Imagination Box Company Saves National Turn Off Week and offers giveaway too!

Now before you scoff at this title and decided to click somewhere else - wait and read. It's really all about me, the mama. The Mama who loves arts and crafts beyond words but has a secret little computer addiction that many times keeps her from playing with the kids as much as she would like. I knew that the challenge of National Turnoff Week was just the kick in the tookus I needed to balance out things in our little house. If you are interested in seeing what we did head on over to I'll tell you later Betty, she'll tell you all about it. One thing we did was create Imagination Boxes generously given to us by Kim & Russell, co-owners of the Imagination Box Co., a company dedicated to producing socially and environmentally responsible toys that spark children's imagination. Both my 8 year old and 3 year old were very excited to get started on their boxes. Gavin, my 8 year old, chose the paintable Firehouse/Rescue Station and Anna, the 3 year old, chose the paintable Country Cottage. Anna got out her paints and she was painting away. I found I really had to restrain myself from becoming the arts and crafts dictator. Letting her choose her own colors and discover how colors combine to make new colors was all part of the process. What it came down to was Mama wanted a box of her own to paint - living vicariously through my children's play, heavy sigh. Finally she invited me to paint too and we had a ball creating what she christened as her "Fairy Cottage". I even wrote a little "Welcome Fairies" above the door. It was very easy to paint and there was room for some free drawing on the box. Anna wanted rugs in her house so we got out the sharpie pen and drew a couple of rugs which she promptly painted. The only difficult part was her ability to reach all the areas of such a big box. But with adult supervision and turning the box all different directions we were able to paint our own masterpiece.

Gavin, who has sensory issues, didn't want anything to do with the paint. "It's too messy for me", he stated. So we pulled out the crayons and he went to town. I ended up helping him with his project too as he found some of the parts to color repetitive. But that's because he decided the bricks had to be all one color and thus creating his own repetitiveness. With crayons we colored on the floor which made the size of the box a non-issue.

We did question, as people sensitive to the environment and frugal by nature, whether or not we could have done that ourselves with our own cardboard boxes. But here's the deal...yes, I could have made my own...but chances are I wouldn't because I'm busy doing other things quite honestly. And these are way cooler than anything I could have come up with. I am not an artist by trade but come by perfectionism honestly. Anything I would have made would have looked like a six year old drew it...no thanks. I'll take the Imagination Box Company's version any day.

What I love about Imagination Boxes

• Creating it is play in and of itself but then the kids have a playhouse for imaginary play. Anna got out her "my little ponies" and immediately set up house. So there is value in this toy since it keeps on "giving".
• Made with sturdy double walled corrugated board, these toys are extremely durable so they're made to last.
  
• The details on the different boxes make them so unique. I tried to capture some of those details in a few of the pictures.
  
• They are so easy to put together. Plus, if your space is limited, like in our little house, just "unfold" them and tuck them under a bed or behind a sofa.
  
• It is fabulous for both individual and co-operative play. One of my kids has a hard time
  "playing with others" but since he was the project manager cooperative play was welcomed. It was a joy to see that happen.

About the Company

Kim and Russell, are not only co-owners of the company they are wife and husband too. Their story speaks to finding and honoring your voice. As artists and parents of three daughters, the last of which was home schooled and raised without cable TV, they were committed to encouraging creativity in their home. Russell actually made these boxes for their youngest and they became the neighborhood hit. Everyone wanted one!

Imagination Box Company is a direct reflection of their lifestyle. Many years ago, before it was hip to be green, Russell and Kim became concerned about the environment. They also became more uncomfortable with the messages that were being marketed to kids. They are strongly against any sort of violence in toys and also don’t believe in advertising directly to children. Getting back to basics is what they believe in. Peaceful toys for the children and the earth. What more can a Quaker mom ask for?

Imagination Box Company has generously offered my readers a chance to win a box of their choice. To enter all you have to do is go to their website , look at the choices, come back and leave a comment with which box you'd chose and a way to contact you.

Extra ways to enter:

1. Click the "tell a friend" button at the end of this post and tweet about it. Use rt@LaterBetty and leave a comment that you tweeted. Feel free to follow me as well.
2. Click the "tell a friend" button at the end of this post and choose another social network (my favorites are technorati and kirtsy), comment what you did.
3. Follow me here or at I'll tell you later Betty or subscribe to my feed, comment that you did
   
4. For five extra entries blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with a link to the post.

Good luck! The giveaway is closed on May 6, 2009 at midnight est.

