Fan Appreciation Giveaway

It's giveaway time! At Hip Mountain Mama, we feel like we have the best friends and customers and we just love you all! We wanted to do something to give back as a thank you for all your support!

We are offering 2 lucky winners a $25.00 Gift Certificate to the shop!

To enter, just go to our Facebook Fan Page here http://www.facebook.com/hipmountainmama

Become a fan (if you aren't already) and leave a comment on the wall. In your comment we would love to hear some feedback about our shop and/or blog...what do you like, what don't you like, what products would you like to see us carry, what products do you love, do you have a success story...etc.

Congratulations Julie and Denise! And thanks to everyone for all your amazing support!!

Fan Appreciation Giveaway

Feature Friday: Offhand Designs Bags

I saw my first Offhand Designs bag a couple of years ago and I just fell in love! If you have ever seen one first hand, you know what I mean. "Based in Oakland, California, Offhand Designs prides itself on original designs, high-quality local craftsmanship, and exclusive detailing."

I have since owned 5 Offhand Bags and I have used them as a knitting bag, diaper bag, an every day bag, travel bag, and an out on the town bag. With the variety of sizes and designs, they are great for the casual knitting circle to a girls night out.

Some of our reasons for supporting such an amazing company is that from the creation of the pattern to the final stitches, each bag is handmade in the San Francisco Bay Area (and you know we love handmade in the US!). All bags are made with the finest quality textiles inside and out and there is no cardboard or glue! Each bag also undergoes rigorous testing in the field to ensure that it's highly durable, to solve any minor inconveniences in its design, and to make sure that it turns heads (wouldn't you love this job)! All lavish embellishments are hand-placed on each individual bag to best complement its design elements. Offhand Designs feel that variations in the design are desirable and add character. This also means that each bag is truly one-of-a-kind.

We would love for everyone to be able to own an Offhand Designs! For this reason, we are offering all of our Offhand Design Bags, including the new spring line, at 20% off (until Thursday March 4th)! No coupon code needed...and flat rate $5.95 on US shipping!

To learn more about Offhand Designs you can visit their website here...to make a purchase please visit Hip Mountain Mama.

Feature Friday: Offhand Designs Bags

Winter Days

My absolute favorite winter days are those just after a snow storm when the sun peaks out. You can almost always bet on having a super sunny day after it snows this time of year and we anticipate these days with great excitement. Some of my fondest memories are sitting at the bottom of a ski hill after a day of snowboarding, soaking in the sun, drinking a beer, and laughing with friends...pure bliss!

Lately , I have been enjoying these magical days following animal tracks in the snow...

Throwing the Frisbee with Magnolia...

Running through fields of snow...

And, still, sitting and soaking in the rays!

Winter Days

Inspiring Mama:: Sara Snow Author of Fresh Living

About 6 months ago, I stumbled upon the book "Fresh Living" by Sara Snow. I quickly read through the entertaining and informative book and have since kept it close by as a great reference for green living.

When thinking about women I wanted to include in my Inspiring Women series, Sara Snow was one of the first names that came to mind. Sara is a pioneer in the green living movement. She is getting the word out on green living through her TV shows and book and she comes from many years of experience! I asked Sara if she would share a bit of her herself with us here and I was honored that she was excited to do so.

Suzy: Sara, I am so happy to have you here today. I read your book, Fresh Living, last year and found it very inspiring. Can you tell us a little bit about how you grew up and how this has influenced the way you live today?

Sara: I grew up pretty differently from most people. I was born at home in Ann Arbor, Michigan. When I was about two we moved to a sustainable, eco home that we built out in the woods, about 20 minutes outside of Ann Arbor. We didn't have a furnace; instead we heated with passive solar heat and a wood stove. We grew a good deal of the food that we ate. We composted, made our food from scratch, and tried to live in harmony with the natural world around us.
My dad was an early pioneer of the natural and organics food movement. He co-founded Eden Foods (now an extremely large international distributor of organic and natural foods), American Soy Products (through which he helped introduce soymilk to the American public), and Blue Horizon Organic.
So I grew up with this intense focus on natural living and organic eating. It has, in every sense, made me who I am today.

Suzy: What inspired you to start your TV show and start spreading the word about green living?

