Simplifying the Simple Life

CSN gift card: winner winner chicken dinner!

-By Lisa

It's so fun to give stuff away. This time, it's fun to give stuff away to Kat!!

Apparently, a couple of her gift hints went unnoticed, too, so this ought to fix that. 

Congrats, Kat! And come on back and tell us what you got from CSN!

 

A giveaway: CSN stores $35 gift card!

Hey, look, it's the Sodastream I didn't get for the holidays!

 

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This giveaway is now closed. But don't worry, we'll do another one soon!

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-By Lisa

Perhaps this situation is familiar to you.

Maybe you spent December patiently waiting to see if the subtle hints were effective and that Red Ryder BB gun or Sodastream carbonator would finally be yours. But now it's January and the object of your desire didn’t arrive wrapped in a bow.

Don't worry if Santa didn’t get the message this year - we are here to help you with a giveaway!

CSN Stores are offering a $35 gift certificate for any of their online stores. They have a large selection of green products, like organic cotton sheets and eco-friendly modern furniture made of sustainable and recycled materials. They also have a wide selection of cookware and gardening goodies.

The gift certificate does not cover shipping (but many items come with free shipping) and you can order from any one of the CSN Stores.

Here’s how you do this thing:

1. Comment on this post

If you want a second chance to win,

2. Join the STSL network by

-Following us on Twitter (link on the left)

-Friending us on Facebook (link on the left) and/or

-Subscribing to our feed (link on the right) and then leave a second comment that you’ve done so.

Please note: You have to post a second comment that you’ve done one of these things for the second chance to win!

We'll close this giveaway on Friday at 12pm, EST.

Good luck to everyone!

The straight up deal: CSN Stores contacted us about doing this giveaway. We did not receive compensation of any kind for this promotion.

Oliverhandmade giveaway winner

By Katherine

And the winner of the $25 Oliverhandmade gift certificate giveaway is...Anita. Congratulations! Erin will contact you about redeeming your prize. 

Thanks for playing, everyone, and don't forget about the 15 percent discount for all Oliverhandmade goods through December 15.  Just enter "15percent" in the coupon code box at checkout. You get that just for being you (and a STSL reader).

Happy handmade shopping. 

Locally grown goods and an Oliverhandmade giveaway!

By Katherine

This time of year, it’s hard to keep to the simple life mantra sometimes. With all the bells and whistles of the season clamoring for our attention, we find ourselves being pressured by the masses to head to Walmart for a ridiculously low-priced 60” flat screen or to the big box toy shops for the latest plastic, petroleum-based princess thingies.

But then we remember our scruples.

Or better yet, we see all of the beautiful, local, unique wares available for truly special holiday gifts: ones that won’t end up in a landfill by New Year’s.

One of our favorite local sources for gifts for the little ones is Oliverhandmade.

Charlottesville mom of two and Montessori educator Erin Moore started her sewing business in 2008, shortly after her daughter Olivia was born.

“I knew I wasn’t going to teach that year, but I needed a little extra cash and a creative outlet—something tangible at the end of the day.”

Erin says her decision to hand embroider and appliqué her baby and toddler clothing and accessories was inspired by the Montessori teaching philosophy.

“Montessori classrooms have very thoughtful, handmade materials. I wanted to direct that towards babies. I wanted to use the traditional methods of Montessori by hand sewing rather than using a sewing machine. I also like that hand sewing is more meditative.”

Erin uses a lot of repurposed materials in her work. She often starts with great patterned fabrics and sheets found at Goodwill and also offers new organic cotton.

Many of her pieces are inspired by custom orders, but one of our favorites—the “locally grown” baby shirt shown above—was designed for a local food fundraiser in Charleston, SC where she and her husband, Alan, then lived. Alan, is now Head of Sales for Charlottesville’s Local Food Hub.

Having recently sprouted my own little seed over nine (actually 10) painstaking months, I especially appreciate the message of celebrating our local bounty.

Giveaway details! 

Erin is offering a very generous $25 Oliverhandmade gift certificate to be used at her Etsy shop. You have two chances to win:

1. First, comment on this post by answering the question: “To whom would you give an Oliverhandmade gift this holiday season?”  Possible answer: “My adorable two-year-old nephew George who recognizes hand appliqué when he sees it.”

