast.  It was pretty large and at first I dismissed it as a clogged milk duct.  However, it didn’t hurt.  I knew once that realization kicked in that something was wrong but…I was in denial and just pushed that worry aside.  I called the DR and she scheduled me to come in to the office 3 hours later.  Um, she usually has a 6 week wait.  That’s when I knew for sure there was a concern.  That appointment was the first time the word cancer was thrown around and she scheduled me for an ultrasound 4 days later…the soonest possible appointment.

So for 4 days my husband and I did a LOT of research.  We knew that if there was blood flow to the tumor…then it was cancer.  If there was no blood flow…it was just a growth.  Finally the day arrived.  We went in.  They prepped me for the ultrasound and the tech sat on down.  She was very friendly and just chatted with me…until she saw the lump on the screen.  Then chatter stopped.  After a few minutes she excused herself to get the DR.  The Radiologist came in and quietly asked to see blood flow.  As soon as they said that…I knew something was terribly wrong.

The day before my 29^th birthday I went in for a biopsy.  The radiologist mentioned that there was a possibility it could be something called Granulomatous Mastitis but that she had only seen it 3 times in her 25 years of practice.  I spent a quiet birthday at home with my family and the day after I got the news that it was in fact Granulomatous Mastitis.

So thankfully it wasn’t cancer but…this disease is nasty.  These growths appear and then get bigger and eventually explode.  They can actually explode through the skin.  And because it is so rare, there is no set treatment plan.  The most widely used treatment is immunosuppressant steroids…not good for a young mom.  They also have a very high reoccurrence rate.  There was no way I was going to do that.  The next option was lumpectomy…again, very high reoccurrence rate and not good for a young mom.  Some women elected for mastectomies to ensure that it would be gone completely.  Thank you but I don’t particularly want to cut off body parts unless 100% necessary.

So I called my friend who was involved with doTERRA and told her I would be her test case.  She brought me over some Frankincense.  I would rub it on topically and in 4 weeks the lump had shrunk by 50% and in 2 months in was 100% gone with no indication it had ever been there in the first place.  This was a complete miracle for me.  Women with this disease live in constant pain from surgeries, burst tumors, and sickness due to the immune suppressing therapies.  They have to watch what they do in case somehow the disease gets activated again.  Using these amazing oils…I have not had to worry about anything.  I live a totally normal life and am not afraid of it coming back at all.

Marilyn’s Blog:  www.thedoterratouch.blogspot.com

Marilyn’s Website:  www.mydoterra.com/marilyncutler

“Hi, honey? No need to come pick me up. I just drank a smoothie, so I’ll just fly home.”

It’s time to share the health – “Smoothie Power! Recipes for Weight Loss, Vitality, & the Occasional Superpower” is free this week on Amazon. So fire up your Kindle and give it a dose of green goodness.

Don’t have a Kindle? Don’t worry. The Kindle app is free on Amazon too and can be used on your PC, Mac, smartphone, tablet, forehead… maybe not the last one.

Over 100 green smoothie recipes are included in the book, along with how-to’s and information that’ll turn your health around just like it did mine. Countless people have lost weight, reversed asthma and diabetes, gained energy, and more by adding greem smoothies to their diet. So grab a free copy and dust off that superhero cape because you’re gonna need it.

Energy efficient light bulbs have garnered a lot of press over the last decade. Incandescent light bulbs were found to be inefficient, which led to the development of energy saving lighting options that were good for the environment. Light Emitting Diode (LED) bulbs are the most energy efficient lights on the market. They have longer life spans and are free of toxic substances.

With an average lifetime of 25,000 to 50,000 hours, LED bulbs last the longest of any lights. LED bulbs use 6 to 8 watts of power for an annual consumption of 328 kilowatts. By comparison, standard incandescent light bulbs have a life span of 1,200 hours and use 60 watts for an annual consumption of 3,285 kilowatts. The lower energy consumption rate of LED light bulbs will greatly reduce your electric bill. It also reduces greenhouse emissions of carbon dioxide, nuclear waste and sulfur at power plants.

Like incandescent bulbs, LED bulbs turn on instantly. Despite their lower wattage output, LED bulbs provide a generous amount of light. The bulbs are very durable and rarely break when jarred or bumped.

Unlike incandescent and compact fluorescent lights, LED bulbs do not contain mercury. Mercury is a poisonous substance that is dangerous when it is inhaled or comes into contact with skin. When they break or are improperly disposed of, light bulbs that contain mercury can harm people and the environment.  Since LED bulbs are mercury-free, there is no risk to you, your family or the environment during disposal or the rare instance of breakage.

Despite their higher initial cost, LED lighting will save you money in several ways.  Incandescent lights make rooms warm when they are in use. The heat they emit inflates cooling costs during the summer months. Conversely, LED bulbs do not heat up, so the room temperature does not increase when they are illuminated. Therefore, you will not have to burn the air conditioner to keep your home at a comfortable temperature.

