Chit & Chat: Blog buttons & Other greenery

See that adorable little Email button over there on the right =====> ?  The one that looks like it was custom made for this wanna-greenie's blog?  Well, in fact, that button plus my adorable follow me on twitter bird (http://twitter.com/giftofgreen) were courtesy of Just Something I Made!  Yes, courtesy!  And you can be the recipient of this same courtesy, courtesy of...well, you get the idea.  Thanks too to designmom.com for pointing me in that direction.

So I am digging in to a nonfiction book I was sent to review (first of all, I love getting packages from publishers in New York City - I picture somewhere high above Madison Avenue ~or wherever~ someone delicately packaging up my book amid the hub bub of a publishing house.  The package winding its way through the building, emerging on the street, and being sent straight to me.  When I open that package with the fancy address, a little puff of NYC comes out of it, along with the book.), and moms of tweens, teens and pre-tweens, take note...  It looks like a good one available August 9th in stores.  Stay tuned.

Other than that, we are staying cool, eagerly awaiting our bi-weekly delivery from Washington's Green Grocer. Salads unite!

I leave you with a fascinating and hypnotizing video that I first learned about, again, through designmom.com.  Happy dreams!

Clothesline Challenge Bloggy Button is Here!

The Second Annual (and the first annual, for that matter) Clothesline Challenge would not happen without a lot of bloggy friends who are a lot more creative than I (myself? me?). A huge thank you across the pond to... Nini Makes! who designed this year's bloggy button.

Steal away!

[a href="http://giftofgreen.blogspot.com/2009/03/get-ready-gog-clothesline-challenge.html"][img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMSirYBhmxMKnGr-K_rxttlnVMKFAxDbyyHg-a8nWbPqiluQQlOS4pyJdWMngFp4gF6PWmwYXF72B0NKXOMXlJ8wPf_48UgiWrnQ7d663LiN3jRUkzfoXymCKLNAsrK4EfHft6mEDS3_o/s400/GOG2009.jpg" alt="Gift of Green's Clothesline Challenge 2009"][/a]

(Replace these [ ] with these < > to make the button appear.)

Green Housekeeping

First of all, I know I said that I have given up crafting forever, but why oh why oh why can't I have enough talent to make these? The patterns are just mocking me with their cuteness. Maybe in my next life.

Second I have some catching up to do in the blogging buttons category - in both the receiving and the giving. Amanda from Yay! Pie! has presented me with a blogging button which I am happy to accept and to pass along as well. The "I Love You This Much" Award goes to three bloggy friends who always make my day (I am leaving out my favorites who Amanda already decorated - spreading the wealth):

Big Binder
Nini Makes
Fo.ne.tic.lee Speaking

I also received a second button from Look, Mom, Look, one of the very first of my bloggy friends. I am passing this award along to three bloggers who regularly take time to stop by and comment.

Carrie at It Matters to This One
Meg at Soup is not a Finger Food
Jenny at Roughly Speaking

The rules of this award are: SHARE THE LOVE!!! Share this award with all those blogs out there that you love. All the people who make you smile. All those that make you laugh. All those that make your day. All those that leave uplifting comments on your blog. **All I ask, is that you include a link to this post with the award and ask your recipient to do the same**

Bloggy Button Code

My gosh, you have all forced me to become a coding genius (NOT!)... Link away!



[a href="http://giftofgreen.blogspot.com/2008/04/gift-of-greens-clothesline-challenge.html"][img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigTccomP1vHhzOt1gmNoyods7DHILG3yDPL5fsrTqc3wHZCQhEghWKi5Gpcb9gtVu7C1CFWK7beImJI_P8Q-FhYtKi-YQXRrFawjCYqjEA4cgtx-aYfEr8GdMz49QkgyhFf6uEmLHD7p0/s200/230x119.jpg" alt="Gift of Green's Clothesline Challenge"][/a]

(Replace these [ ] with these < > to make the button appear.)

Gift of Green's Clothesline Challenge 2008 Bloggy Button!

