Balls are life changing! *GIVEAWAY*

Be warned, my husband helps proofread my blogs before I post them, and he made lots of additions to this one.  His creative (perverted) mind, came up with everything in italics.

I stumbled into the world of balls, soon after I started cloth diapering.  Although I read about them, I wasn't sold.  My biggest concern was how this would effect my skin (I cannot wear wool).  Happily I decided to give them a try, it hasn't effected my skin negatively at all. Apparently balls and I get along.

I wanted to add some pictures of my favorite balls .

I have one with an amazing looking tree, flowers and a smiley face but they are all mia.

The three reasons I started using them were:
a) to save money
b) for diaper laundry
c) to get rid unnecessary chemicals in my families life
d) so I could tell everyone how fantastic my balls are!

There are several ways they save you money.  You buy them once, and they last several years.  I have been using my balls for about 7 months now, and I haven't had any issues with them whatsoever. These balls have some real longevity!  When you use 4 balls, it's said to decrease the drying time 25%, and goes up the more balls you use.  The more balls you add the better!  It decreases the time because they bounce around in dryer, fluffing and absorbing water.

As I already mentioned in THIS post:  Fabric Softener and Dryer Sheets contain harmful chemicals (including ones know to cause cancer), that get into your bloodstream through your skin.  They can cause rashes, irritation, acne, cancer, respiratory problems and more.  Wool balls are exactly that.  Wool in a ball shape.  Some come containing essential oils, some do not.  No chemicals!  They are better for the environment too.  Mother nature loves balls.

Dryer balls help support small businesses.  Most dryer balls are made by very small businesses, so buying them helps out a family, instead of a corporation.  They leave a smaller carbon footprint also, because the wool is shipped to the maker, and the maker ships it to you.  If you buy FS or DS, they are made in factory (probably in China), shipped somewhere in the states, shipped to stores, and then you drive to and back from the store  Talk about a big footprint!

Using fabric softener on cloth diapers causes the fabric to repel water instead of soak it up.  Cloth diapers are supposed to soak it up, and if they don't, you'll end up with leaks.

They are so easy to use.  You throw them in your dryer.  That's it.  If you choose, you can add essential oils to scent them (about 10 drops a ball), but it's optional.  This is really fun because you can change up the scents or mix them if you get bored with one.  Your nose gets used to smells it smells over and over and over, however if you change it up, you won't run into this problem.   Fabric Softener can clog your lint trap, but these do not.

Everyone in my house loves them.  Our cat, my 2 year old, I've even caught my 9 year old attempting to juggle with them.  Sometimes after the kids go the bed my husband and I have ball fights, he loves when we play with the balls. I have 12 balls but do to a certain 2 year old, several can often be found around my house instead of in the dryer.

Now, the part you've been waiting for....


Who wants free balls?!   You will get 4 brand new wool balls to try out yourself! No balls!


Feba is helping me with this giveaway.  When I looked into balls, I had no idea what to get, and some of them seemed overpriced.  I got on etsy  (if you don't know what etsy is, check it out.  It's a great website for small businesses, unique and mostly handmade products) and found her.  Her store name is Fondle My Fiber, and that's when I knew who I was ordering from.  She and her daughter work together to create these and she is amazingly helpful.  I requested a complicated order, she worked with me and got it out super quick.  She even offered to wrap it for me since I was sending someone else balls.  Her prices were very reasonable, and they have some cute designs.  If you would like some awesome, cheap, quality balls, check out her etsy store! She is really balls to the walls about balls.



How to win:


Comment on this post or email me at mildcrunch@gmail.com with a question (being green, who I am, military or okinawa life, etc etc) or a subject you'd like me to cover in a post. Make sure I have a way to contact you to let you know if you're the winner! The giveaway will end on August 5th at midnight (Okinawa time).

With such a new blog, your chances are extremely good!It's not required, but subscribing and sharing my blog with others is a nice thing to do for someone who is giving you balls. :-)



And stay tuned for a post about which wieners should make it to your mouth!

The BEST way to help get shoes on feet that need them, cheap, easy, and is great for the environment, and economy!

Introducing Soles4Souls to you! I feel so honored to share this with you!  I found out about them through my research of Bobs by Skechers (read that post here).  Skechers donates a TINY portion ($2...I'm not impressed) of their Bob's proceeds (when they are are purchased for full price ) to Sole4Shoes.


As I said in other posts, there's never a one size fits all solution to saving the world.  I endorse soulRebels (apparently if the word soul is in a name, it's awesome), it's the best company I've found to buy a new pair of shoes from.