Sara: I had been working in television as a producer and a TV news anchor and reporter for quite a few years when I decided that if I was going to go on TV everyday I wanted to talk about something that was important to me and, increasingly, to other people as well. So I created the concept for what became the first green-lifestyle TV series to air in the United States. That show was called "Living Fresh" for Discovery Home, and I followed that up with "Get Fresh with Sara Snow" for Discovery Health. Last year I co-hosted "Big Green Lies" for the Fine Living Channel and also released my first book, "Sara Snow's Fresh Living".
It has been the perfect blending of my personal past and upbringing and my professional experience in television. And I feel every day like I'm doing what I was born to help: helping to bring a message of simple, attainable natural living to people everywhere.

Suzy: I have been craving the slower and simpler lifestyle and am in the process of making some changes for my family to achieve this. Why do you think it is important for people to slow down and simplify in this day in age?

Sara: Because we're all, simply put, moving too quickly. Life didn't use to be like this. We didn't used to be "plugged in" every minute of the day. We took walks, we sang to the birds, we ran barefoot and sat in silence. All of this is so important for our brains, our muscles, our digestion, and our spirits.
I will always remember one particular day during college. I was stressed and over-worked and worried and I called my mom to cry to her a bit. And she told me that I needed to find a park bench and to sit and watch the squirrels for a while. That's it. Just watch the squirrels.
It's still what I do today when I'm overly stressed. I call a time-out and I just sit and watch the birds or the squirrels.
A fantastic practice to get into is a short meditation session in the morning or evening every single day. The simple act of emptying your mind and breathing deep, cleansing breaths can be so incredibly healing.

Suzy: Most of my readers are busy moms who find it overwhelming to make changes in their lives. Can you give us a few ideas on easy changes we can make that will have a positive impact on our environment?

Sara: There are so many simple things that we can all do everyday and it is never more important than when you're a mom. This is for two reasons - first because the foods you buy and products you use have a direct impact on the health of your children. And, second, because, you are teaching impressionable minds.
Here are a few examples of simple things you can do: recycling, cleaning with natural products, using less disposables (less ziplock bags, paper towels, and other single use items), using goods made from recycled plastic, recycled paper and recycled glass, buying more organic foods, shopping local farmers markets and food co-ops, composting, practicing green lawn care, and growing a garden. In fact, this last one might be one of the best things you can do with your children. Help them to understand that a tomato comes from a vine, not from a can on a grocery store shelf. And let them share in the wonderment of how nature provides the things we most need to survive.

Suzy: Thank you so much Sara for taking the time out of your busy life to share with us today!

Sara: It has been my pleasure, Suzy. I wish you great success in your efforts to simplify!

To learn more about Sara, please visit her website here.

Inspiring Mama:: Sara Snow Author of Fresh Living

Tree Huggin' Tuesday: Cloth Diapers

We have been just loving the Tree Huggin' Tuesday Feature. I know I have been even more conscious about reducing waste since we started this feature along with the One Small Change Project. Today, Guest blogger Sarah Lin of Wool and Sticks will discuss the benefits of cloth diapering. I thought this would be a great topic after recently reading about a Boulder Colorado Hospital that switched to cloth diapers to reduce waste and reduce costs.

Our family used cloth diapers on our daughter and we just loved them. They are so cute, soft, and environmentally friendly. We also proudly offer Happy Heiny's at Hip Mountain Mama.

I recently read these staggering statistics in Sara Snow's book Fresh Living. She says that the first disposable diapers were introduced in 1961 and by 1989, 18 billion diapers were being soiled each year, costing American parents $300 million annually and accounting for nearly 3.5 million tons of garbage. Today 95% of diapers used are disposable which will take two to five hundred years to decompose in a landfill. It is clear that our disposable lifestyle is piling up unbelievable amounts of waste.

Now lets welcome Sarah Lin who loves knitting and is also a mother of a two year old girl. You can learn more about Sarah and her beautiful knitting at her blog, Wool and Sticks.

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Not Your Mama's Cloth Diapers...

Cloth diapers...those 2 words still bring to mind pins and white cloth squares that require a lot of folding, and let's not forget those plastic pants. The cloth-diapering world has come a long way, evolving into something almost unrecognizable to those who used cloth in the past. While the pins and prefolds are still an option, there are many other options out there for those who wish to cloth diaper. You may be asking yourself, why cloth diaper? In addition to being less costly throughout the diaper years, there is a significant environmental impact. The average child goes through 6,000-10,000 diapers from birth to potty learning and these diapers sit in landfills. A very basic cloth diaper set up can be as inexpensive as $100 for the entire diaper life of a child, and those diapers can be used again for multiple children.