LED bulbs have an annual operating cost of $32.85, whereas the operating cost for incandescent lights exceeds $300 over the same period. This steep savings will make your bank account very happy.

Benefits of LED Bulbs

• ·         Durability and longer life spans will save you money on replacement costs
• ·        Free of toxins that are threatening to people and the environment
• ·        Lack of bulb heating helps reduce the electric bill in the summer
• ·        Lower wattage consumption reduces carbon emissions and your electric bill

Light Bulb Planet offers a large selection of energy efficient lighting options, including LED bulbs. Visit our showroom or online website to buy light bulbs.

Any doctor will tell you that major asthma triggers are contained in household chemicals. Cleaners, scrubbers, sprays, etc. Look under your kitchen cabinet. Unless you already knew about it and were watching out for it, most of the stuff under there can cause an attack for an asthmatic. In my own experience, powdered cleansers are a major problem. I now use natural cleansers and special nontoxic sponges to scrub my bathtub and sinks. Glass cleaner? I use vinegar and water with a few drops of essential oil to add a nice fragrance. To clean the stove, I use wet cloth dipped in some baking soda. (It works amazingly well!) And I don’t spray any gobble-dy-gook around the house and on the furniture to make it smell “breezy.” Instead, I use the actual breeze, such as opening the windows or pulling cushions and pillows off the furniture and putting them outdoors to air out.

Anything with fragrance is often harmful to the asthmatic. Fabric softeners, laundry soaps, plug-in room deodorizers, and room sprays are all bigtime offenders. Instead, try essential oils and/or vinegar added to your rinse cycle. Alternative laundry soaps like Soap Nuts or the Wonderball are excellent. And instead of plug-ins, just blend several drops of your favorite essential oil with some distilled water in a spray bottle. You’ll save a ton of money and your lungs!

This definitely isn’t an exhaustive list of what trigers asthma, but it gives you a good idea of what to look for and what to replace – do yourself and your loved ones a favor!

Over the past few decades, there have been leaps and bounds of research and developments in the area of teaching, healing, and meditation through music and instruments. It has been proven that students listening to specific types of music excel more in studying and preparation, that music can play an enormous part in mental health and functioning, and even that music is integrally involved in behavioral, cognitive, and psychological well-being.

There has been a recent addition to the arena of music as a socially, physically, and environmentally positive factor: eco-friendly instruments.

It might seem obvious that the wood instruments like guitars, drums, and piano are already environmentally friendly, but far too often old and used instruments end up being tossed in the trash, wasting precious resources. However, due to recent advances in woodwork and electric development in instruments, new types of eco-friendly keyboards are being created with only the greenest of intuitions.

For parents investing in piano lessons for their children, there is a new advancement in green technology for practice sessions. Yamaha, the popular music and hardware company, has recently released a new “eco-friendly power adapter,” a device that connects to your keyboard and saves enormous amounts of energy and power.

Most families don’t realize nearly anything plugged in a socket is constantly sucking out energy, even if the device is turned off. The same is true for electric keyboards. Yamaha’s new adapter significantly cuts down the energy consumption by keyboards. This new green technology will absolutely pay for itself in the long run.

There are also plenty of green advancements in piano accessories, including recycled piano lamps, recycled steel strings for tuning, even entire “green” pianos made from beautiful, reclaimed wood from trashed and used instruments.

However, one of the most eco-friendly advances you can pioneer through musical instruments is looking into “simple instruments:” simply put, instruments that can help children practice without investing in an entire piece the child might not put to good use, or even drop eventually.

For instance, the roll-up piano is a relatively new instrument idea that has all the parts of a piano – keys, sounds, hardware – but in a small, recycled, rolled up form. One could literally take their piano to school, work, even to bed to practice. Another option is a set of drum pads – the user sits in a throne and plays exactly like a complete drum set, but instead of large, voluminous drums, there are simple pads and rubber heads children can practice with in silence, while still learning technique, theory, and form.

There are several new and upcoming ideas for “greener” music, and these are just scratching the surface. If you’re looking for more eco-friendly instruments, they can be great investments to teach your children important life lessons.

If that wasn’t enough excitement around here, I finally have a fan page on Facebook. A long time coming, I know, but it’s there now. So if you Like me (I sure like you), then you’ll get to watch me make all sorts of embarrassing mistakes on my page. Like just a few hours ago. I posted my profile picture in three places at the same time and now they’re there and I can’t get them off so it looks like I’m staring at you no matter where in the room you stand. Like the Mona Lisa.

Win a free copy of “Herbs Gone Wild!” in paperback – just Like my Facebook page, then share the giveaway post with your FB friends. I’ll draw a random winner on 08/24/2012!