However, this is a great option, if you don't need/want new shoes, don't have a lot of money, or have shoes that you no longer wear, laying around.  Lost one shoe from a pair?  That's okay, they'll take it too.

Ready for more awesomeness?

They help all over, including America.  You donate shoes.  They give the shoes that need to be washed, repaired, or in bad condition (but can be used for parts) to micro enterprises around the world.  The shoes in good condition are given to needy people. Check out their grading system, to determine where your shoes would go.  You can even choose! Micro enterprises are an amazing thing. Instead of just giving items to people, these poor people who receive will wash, repair, and fix the shoes to sell.  This creates more jobs and follows the "give a man a fish, he eats for a day, teach a man to fish, he eats for life" motto.  My eyes are seeing so much green and I love it!

Ways you can help (an extended list can be found here):
Text 20222 to make a donation.
You can donate as little as $1.  That $1 will provide one person with one pair of gently used shoes, you can make a donation online via their website (paypal, credit cards) or in person.
You can send (or bring them in if you are close enough) your gently worn shoes.
You can hold a wide variety of different types of fundraisers.  They've got tons of great ideas to get you started!

You can also help with The Mild Crunch drive!
The link above will take you to The Mild Crunch profile page on the Soles4Souls website, where you can donate money. :-)  A huge thanks to the Okinawa Kid's Clothing Swap for helping collect shoes!  You can check out my post about the swap here, and get free points!

If you're in Oki you can donate by:
a) contacting me about your unneeded shoes.
b) contacting me to donate money in person (and online).



It's up to you as to what you choose to do, but with $1 or one shoe, you can make a difference in someone's life.  You know you've been meaning to replace those old ones with soleRebels anyway.

If soleRebels and Tom's were in a boxing match, soleRebels would knock out Tom's with the first punch

I don't believe there is way to help the world and it's inhabitants that supersedes all the others.  I believe it's up to the person who wants to help, it's not a one size fit all answer.

That being said, if you like Tom's, you're going to love soleRebels.  The only reason I can imagine anyone liking Tom's more is because of brand recognition. 




Let's start with some of the soleRebels shoes.  

top row: $75 $60 

bottom row: $75 $65 via soleRebels

These are just a few of the types available...from the summer 2012 collection!  They have a wide variety of colors and styles available, which is much better than the competition.

The shoes are made out of recycled tires (the soles), hand spun and hand loomed organic cotton, hemp koba, jutes and leathers (more information here).  The shoes are hand crafted by Africans  in Ethiopia, (paid 4x the minimum wage AND 3x the industry standards), subsequently creating dignified jobs, using local resources, and preserving artisan traditions.

I'm pretty sure I wrote the world's greenest paragraph right there.

These shoes are a bit more expensive that Toms and Bob's, but not much.  I believe and fully support soleRebels cause, and *gasp* my thrifty self doesn't mind spending a little more money for the environment pleasing, economy helping, shoes full of character. (check the amazon prices out)  If I bought Tom's, I wouldn't think twice about who made it (coughsomecoughsweatcoughshopcoughincoughchinacough).  These shoes though, I would feel differently about.  They'd stir my imagination, I'd imagine stories about the person who made these shoes, how they felt, where they live, etc.  I would feel honored wearing shoes that someone put so much work and effort into, and would be excited to talk about soleRebels anytime someone commented on my spirited shoes.  These are not your everyday shoes folks.

soleRebels has blown my mind. The founder and ceo, Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu (blog here) was born and raised in Addis Ababa and created the company in 2005.  Half a decade later, and hundreds of jobs later, soleRebels became the world's first and only World Fair Trade Federation footwear company AND the first footwear brand to emerge from a developing nation.  soleRebels partnered with Amazon and several other online markets and became the first (and only to date) Ethiopian company to use multiple major credit cards and paypal online. Her "goal is to see soleRebels become as ubiquitous as Apple".  Can you imagine what would happen if a recycling, green, job providing, no factory having company became as well known and sought after as Apple???

Although I have not personally met Bethlehem, we have emailed and she provided my tiny little brand new blog with plenty of information.  You know how sometimes you can just tell what type of person someone is through their words?  The aura she gives off breath taking.  She IS changing the world in a positive light and I believe she will do whatever she could to make the world a better place.  Keep an eye on this one, I bet we'll be hearing a lot more about her in the future. She also informed me that


 "giving people hi quality, sustained employment in a growing, successful enterprise - thats  always the way to "help" people . actually i have never looked at it as "helping people" .[ to me that's a tired bit of PR  , too often abused] . i looked at it as maximizing the talents that were here inside the community i grew up in , then  leveraging those talents into a sustainable, world class company creating SUPER COMFORTABLE, XTRA COOL FOOTWEAR. THAT is the best way to BUILD people + communities - leverage the strengths, make or invent something amazing, create independence through prosperous employment, scale the whole thing and make  a lot of happiness everywhere!!!"


