Global Green USA Green School Makeover Competition Presented by Pureology

Hello Sugar Critters I'm finally back. Yes, I know I'm here much later than I promised. In all fairness I'll most likely be late to my own funeral one day. That aside I have a wonderful topic to share with you today. I'll recap with you about Influenster quickly, and proceed from there.

Influenster.com is a free site who offers their members complimentary products for trial through either product programs or VoxBox trials. When you receive either of these you must complete the mandatory task that include a final product survey. Failure to complete these task from a trial you opt-in for means disqualification from future free product trails.


I was lucky enough to be invited to participate in the Pureology Green School Makeover Competition. This trial is a little different than most because you won't actually receive a product. However, you are given a chance to enter your child's school into the Green Makeover Competition. Over the past few years the green revolution has grown, and people are really making strides to make mother Earth a better place for future generations. Pureology has stated that they are committed to the importance of sustainability, and reducing their environmental impact. In order to help children increase their performance and lower their carbon footprint they are offering schools across America the chance to win a Green makeover. These improvements will also lead to an increase in funds for student resources. Which I find to be an opportunity that shouldn't be wasted.

I started teaching my children from a young age the importance of recycling, and green choices. I have found this to be a bit of a struggle over the last two years. The reason for this being we lived in the state of California, for many years and things were different there. We had recycling services with our garbage service. As well as motivations to eat and live better such as the fat tax, and recyclable tax on grocery products. Honestly the taxes felt a bit much to be honest, but they did encourage me to stay away from fast food chains. I'll reel this back onto topic though. The connivance of recycling pickup made it seem like less of a chore, and gave me the opportunity to teach my children to not be wasteful. In Georgia, I do not have waste pick-up nor recyclable pick-up. However, my local dump has select bins for such items. Which do not seem to be well utilized. Which makes me feel as though people view it as too much of a hassle to deal with. I've also found there are fewer organic local sources to purchase produce in my area at least. I understand this to be a agricultural state, but I feel like they aren't doing themselves justice by updating their way of thinking and business tactics. So much seems stale and begging for some green updates, and improvements. This really hits home with the school systems for me. So many of Georgia's rural towns have low budgets, and could benefit from the revenue of green services.

My children attend a relatively newer school, but there are areas for improvement. The green School Makeovers goal is to give children a safe, toxin free, and comfortable learning environment. Many schools across our country lack the funds necessary for renovations, and updates. There are so many things that could be utilized to improve a child's learning experience down to the lighting, and cleaning products used in their environment. Make a list of green ideas for your home, and child's school. Research the benefits of these ideas, and the cost. What ideas did you decide to go with, and why?

Here are a few of ours:

• Compost bin $55.70 @ Walmart - I garden, and my children enjoy vegetables that I grow. I hate the idea of using bagged fertilizer with chemicals on items they consume. I also find it disturbing that potatoes bought from the store have the potential to contain so many pesticides due to their thin skin. Strawberries leech pesticides from the soil as well. Another stomach turning fact is most canned tomatoes are peeled with chemicals not steam. Not to mention most cans are lined with a plastic that contains BPA.
• Recycle everything possible, and try to buy products without unnecessary packaging. Why buy that package of pre-cut apple when you can buy an entire bag for the same price and cut them yourself? Did they really need to be bagged, and sealed in a cardboard container?
• No more sodas - They ruin your teeth, and lead to numerous health issues. They also result in another item needing to be recycled.
• Purchase a Greenwave Dirty Electricity Filters: Starter Kit - Did you know many of your household items generate dirty electricity which can adversely effect your health? Many of the newer florescent lightbulbs are guilty of emitting dirty energy. 

School ideas:

• Up cycle art day - Use recyclable items for art projects at least twice a month to save on supply cost and expand creativity.
• School garden - Teaches responsibility, and additional recycling abilities. 
• Green cleaning supplies - many children suffer from asthma, and asthma related allergies. Being the mother of such a child I know that some cleaning products can be very agitating  to the system. There have been so many advances in green cleaning in the last year that it seems a shame not to use them. This benefit is as much for the cleaning staff as for the children. No one should have to dress for battle to clean. If a product can harm your skin, lungs, or sight what are we doing using them near our precious children?
• Electronic white boards - no chalk, no dry erase markers, just a stylus and a electronic device. It would cut down on paper consumption, and keep the children actively engaged in the topic. 

There are so many other examples I could provide. I feel like I've been a bit long winded as is though. So I'll leave you honey coated sugar bees with the link to the Green School Makeover Competition, and encourage you to add a little green to your life. There's nothing wrong with a little organic sweetness after all.