Fleurville Totes at Dimples and Dandelions

Check out this cu-ute mama bag at Dimples and Dandelions!

There's no reason your diaper bag shouldn't fit in with this season's latest trends in handbags. The Fleurville Lexie Tote can be worn on the shoulder, the stroller, or slung messenger style and comes both in a sweet Botanical Coral and this tres chic Geo Black and White print. Not only does it have a water-proof lining and pockets galore, but it's also PVC-free (PVC is a plastic containing chlorine - yuk!) and elegant enough to take you and all your stuff from diapers to dinner! Check out the newest line of Fleurville totes at Dimples and Dandelions, all with free shipping!

Want to take your style to another level? Pair your tote with this Crown Bling Metrowrap or this fun Domestic Diva Black T with Rhinestones also at Dimples.

I guarantee you'll be the most fabulous mama at play group!

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Fight global warming with just the shirt on your back

Could saving the planet be as simple as wearing one little T-shirt? Probably not, but if it's this T-shirt, you've found a good place to start.

Here's mine:

A ton of recycled paper saves 17 trees and 7,000 gallons of water. Trees are natural CO2 sinks (removing CO2 from the atmosphere). Recycling 1 aluminum can saves enough energy to power a television for 3 hours!

This tee is made from 100% certified organic cotton. It is grown, woven, and sewn in the USA using sweatshop-free labor. Your tee will come custom hand-printed with YOUR unique number on the front. This number represents your place in the sequential global count of people committed to helping stop climate change.

On the back of each shirt is a word or phrase that describes an action almost anyone can take to reduce their carbon footprint. You choose which action you are committed to doing and get counted in. No one can do everything. Everyone can do something. And, WE ADD UP.

Get yours: We Add Up.com

Share the Love at Food Connect.com

I hate to cook, but love to eat. Such dilemmas are part of life. Fortunately though my hubby loves to cook (most of the time) and nothing gets me more excited than browsing tons of delectable new recipes to leave strategically around the kitchen or wow our guests with at our next dinner party.

Though I don't cook, as a food lover I could think and talk about eating all day. (Not that I live to eat, but still.) Are you a hard core foodie? Now you connect with like-minded others on a new site called www.foodconnect.com where you can learn how to make ordinary mac 'n cheese extraordinary, score tempting new ways to use cherries in your tired old recipes (how about sweet potatoes with cherry-glaze or cherry and chai rice pudding!), and even create online invitations for your next dinner party. Check them out and see what you can find.

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PRESS RELEASE:

www.foodconnect.com is the ultimate tool for every foodie.

What makes foodconnect.com so great? These and many other features:

• Free nutritional analysis, for all recipes on the site and every recipe you submit.
• Share your recipes with your friends and other foodies.
• Discuss recipe ideas and techniques.
• Plan your meal and easily print off your shopping list.
• Create the perfect dinner party.

All of this and much more and best of all its all free. Get to foodconnect.com to get started today.

Ideas for a Greener Easter Basket

Looking for something other than the same old Easter basket filled with tiny, toxic trinkets and loads of refined sugar? Want to avoid the less-than-original, mass-produced baskets so easily found at "Big Wally?"

My daughter has had the same Easter basket for the past 3 years and it's one she uses every day. As an alternative to a store-bought Easter basket that just gets tossed the next day, consider buying one of these bolga baskets from A Toy Garden lined with green wool roving for grass.

And what should you put in it? I'm so glad you asked! Here are a few ideas from a couple small, independently-run stores that offer fun, safe alternatives.

• hand-knit Easter eggs, wooden eggs that you can decorate or leave au naturale, or, for an older child, glass eggs
• organic cotton toy bunny
• spring flowers reusable Sigg bottle
• rolling duck, bunny, or turtle toy

For even more springtime fun, check out A Toy Garden's selection of toys that honor the season and Our Green House's picks for a green Spring celebration.

Mortgage Discounts for the Energy Conscious

Want to be the green house on the block? As more industries jump on the "green-wagon," conscious consumers can enjoy the benefits of a wider selection of eco-friendly solutions at lower prices. Even prospective home owners concerned about conserving energy can benefit directly by getting a discount on their mortgage. Lenders across the US and in the UK are beginning to offer deep discounts to borrowers who want to install solar power in their homes among a variety of other energy saving ideas.

In Ireland, Ulster bank offers what they call a "Solar Mortgage" giving borrowers a 50% discount off the bank's variable mortgage rates. Their hope is to help free up the money home owners need in order to be able to install the latest solar technology. The bank has partnered with solar energy company Solarcentury to provide this convenient service at a low cost for the growing population of energy-conscious home buyers.

If you are in the home-buying market and are wondering about your energy-saving options, begin researching lenders who offer incentives to make your home more friendly to the environment. Mortgage companies are offering more and more incentive programs and creative solutions for home buyers than ever before, and a free quote is easier to obtain than you may think. Begin taking advantage of the green trend by getting your free quote and contacting a mortgage lender today to ask about their environmental programs. Even if they don't yet offer a service similar to Ulster's, the more borrowers express interest the more quickly they may begin such a program.