I don't know if I've ever related to a stranger so much.  In a paragraph she summed up how I feel, and what I want to do (minus footwear). 


soleRebels website
facebook

Buy some shoes. 




Can't afford a pair, or don't like the style?  I've got another great idea for you coming up soon.

Okinawa Kids Clothing Swap...what's not to love?

Before we even made it to Okinawa, I was looking forward to the Okinawa Kid's Clothing Swap (thanks Okinawa Hai).  I was so excited to have a chance to participate in something so great, and after 3 swaps under my belt, I'm still as excited!

The Swap is held about every 3 months (It has been at Kadena Elementary every time I have attended).  The premise is simple: Register for the event via yahoo group before the swap. Bring your gently used, flawless kids clothes in by between 8:30-12 (they even have a drive thru from 8:30-9:30), come back a little before 1, sign in, find out how many points you get and then shop.

Of course, it does get a tiny bit more complicated (some items are worth less or more than one point, 4T+ clothes can have small marks because they are so in demand).  Clothes must be separated by size in bags (outfits pinned together), and put in one big bag.  All bags must have your name on it.  You also have the option of donating your unacceptable items, or having them returned to you.

The ladies in charge of the swap are so great.  They give up lots of time to organize it, pay for ALL the costs,  and give up storage space in their home for the clothes.  They also drive and pick up clothing that is donated to the swap.

The volunteers are especially amazingly awesome (yeah, I'm one of them), who give up time to make it happen.  The reward for being a volunteer is 10 prepicks (you get to pick 10 items before everyone else comes).  They sort through the clothes before the swap, or keep track of the points used during it.

As for the attendee's...I haven't seen a fist fight yet (or any fight). ;-)

The Okinawa Kid's Clothing swap donate all of their preemie cloths to the Storks Nest (it's a cottage program that provides free temporary housing for high risk pregnant women, parents of infants in the NICU and family members of critical patients in the ICU).
They have a free table for items that didn't meet swap standards, and the leftovers from that area go to the NMCRS Navy Thrift Store on Foster, and Kadena's Airman's Attic.
They are also helping out with the Mild Crunch fundraiser for Soles4Shoes by donating all the leftover shoes in the free bins.  Thank you so much!


Just in case they weren't doing enough good already, this helps military members with children save money, and it keeps usable items out of landfills.  How much greener can they get???

The next swap is August 18th.  1st time mommy's get 3 free picks (they must register first).   To be honest before my first swap I was nervous.  I had TONS (I think I got something like 180 points) of clothes to get rid of and I was worried about the quality of clothes.  I have not had any issues.  Bigger sizes are more in demand than smaller (my kids are on the bigger end), however I always leave with at least one garbage bag full of awesome looking clothes (some brand new).  I have seen a couple duds in there, but the volunteers and coordinators are always on a lookout for these.  If you find something that should NOT be in there, tell someone!

If you are still unsure and haven't attended before let me know, and I'll donate you 3 points so you can see what it's about.

If you don't want to swap, but would like to donate clothing please contact the swap or me, and someone will pick them up from you.

You can also help by sharing the post with people you think may be interested.  I look forward to seeing you there!

Which shoes should you buy part 1: Toms vs Bobs ...a surprising answer...

TOMS


Recently, I checked out Toms online (I'm late to the game, I know). I'm not a fan of the shoe design but I love those $100 boots! I came to several conclusions regarding Toms thanks to the lovely interwebs. 

1) Tom's is NOT donating a pair of shoes to children in need. The BUYER is buying two pairs of cheaply made shoes. I repeat, they are not giving away shoes.

 2) Tom's almost exclusively donates the black basic shoe. What about the children in cold or rainy climates?There have been issues with Tom's being too narrow for the children.  There's also been issues about how Tom's distributes the shoes.  There are pictures of children already in school receiving them, when the whole purpose of Tom's is to give shoes to children too poor to afford their own and not able to go to school because of that.

3) Most Tom's are made in China (factories in China are well known for their horrible labor conditions).  Shipping shoes from China, to America, to 3rd world countries leave a HUGE carbon footprint.

4) Going shoeless for a day to raise awareness?  Come on now, there's much better ways than going barefoot to help! I would love to go shoeless for a day btw, I hate wearing shoes.

