Block Party Giveaway: Greeley Road Cafe

This giveaway is now closed.  Check back on July 4 for the winner!

Welcome to the Simple Living Media Summer Block Party! We’ve got 20 giveaways across the entire network this week to give you plenty of chances to win!

Greeley Road Cafe

The first giveaway here at Simple Organic in the SLM Block Party is from Greeley Road Cafe. Greeley Road is a a truly fabulous company; I can’t wait to tell you everything I love about them.
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Real Food on a Real Budget: Winners!

Thanks so much to everyone who entered the giveaway for a copy of Real Food on a Real Budget! We had 350 entries, and I used Random.org to choose two winners.  The magic numbers were #184 and #349.  And who are the lucky winners?
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ReFashion: Repurposing T-Shirts {and More}

Katie here. Today you can find me at Keeper of the Home, talking about the risks of soy foods. The following post was written by contributor Nicole Bennett of Gidget Goes Home.

We all know clothes don’t last forever. But sometimes all an old t-shirt needs is a new chance at life.

While passing clothes on to charity or a friend is a great idea, there are actually many ways to give an article of clothing a new purpose or use– for yourself, someone else in your family, or even as a gift. That, my friends, is repurposing!

Repurposing, or upcycling, is a trending way to not only reuse weary clothing items, but also to breathe new life into an old favorite.

You might have recently read Eren’s post on making a reusable bag out of a t-shirt (I recently made a couple for my daughter out of two of her favorite outgrown shirts!). I loved her idea and wanted to share with you just a few more easy ways to repurpose old clothes, especially t-shirts.
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Sunday Links: June 27

Happy Sunday!  I hope you’re all enjoying your weekend.  Things are sure heating up everywhere.  I spent a good portion of the day yesterday hosting a yard sale with some of my family; it was a sizzling summer day and eventually we were all forced to retreat to the shade of the garage.

But I am excited to report that my homemade deodorant held up swimmingly. How are you doing on the Natural Deodorant Challenge?  Any success stories to share?  Leave a comment so we can hear all about it!

Here are some links for your reading pleasure…enjoy!
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DIY: Kid’s Travel Lap Desk

Katie here. Today you’ll find me over at Simple Mom, talking about why you should let your kids get dirty. The following post was written by repurposing contributor Eren Hays San Pedro of This Vintage Chica.

When I was in college, I used to make “study boards” for my roommates and friends.  They were simple pieces of wood – painted and decorated specifically for the recipient.  They were padded on the backside with batting and fabric to make them more comfortable on your lap.  We used them for everything!  I have been thinking about making my boys a study board (aka lap desk) for years.

This summer our family is taking a road trip to Portland, Maine.

That’s three boys.

In the car.

Give or take a few hours for meals and the required oh so frequent bathroom breaks, it should take us somewhere around 14 hours.

One way.

As parents, we are always on the lookout for anything to make long car rides more pleasant.

My husband and I were brainstorming ideas for things to take when he said, “Man, I wish they each had little lap desks to use in the car.”

Our youngest is just learning to write his letters and one of our older boys is fascinated with drawing cartoons right now. So a lap desk for each child would be a a great thing to have on the trip. While my husband went online to look for lap desks to purchase, I went to the hardware store for supplies to make them, like I used to do in college.

Here’s an easy way to make personalized lap desks for your little travelers.

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