Today’s cloth diapers come in so many styles, there is sure to be a fit for every family. You can find diapers with velcro or snaps, with a waterproof cover or without. You can cover diapers in fleece or wool, and if you are a knitter, there are some incredible knitting patterns for soakers (diaper covers) or longies (knit pants that act as a cover.) Diaper materials are catching up to eco-friendly times as well. You can find diapers made from cotton, bamboo and hemp.

Storing wet and soiled diapers is easy too. There are large wetbags with a waterproof inner liner that hang on a hook, you can use a tall garbage can, and those cloth diapering mamas who are especially eco-savvy wash and recycle large cat liter containers into diaper pails. Smaller wetbags are available for transporting soiled diapers on the go.

Many cloth diapering families also take the next step and switch from disposable to cloth wipes.

With the upswing in cloth diapering, many cities are seeing a return of diaper services. It is a great way to ease the transition and see if cloth diapering is for you.

With so many options for diapering out there, it can feel overwhelming. Many retailers offer sampler or trial packages to try out various diaper and cover options. This is a great way to try things to see what works for you before making an investment.

If cloth diapering is just not for you, there are still other option available besides the standard disposable. Many hybrid diapers exist, consisting of a cloth outer layer and flushable and biodegradable inner portion.

With so many options out there, I encourage you to take a look, there really is an option for every family.

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Thank you Sarah Lin for contributing to Tree huggin' Tuesday.

Be sure to check back tomorrow when we will have a very special interview with Author, TV Show Host, and Environmental Activist Sara Snow. Sara is author of the book Fresh Living, has two cable television shows, is a regular contributor to CNN.com, writes a column for Treehugger.com, and is an inspiration to so many striving for a Greener and Healthier Lifestyle. We are so excited that Sara has found time in her busy schedule to do an interview for Hip Mountain Mama. Don't miss it.

Tree Huggin' Tuesday: Cloth Diapers

Homemade Granola Bars

My kids are huge fans of granola bars. I usually buy a box every other week and let them eat them when we are on the go. Lately, I have been cringing each time I open one up and we throw away the wrapper...such a waste. As we are on this journey towards living a greener and more sustainable lifestyle, I am always searching for ways to reduce our waste. We are not ready to give up granola bars, so the obvious answer was to make our own!

I recently picked up a cook book at our local used book store called The Vegetarian Family Cookbook. While flipping through it I stumbled upon a great recipe for homemade granola bars...no more excuses. The kids and I popped into the kitchen, whipped up a batch in just a few minutes, baked them for 20 minutes, then enjoyed the warm scrumptious bars. It took the kids a while to think outside of the box and realize granola bars do not have to be long and rectangular or in a wrapper, but once they tasted them, they claimed they will never go back.

Soft and Chewy Granola Bars

The Vegetarian Cookbook by Nava Atlas

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

2 T ground flaxseed or wheat germ

1/2 t baking soda

2 T sugar

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup applesauce

1 T oil

1 cup granola (we used homemade)

1/2 cup raisins or currants

1/2 cup natural chocolate chips or peanut butter chips

1. Preheat over to 350. Lightly oil a 9 x 9 inch baking pan

2. Combine the flour, flaxseeds/wheat germ, baking soda, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl and stir.

3. Make a well in the center and pour in the applesauce and oil. Stir together until the wet and dry ingredients are completely mixed, then stir in granola, raisins, and chips.

4. Pour the batter into pan and bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool until just warm, then cut.

Enjoy!

Homemade Granola Bars

Feature Friday: Organic Gardening Toys

For the past few days I have woken up to the sound of chirping birds. When I hear this I get so excited...I know Spring is coming and with Spring comes so many fun activities. My family has been growing a veggie garden for the past few years and each year at the end of Winter we get just giddy about what new items we are going to try.

In the spirit of getting ready for Spring, today we are featuring some great organic toys from Under the Nile. First of all I wanted to let you know about a new product that we just received, The Garden Tote. The tote includes a rake, shovel, and seed pack and is made with the finest 100% organic Egyptian cotton which makes this toy safe, non-toxic, and eco-friendly. My kids love helping in the garden and have really enjoyed playing with this toy in their imaginary indoor garden!