When you buy Toms, you are paying $50 for two ugly pairs (one of which goes to the children). You are supporting Chinese factories, and leave a huge foot print.  Local shoemakers businesses are hurt (causing more poverty) when people get shoes for free.


Bobs by Sketchers

Bobs by Skechers PISS me off.  Of all the options, this is the worst.  They stole Tom's idea. They're freaking Bobs, look just like Tom's and barely cheaper.  They donate two pairs of gently used shoes to Soles4Souls (which cost $2) but only if you buy the Bobs for full price.  As a huge corporation they have the ability to do much much more, and this is nothing more than a marketing scheme.  By the way, where are Bobs made?  I'll let you guess. I wouldn't be so pissed if it wasn't a shitty marketing scheme stolen from Tom's. Skechers is a shady company. Did you get your refund for buying shapeups yet?


My plan: Buy some ace bandages and a black canvas shoe.  Make my self some Susan's, and donate the other $95 dollars to Soles4Souls which is a GREAT way to put shoes on children's feet.


There are two much better options than these, and I bet you've never heard of them....


stay tuned for Part #2

Another clue about the giveaway: Why are you using fabric softener???

If you're reading this and you aren't mildly crunchy (or more), I'm guessing you use fabric softener or dryer sheets.  The following is what you need to know:

Facts: 

Fabric Softener causes buildup on clothes which makes them dingy looking and less absorbent.  


Fabric softener can cause acne, rashes and more skin issues for people who have sensitive skin. 


You should not use fabric softener with wicking clothing such as swimsuits or athletic gear.


Microfiber is very sensitive.  No FS or DS, dryers or washing them with other items.


FS can stain your clothes if it gets directly on them.

THE SUPER IMPORTANT FACTS:

FS should not be used with flame retardant clothing such as children's pajamas (costumes, kids clothes, fireman's gear etc).

It also should not be used with military uniforms.


I think this quite directly from Wikipedia sums up several of the most important facts:


"Fabric Softeners contain chemicals that impregnate fabric and are released over time. These chemicals may come in direct contact with the skin and may absorbed or inhaled. Certain ingredients release formaldehyde, which has been linked to cancer in lab tests.^[6]Among other softener components are benzyl acetate (linked to pancreatic cancer), benzyl alcohol (an upper respiratory tract irritant), ethanol (linked to central nervous system disorders), limonene, and chloroform (a neurotoxin and carcinogen).^[7] Some chemicals are neurostimulants or irritators and may be linked to Central Nervous System toxin exposure symptoms like headaches, disorientation, mood swings, numbness in face or extremities, memory loss, or irritability.^[8]

Most fabric softeners use petroleum-based chemicals which deplete a non-renewable source and are not easily bio-degradable."  

WOW.  I think that speaks for itself. By the way, Wikipedia happens to be one of my favorite websites ever for finding out information, second only to Google.



If you are determined to use fabric softener that you can buy, Mrs. Meyers, Seventh Generation, Ecover and Simplicity are all chemical free smelly goods. You can also use them on cloth diapers!  I have not tried these, but they are my Amazon cart right now, waiting for the magical 1st of August.  They are a bit more expensive, but chemical free and somewhat better for the environment.

Method isn't on the list for this reason.  Also, wtf Whole Foods?!  I have tried accessing the full list of products containing the carcinogen like Method but haven't been able to.  Feel free to help a sista out!

You can also make your own softener or dryer sheets with vinegar or baking soda (google that, I don't know the recipes).  I do pour vinegar and essential oils directly in the laundry softener hole in the washer occasionally  Making your own will save you money (although you do have to buy vinegar and baking soda frequently).  It's better for you and the environment, but they still leave a carbon footprint when buying vinegar and baking soda.

My first choice (and the best option for the environment and your pocket) are Wool Balls.  I <3 my balls!  They are better economically because you buy them one every several years, you're most likely buying them from small businesses, and they cut down on energy costs by reducing dryer time.  They are the best for the environment because the carbon footprint is much smaller (they are shipped directly from the maker to you, and the necessary materials to make these are probably bought from a small business).



Don't believe me?  Want more information?


Check out these links for facts about fabric softeners:

Professor House
Household tips via the fun times guide (beware, although this site contains great information, there's an annoying video I couldn't get to stfu).  It also says dryer balls don't cut down the time, however it's referring to the plastic ones which are much different from all natural wool balls.
Wikipedia (search for fabric softener).
GOOGLE that shiz



I definitely suggest checking them out and I would love to hear about some facts you learn through your own research!

