Flings Bins Holiday Patterns Review & Giveaway

Tis' the season for holiday parties!! Yes the holidays are in full swing which means at some point or another you may be hosting a holiday party or gathering. While I am not having a holiday party, per say, I am hosting my son's 1st birthday party next weekend. As I prepare the menu, decorations and favors I am glad one thing I will not have to worry about is how to collect recycling. Regardless if we have a party at our house or if we rent a hall, finding a way to collect can's and plastic bottles to be recycled used to be such a challenge. The majority of the time I would end up using an old cardboard box and just write "please recycle' on it. You can imagine that it would mostly go unnoticed and you'd see me at the end of a party fishing soda cans out of the trash.

Then I was sent a Flings Bin and my problem was solved. Now I have a compact and portable way to gather up those cans and bottles. And they are even cute! The Flings Bins come folded up pretty much flat which makes it super easy to store until party time and then transport to your party destination. When you are ready to use it, simply pop it open in seconds and set it down. It is super easy. If you are using it to collect trash then just tie it up when you are finished and place it in your trash can. If you are using it for recyclables, you'll be happy to know that Flings Bins are recyclable so you can tie it up and place the entire thing in your curbside recycle bin. Or if you are like me and prefer to reuse things, you can wipe it down, fold it back up and save it for your next party!

I first reviewed the recycle symbol pattern back in June and I still have that bin that I can continue to reuse. I am so very pleased to now have a Holiday Dots pattern as well which is going to look adorable at my son's party. I don't use mine for trash, just recyclables, that way I can contiue to use them over and over again.

In addition to all of their every day patterns, Flings Bins has added 2 holiday patterns: Holiday Dots (shown here) and Holiday Beads.  SHARE THE JOY - SEND 2 HOLIDAY BINS TO A FRIEND FOR FREE WITH ANY ORDER! You can't pass up this opportunity! Place an order directly with Flings Bins and you will then be prompted to select 2 holiday bins to send to a friend.






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The Flings Bins are very reasonable priced at around $4.00 each and they come in a variety of designs: holiday, recycle symbol, birthday, picnic and more. They may be purchased directly at the Flings Online Store in packs of 4 or 10. All orders over $40 receive free standard shipping in the US. Flings Bins may also be purchased at Amazon.com in sets or singles.

Giveaway
Two (2) winner will receive two (2) Flings Pop-Up Bins in the Holiday Dots pattern. (Sorry you cannot pick a different pattern).

Mandatory Entry
Go to the Flings Bins site and tell me which pattern is your favorite.

Extra Entries
- "Like" Flings Pop-Up Bins on Facebook. Be sure to leave a comment on their wall so I know you did it. This will get you 2 extra entries, so leave me 2 comments.
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- Add my Green Baby Shower Guide button to you blog. Leave your link.
- Follow @GreenMamasPad and on Twitter and and tweet this giveaway. You can tweet once daily. Leave link to tweet in comment. You must have at least 50 followers. You can copy and paste this:
Flings Pop-Up Holiday Bins Giveaway: win 2 for your holiday party! Party recycling made easy! @greenmamaspad #giveaway http://bit.ly/gvjZ8e
- Blog about this giveaway. Your post must include a link to this post plus a link to the sponsor. Please leave link.
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This giveaway is open to US Residents 18+ only and will end on Monday, December 20 at 11:59pm EST. Two  winners will be chosen at random using Random.org and will be posted on the Winner's Announcement Page. Winner has 48 hours to claim his/her prize otherwise a new winner will be picked. Unfortunately I cannot guarantee delivery in time for Christmas. You must leave your e-mail address in all of your comment(s) so I can contact you. I will not share your e-mail address with anyone, it will strictly be used to notify you if you win. Good luck!

Please note that the opinions and views expressed here are my own and based on my personal experience with the product. You may encounter a different experience with this than I did. Flings provided me with a product for review and is providing the prize for this giveaway. Please note that there are some Amazon Affiliate link in this review.

Bagnesia is Saying Goodbye

In February of 2009 I introduced you all to Bagnesia. I am sad to relay that Bagnesia is closing its shop. It is unfortunate to see them go as I love their kit idea and they do have functional, cute bags.

Since they are closing, they have slashed their prices considerably and are offering free shipping through Decemeber 15.  These would make great gifts for teachers, friends, etc. and also good stocking stuffers. The "Reminder Kit" is only $8.00 (regularly $14.99) and individual bags are only $4.50.

Shop now!!

BPA in Receipts?

Over the past few years there has been a lot of talk about the toxicity of the chemical bisphenol-A (BPA) and avoiding plastics that may contain it. This issue particularly hit home with moms as some manufacturers were using BPA in baby bottles, sippy cups, etc. Canada even banned the use of BPA in baby products (good for you Canada!). Many of us moms and dads know to buy plastics that are BPA-free. Unfortunately, BPA is still used to line aluminum cans, so I avoid canned goods as much as possible as well. But you will never guess where BPA has turned up now.

Receipts. Yes every time you go to the grocery store, gas station, ATM or any store for that matter you are more than likely leaving with a BPA soaked receipt in your hand. Here is the CBS News story: BPA Receipts Bombshell: Paper Slips Contain High Levels of Bisphenol A. 

Extraordinarily high levels of BPA were found on two-fifths of the paper receipts tested recently by the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C.


In some cases, the amount of BPA on a given receipt was 1,000 times the levels found in a can of food.


Receipts were collected from ATM's, grocery stores, fast food restaurants, gas stations and the like. "Wipe tests" showed that the coating of BPA of paper receipts would likely stick to the skin of anyone who handled them.


The chemical can be absorbed into the skin and transferred to the digestive tract by touching the mouth.


Animal tests have linked BPA exposure to a range of health problems, including cancer, obesity, diabetes, and early puberty. The studies are controversial though, and how they related to human health is not fully clear, according to WebMD.


The organization offered tips for consumers eager to limit their exposure to BPA on receipts, including washing your hands after handling receipts and never giving a child a receipt to play with.  But maybe the best tip is simply to decline the offer for a printed receipt after an ATM transaction. After all, in this economy, who needs to be reminded of their balance?

If this doesn't scare the crap out of you, I don't know what will. I was under the impression that the level of BPA in say a can of tomatoes was pretty darn high and this study shows that the levels in receipts are 1,000 times that found in cans?!? Um, WHAT?! And what this article does not touch on is that most recycled paper products you buy are contaminated with BPA from these receipts being recycled in the batches. So really, w can't win. You go to the store and leave with your receipt, which you need in case you might need to return it. But its covered with cancer causing BPA. Should we wear gloves at all times now? And you try to do good things for the earth like buying recycled paper products but OOPS, those are now contaminated with BPA .

All I can say is this: WTF? What are we supposed to do? How can we keep our families safe?

Read EWG's Full Report.