Naturally Step into Spring Event at Natural Mommie

The eco-chic & eco-friendly "Naturally Step Into Spring" event begins March 21st. At Natural Mommie you'll learn about products that are not only green but hip too. She is kicking off Spring by hosting a google of giveaways! There is going to be holding a month's worth of eco-friendly daily giveaways! Her goal is to make the world a little kinder and greener for our children and our children's children one fabulous find at a time. That's a win-win if you ask me! So mark your calendar and bookmark Natural Mommie for great reviews and fantastic giveaways. They're not only good for the environment they're good for you too!

Be Green with Freepeats Giveaway

In my little house I have lots of baby and kid stuff taking up space. Space I could be using for more preschooler and kid stuff...groan. Then I discovered Freepeats and my frustration came to an end. This is a website that speaks to my inner green cheapskate because it's all about sharing what your little ones don't use anymore and getting things they do need. Angie Wynne, founder of the popular frugal parenting website, Baby Cheapskate, recently announced the expansion of Freepeats.org. This online forum allows parents to pass on gently-used baby, kid, and maternity items they've finished with and pick up similar items for free from other nearby parents.

Freepeats groups are up and running in 47 major U.S. cities with dozens more openings planned for 2009. I was happy to see that a major city close to my little town was represented. There are over 17,500 members now registered at Freepeats. Offerings have included bouncers, swings, cribs, infant formula, baby and toddler clothing, zoo tickets, diapers, strollers, high chairs, baby gyms, parenting books, toys, and more. It took little convincing that this was worth the minuscule one time membership of $4.95 for me to have the opportunity to acquire items I would have paid, over my kids' lifetime, thousands of dollars. Plus, I love finding a good home for my children's clothes, toys and equipment. I would rather give it to someone in need than get a few dollars for it at a yard sale or consignment shop where I have had to put in so much energy for so little.

Freepeats is growing by leaps and bounds. The site has been featured at Discovery.com's Planet Green website, Apartment Therapy.com, Nickelodeon's Parents Connect website, Green Deals Daily, and in the pages of Readers Digest, Parenting magazine, and several local publications. Here's your chance to participate to in a green movement that connects you to other families and if needed, provides you with things you need for your growing family plus let's you give back to other's all with a simple click.

Win it!

So how does this sound to you? Are you curious? Well, Freepeats would love to have you as a member and so would I if you live in my area (wink, wink). They have generously donated ten, yes, I said ten, free lifetime memberships. If this kind of eco-friendly and economic-friendly forum appeals to you then go to Freepeats and see if there is a group close to where you live. To get a chance to win one of ten lifetime memberships leave a comment by midnight est March 15, 2009 with the following info:

• The Freepeats group you'd like to join.
• One item you'd giveaway
• An e-mail where we can reach you if you win

For more chances to win choose one of the following ways to earn an extra entry or combine all three to get three extra entries!
(each extra entry needs a comment and way to contact you)

1. Follow my blog or subscribe to it
2. Twitter about it and follow me on Twitter.
   
3. Mention this giveaway on your blog with a link back here and to Freepeat. If you are not a blogger, forward this post to 2 of your friends and cc us on the email (laterbetty[@]gmail[dot]com)
   

A random winner will be selected on March 16, 2009 and notified by e-mail. Good luck!

What does you Love Bottle say?

One of my favorite product review blogs, Frugal Mommy of 2 Girls, is hosting a giveaway that is eco-friendly plus full of style and creativity. The company, Love Bottle, has a fantastic water bottle that you can personalize in so many ways! How do I count the ways...

• Write directly on your bottle and express yourself!
• Place silicon bands around the bottle to add color and words, and to improve grip.
• You can choose stickers with a preprinted design or blank stickers that you can design yourself!
• Start with a blank bottle, or a bottle with a printed design and design your own.

Putting style aside, these fantastic bottles are great for the environment and for your health. Avoiding using throwaway water bottles is one way of many we can contribute to taking care of our Mother Earth. Drinking water from a glass bottle ensures there are no harmful chemicals entering your body as you refuel yourself. The plus is you look fantastically hip while taking care of yourself!

So click now! Check out Love Bottle's website and become a hip healthy tree huggin' water drinker!