For a great way to begin the New Year and just in time for the start of the second semester of school, I'd like to introduce you to Carolina Pad and their Sasquatch line of eco-friendly paper products.
One of the first things I noticed and immediately liked about Carolina Pad's "Sasquatch" line of notepads and supplies is the slogan "Leave Nothing But Tracks" and the statement "Eco-friendly products for those who treasure paper as much as they treasure trees" .Both of these pretty much fit perfectly with my way of thinking, especially regarding paper products. I do try to "put my money where my mouth is" and buy/use recycled paper notepads or journals when I can find them. I was initially drawn to Carolina Pad because of their recycled products (60-100% recycled materials) and their eco-friendly business practices. (I was impressed that they shipped my products in a re-used, recycled box with no unnecessary packing materials such as the dreaded styrofoam peanut...) Once I actually got my hands on these beauties, it soon became about how great they are to write in, how cool they look, and how much they help me in my quest to be the organized woman that I'm striving to be. (I'm getting there, group! I really am.)
While it is helping the environment, it's usually not all that satisfying for my strange paper fetish to use recycled paper. I'm weird, but I love papers that look good as well as being nice feeling papers. I'm a very tactile person. So many times the recycled papers are coarse, bumpy, or just plain ugly. (Don't get me wrong, the coarseness or lack of smoothness is expected and desired in handmade, artisan paper.) This may not be important to a lot of people, but I enjoy having nice journals to carry around with me that I WANT to write in, that I like the feel of. I keep notebooks almost EVERYWHERE. In my purse, on my nightstand, in the bathroom(s), the kitchen, the pickup, the barn, EVERYWHERE! Whenever something pops into my brain, I need to be able to write it down before it flees.
With the kids going back to school in the next week or so, these Carolina Pad products would be a great way to get them off to a stylish and yet eco-friendly start to the second semester. I've included information about each of the products in the line that I have reviewed as well as direct links to each item. When you visit the website you can chck out the other really cute collections and accessories available as well. Carolina Pad has generously offered a 20% off discount code for MoonCat Farms readers (see below for the code).
A fun point besides the three really cute & colorful cover designs, is that some of the Sasquatch notebooks and folders include games and green living tips on the inside covers. The games are all about doing what you can to help the environment and living green. Sasquatch users can connect with other eco-minded students at http://www.find-sasquatch.com/ where they can share tips and learn more about green living.
The Goodies:
Sasquatch Personal Book
100% recycled content ~ Durable cover ~ 1 interior pocket ~ 80 sheets ~ Snag-resistant coil ~ 7 x 5 inches - fits perfectly in my purse
Sasquatch 2-Pocket Folder
80% recycled content ~ Coordinating interior design ~ Fits 3-ring binders
Sasquatch Binder
100 percent recycled covers ~ PVC free ~ Turned edge ~ 11.5” x 10” - I've already got mine working along with the 2 pocket folder above.
Sasquatch Comp Book
100% recycled content ~ Teacher-approved ~ Grammar and spelling tips on inside cover ~ 9.75 x 7.5 inches ~ - 100 sheets - beats the heck out of the old black and white standbys
Sasquatch Ideal Book
60% recycled content ~ Durable cover ~ Coordinating colors inside ~ 100 page count ~ Twin wire coil ~ Inside pockets ~ Tab dividers - my favorite so far, I've been using this one daily
Sasquatch Journal 
Now for the GIVEAWAY:
Two MoonCat Farms winners will each receive a set of Carolina Pad products in an assortment of the fashion collections. Sorry to my international readers, but this giveaway is only good in the US and Canada. The prizes will be shipped directly from Carolina Pad to the winners.
There are several ways to get entries to win one of these awesome prize packages:
1. Visit the website at http://www.carolinapad.com/ and then come back here to leave a comment telling me what your favorite product (that is not listed above) is on their site.
2. Follow Carolina Pad on Twitter
4. Follow MoonCat Farms blog, see sidebar on the right.
5. Subscribe to MoonCat Farms email newsletter.
After you do any or each of these items, be sure to leave a comment telling me what you've done. You have a total of FIVE entry possibilities. This contest will be open until 1/8/2010. On that date, I will use Random.org to draw the winners. Once the winners have been chosen, they will have 48 hours to get back to me with their shipping information. If I haven't heard from a winner, a new one will be drawn.
COUPON CODE
Be sure to take advantage of this great offer from Carolina Pad. The coupon code is BACK2SCHOOL . It is good for 20% off at the online store at http://www.carolinapad.com/ until 1/31/2010. You can find the items shown above as well as all of their other great products.
They're also offering FREE SHIPPING on orders over $40.00. Check it out!
Disclaimer: I received samples for my review from Carolina Pad. I was under no obligation to post a positive review in return for the product samples. Carolina Pad provided prizes for two random winners. The opinions expressed here are 100% my own.