2. Second, join the STSL network by

-Following us on Twitter

-Friending us on Facebook and/or

-Subscribing to our feed,

and then leave a second comment that you’ve done so. Please note: You have to post a second comment that you’ve done one of these things for the second chance to win! 

The giveaway contest will end at 8pm, EST, Tuesday, December 7. We’ll announce the winner by the end of the week.

Special discount for STSL readers!

And just for being our readers and because Erin is so very, very generous, all of you get a 15 percent discount now through December 15 at Oliverhandmade. Just enter “15percent” in the coupon code box at checkout.

Thank you readers and thank you Erin!

Water saver giveaway winners!

Congrats to our winners!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beth is the winner of the One2flush Dual Flush Kit

And Shannon is the winner of the One2tap faucet adaptor!

Ladies, please check your emails and send back your mailing addresses so we can get you your loot!

Thanks to all for entering to win and stay tuned for more great, simple, sustainable STSL giveaways.

 

 

Water Freak: One2flush product review and giveaway!!

-By Lisa

(ETA- This giveaway is now closed. But keep an eye on us, we'll be doing more giveaways soon!)

Y'all were good enough to sit through my rant about the importance of water last week, so here is your karmic reward – our water saver giveaway!

One2products sent me a couple goodies that we are very excited to give away to our lovely readers. Here’s the plan: leave a comment on this post and be sure to include your email address (only we will be able to see that) so we can contact of you if you win. There will be two randomly chosen winners, one for the One2flush Dual Flush Kit and one for the One2tap Faucet Adapter.

Want to know more about these gizmos? Well, why don't I review them for you?

The dual flush kit gets installed into the tank of a regular toilet, allowing it to have the option of a half flush (for liquids) or full flush (for solids). I installed one in my home, and it was comforting that the instructions indicate that it requires "no skill", which is convenient as I have none. I still waited until Husband was around, not so he could do the project for me - I was committed to flying solo on this - but so he could act as photographer to document the process. And perhaps to drag me out from under the porcelain should I inadvertently bring the whole thing crashing down on myself.

Before beginning the installation for yourself, I would recommend that you have a few items not mentioned in the info from the company.

1. Rubber gloves. They serve two purposes, first, the inside of the toilet was kinda nasty. Not in the way you might be thinking, but because of the deterioration of the rubber gasket rings which are constantly in water and make your hands jet black. Also, you are going to be doing some gripping and twisting, which rubber gloves are very helpful for, rather than just slippery wet fingers.

2. Towels. Lots of them. I had a slight water-gushing-onto-the-floor issue and so having lots of towels nearby was handy.

3. Sense of humor. You are going to be crawling around under your toilet awkwardly. But it’s just plumbing. Don’t freak.

I won’t lie and tell you that I was not concerned about my plumbing abilities; I was totally daunted. It was reassuring to me that we have more than one bathroom, so we would not have to bang on the neighbor's door to pee should this all go terribly wrong. The info says that this takes 30 minutes to install. It took me twice that, but still a very worthwhile investment of an hour of my time. The directions are clear and straightforward. The only snag was that the connections with my old plumbing were older and very tight, so wresting with getting those screws loose was the most time consuming part. The product itself is almost ridiculously simple to install and get working. It’s getting the old stuff out that was the most painful. Isn’t that always the way?

This thing is cool. It works great in both the half or full flush mode, with just a turn of the handle either clockwise or counterclockwise. All is thoroughly washed away, using a fraction of the water and resulting in an average savings of 30 gallons a day. And really, what more am I looking for here?

And as a bonus, we will also be giving away the One2tap adapter. I have not tried it myself, but it has been getting great reviews. Essentially, it activates the water on and off when you place your hands underneath, pushing the lever – without you having to mess with the taps or adjust the water temperature. There is a video and review here, if you are interested in seeing it in action. Personally, I love any product that makes water conservation fool-proof. 

So leave your comment on this post as your entry to win either the faucet control valve or the dual flush kit. And if you are looking for a sure thing, you can buy your own dual flush kit and click on the logo below for the mail-in rebate coupon  - just for STSL readers!

 

Good luck!

The straight up deal: the One2products company sent one dual flush kit and one faucet adaptor tap for the giveaway. I purchased the dual flush kit that I installed. We did not receive payment for the review.

 For more from Lisa, check out www.justherejustnow.com