Sorry, I just have to say it one more time: I LOVE BALLS!!!!  Maybe I should have made saying "I love balls" as one of my donating things on the B1G1 life changing jounal.

B1G1 Journal...Improve the world and track your impact for pennies

During my Tom research, I stumbled upon this awesome website.  I am so excited and LOVE with this idea!

The idea behind this is simple:  You decide to donate a specific amount of money to different causes when you do 1-3 things of your choice.

B1G1 connects you to many grassroots groups doing awesome things in regards to the environment, people and animals.  You can track your impact, get cheers, awards, post goals/wishes, connect with friends, and share information. You can refer groups to get added, and find businesses that are having an impact on the world. There's a WIDE variety of things you can do with $.01, and it goes up to $6,000.

I decided I will My amazing awesome husband decided he's going to pay sponsor my new endeavor.  Thanks babe! :-)

My choices (drum roll please):

1) When I post something on my blog I will adopt one square meter of rainforest for a year ($.15)

2) When I shop online I will feed one impoverished child for a year ($1.85)

3) When I dine out, I want to give a pregnant mother health-boosting treatment per month ($1.38)


I wanted to donate every time I bought something used, however my husband gently reminded me that groceries cost money.

I plan to begin on the August 1st, who is with me?!  When we get 100 people in the Mild Crunch giving group, I'll do a giveaway.  


To join the giving group, you must sign up and make a journal.  Once that's done, look on the right hand side under giving groups and search for Mild Crunch.  Questions?  Contact me!  Let's do this!!!!


If you don't want to sign up for this life changing journal for some reason, there's another option:


Shares + Subscriptions + Comments = More blog posts = My husband sponsor having to pay out!

Wooohooo! Who wants free stuff?

Tomorrow (or possibly Tuesday) we will start our first giveaway and there's already 4 more in the works!  Subscribe to make sure you catch them all. :-)

super new blog = not many readers = better chances for you to when products that are awesome.

Here's some clues:
1) It's green and an extremely easy way to get rid of unnecessary chemicals that touch your skin on a daily basis.
2) It saves you money.
3) It supports small businesses.

Any guesses?

How OSMW changed my life

A little over 6 months ago, I found the overly sensitive military wives  facebook page.  I was instantly hooked, and laughed at all the dependapotumus stories, and the drama, until I realized, I have MANY characteristics of a dependapotumus.

6 months ago I fit these:
Stay at home mom
Overweight
Lazy
Dirty house
Has a coach purse (I wouldn't have a bought one myself, and although I love the wristlet a friend gave me because of it's functions, I'm not a coach person).
Children from more than one dad
My husband's paycheck is OURS

I'll let you in a little secret, I hate feeling like people are judging me.  I consider others opinions way too highly, and I am working on this, but...it helped me!

Due to my obsessiveness with this page, I started feeling WORSE about myself, felt constantly judged by these OSMW spotters all over the world, and decided to take action. OSMW motivated me to make much needed changes. It was freaking hard.  I was always tired, and had little motivation, so I went to the doctor (I HATE doctors) and was given antidepressants.  I had no idea I was clinically depressed.  But I was, and it's a constant battle.

But thanks to lots of support from my friends (Sarrah and Jessica in particular),  family (my dad and husband...they are two separate people btw), and OSMW for jump starting me to take action, I have changed!  I'm still a stay at home mom, but I am signing up for fall classes this year.  I'm still overweight, but I'm losing weight by eating better, running (I <3 c25k), and ROLLER DERBY (I like hitting bitches)!!! I do activities with my kids, cook more, clean more etc.  My house is still a mess because I have feral children, however it's not due to me sitting on my ass all the time, it's due to me doing fun things with the kids instead of cleaning. I quit smoking and drinking so much soda. My husband's paycheck is HIS.  We still make joint decisions regarding finances but I didn't earn the money, he did.  He has final word.  


I have gotten a little more OSMW in some ways though.  I go out in public in workout clothes now so I can run an errand before going to work out, and I still use my wristlet. 

I don't go on OSMW as much now, because I don't want to feel bad.  Some of the shit on there is really harsh and stupidly judgmental which is a form of being an OSMW also. If you are constantly posting on how shitty other people are, you're probably shittier, and there's lots of OSMW pretending not to be, judging others on the page.  However, some of it is still freaking hilarious and is true!  But I love 6 (and her mom) and Kel.  6 is supposedly the devil, but she's known for busting windows out of hot cars to save animals from overheating. That's fucking awesome.  


Thank you OSMW for jump starting me to change my life.