Thanks to my local friend Sue, who designed the button, and my bloggy friend Dayna, who resized the button, Gift of Green's Clothesline Challenge is now off and running with a real, honest to goodness button for your blog!

This past weekend was the perfect weather for line drying here in Plant Hardiness Zone Seven. Although my poor, dear husband who was only trying to help: he comes bounding downstairs only to have me snap, "Is that the dryer? Did you just turn on the dryer?" I think I may need to relax a little. Anyway - so far 100% CRP-dry: a combination of outdoor line, some children's clothing on hanger hung from the shower curtain rod, and a few odds and ends draped over this and that has kept us honest so far. We shall see...

Wednesday Greenings

I hope all of you had a spooktacular Halloween. I picked up poor Sprout from daycare with a fever, so she spent most of the evening relaxing on the couch and on me (is it wrong to kind of enjoy a bit of their mild illness simply because it means they will snuggle up to you for more than a half second; reminds me of their newborn days. Selfish, I know, but sometimes you just want to freeze them).

Then, just in time for Halloween, I received a sweet treat from The Not Quite Crunchy Parent - a blog that I enjoy reading immensely, particularly when it comes to providing posts and strategies for avoiding ye olde television and encouraging more creative play, and for her suggestion for kicking the Ziploc habit. Thank you, TNQCP!

In the paying it forward tradition, I would like to award this bloggy button to Nini Makes, a new blog that I am enjoying and one that is consistently full of sweet treats (and being based in the UK it's probably yummy scones or something with a lot of luscious cream).



Moving right along, you may have seen a comment from barrym (of the West Ireland barryms) asking what I meant by saying I live in planting zone 7. Well, barrym caught me in a bit of an error...it's not planting zone 7; it's plant hardiness zone 7, so I hope that clears things up for you, barrym. Just kidding. Here in the States and Canada (and I imagine in other places?) we use zones to describe temperature extremes in different areas of the country. Interestingly enough, I believe we are now technically as warm as plant hardiness zone 8. Scary, ain't it?

And finally for today, Pickel over at My Two Boys is having a non-toxic toy giveaway bonanza all through the month of November! The scavenger hunt element is over, but the giveaways have just begun! I'm curious...aren't you?

Blogging Buttons

You've seen them, and perhaps you have some: those cute little buttons that you can add to your sidebar to show that you support a cause, have received some props, or that simply let people know what you're all about. For some reason they're downright addicting and collecting them brings me back to elementary school and those coveted friendship pins.

I have recently added several buttons to my blog and I wanted to digress from my usual tom-greenery to mention the meaning of mine.

The first button is my "Computer Free Friday" button designed by Wise Craft's husband and kindly made available to the masses. This Friday was the first Friday I implemented this "rule" and to be honest, it was quite liberating. I used my computer at work obviously (I don't want to be "Computer Free Because You've Been Fired Friday") but when I got home, nothing. No frantic checking of email, no quick updates to my blog, and no visiting virtual friends. But this was okay. I spent time with my husband, my children and a neighbor without feeling The Call of the Computer.

Further down the page is my "War is not healthy for children and other living things" button sponsored by Another Mother for Peace. I'm not sure what political persuasion you are but no matter. I think we can all agree that war is not healthy for children and other living things, yes?

The next button is part of my Team WhyMommy rallying cry against inflammatory breast cancer, a disease that has personally effected members of my own family. Click on over to Toddler Planet if you have a moment. WhyMommy's chemo is taking!

The next button was quite an honor to receive, considering it came from the above mentioned WhyMommy. She wrote some awfully sweet words about me too - blush, blush. So, it's pay forward time and I gladly do it. I am "awarding" this button to three bloggers who have been especially generous to me since I began this blogging journey. I don't think I need to explain much more than that...their blogs say it all. Thank you...

SusieJ - A beautiful writer and a generous soul
SaltandChocolate - A recent find and a total gem
In the Key of Life - A cozy read and consistent comment-replier

And finally, is that adorable Farmer's Market button from Veggie Venture - any plans for your 2008 graphic?

Have wonderful weekend, friends.