I also wanted to let you know about a couple of old favorites from Under the Nile that you are just going to love. The Fruit Tote and The Veggie Crate are perfect for any child who loves to play pretend kitchen, store or garden and is a great way to let them play with healthy pretend foods. They are also made with 100% organic cotton and the veggie crate is made of pure wood. The Fruit Tote comes with a banana, pear, grape & watermelon all tucked into an adorable tote that reads "Fresh organic fruit basket." The Veggie Crate includes a carrot, mushroom, green bean and tomato. My kids favorite activity to use these items for is playing farmer's market...I love it!

We hope that your children will love these organic toys and much as ours do.

From now until Thursday February 25th, we are offering 15% off all of our Under the Nile Toys. Just use the coupon code "under" on the second page of check out to receive your discount!

Feature Friday: Organic Gardening Toys

Moving On

When Andy and I started discussing living a more sustainable and simple lifestyle, we started thinking about the area we live in. We live in a great little town with access to local food, great gardening, and pretty close to the mountains. We enjoy all of these benefits of our area, but we wanted more (or should I say less).

We longed to live in a small mountain community again. We moved to the front range almost 5 years ago for more opportunity...a bigger house, more stores, more people, more jobs. Well, after a year of all this "more" we realized it wasn't "more" that we wanted. We started craving the simpler way of life. All of a sudden all this "more" was starting to make me feel anxious and uncomfortable.

We made the decision a year ago that we would live here for one more year, and then think about moving to a smaller mountain town. We struggled throughout the year trying to figure out what town this would be. We went back and forth many times and have finally settled on the perfect little mountain town for us!

We are moving! We are selling our house and moving with the hopes of joining an already progressive, sustainable, and simple community. We dream of having a large garden, chickens, and lots of outdoor activities for the family to enjoy. We will, of course, take Hip Mountain Mama with us and look forward to the possibilities that will find us in our new little town.

There is a lot of work to do between now and then, but I will keep you updated through the blog! Thanks again to everyone for your encouragement and kind words! I truly value your friendship and look forward to continuing to grow with you!

Moving On

Starting Fresh

Back in November I published a post titled "A New Beginning". This post is lost for now, but it basically explained a bit about my family's past and how we got to where we were and what direction we were heading. My husband quit his job in the corporate world to join Hip Mountain Mama and we were starting a new journey to live a more sustainable and simple lifestyle.

I also announced at this time that we switched our blog to Word Press and were very excited to grow this. Looking back, this seems a bit contradictory...that we were moving towards a more simpler life, yet we were trying to build a fancy blog. As most of you know, our Word Press blog was wiped out by a virus, and, although very upsetting, we are using this as an opportunity to re evaluate our focus for the blog.

I started my blog in 2007 and it has taken many twists and turns since then and has been a lot of fun. You probably also know that, aside from writing this blog, I also own and operate an on line retail shop. The shop is my first priority and after several shop meetings, we have decided to take a new approach with this blog.

I am starting over! This blog is brand new and you will not find any of my old posts here. I am using this space for the following things:

1. I will continue to do a Feature Friday each week, featuring products from the shop that we personally use showing personal photos and opinions on the products. We will also offer coupon codes on most of our featured products that will be good for 1 week.

2. Continue with our Tree Huggin' Tuesday Feature. This will include posts by myself, Andy, and guest bloggers writing about tips on green living.

3. Inspiring Mamas Feature, featuring interviews, giveaways, and write ups on business women, Mothers, and other amazing and inspiring women.

4. Personal posts (probably about once a week) including awesome crafts, delicious recipes, majestic adventures, and just things going on in my world. We still have some very exciting news to share in the coming weeks/months, so I hope you will stick around and follow us on this journey!

As for One Small Change....I have decided to create a new Blog just for One Small Change. You can go here to find the new blog. It is simple, easy, and I hope you enjoy it. Please feel free to leave comments on any of the posts there and please link to your One Small Change Blog Posts! If you are currently linking to the project, please update your link to the following: http://www.1smallchangeblog.blogspot.com/

Thanks for hanging in there with us during this crazy time. I am so appreciative of all your comments and emails...it is really what has gotten me through this. Please keep in touch and know that both of these blogs are completely safe and we are confident that being on blogger will keep us safe forever!

Starting Fresh