My name is Betsy. I am a mom of three young children, an occasional policy analyst, and the author of the blog Eco-novice: Going Green Gradually, where I chronicle my eco-successes and failures. I discuss such topics as cheap and easy ways to go green, cloth diapering and early potty training, switching from disposables to reusables, and limiting your family's exposure to toxic chemicals. My background is in science, education, and public policy. My writing has been featured on websites such as Healthy Child Healthy World and DrGreene.com. Recently (September 2014) I was recognized as Healthy Child Healthy World's Blogger of the Year. A huge honor!

I call myself the Eco-novice because after five years or so on this journey, I still often feel like a green newbie. I was inspired to “go green” after the birth of my first child, and at that time my primary obsession was all the crazy toxic chemicals in consumer products and the environment. I spent hours and hours on the computer researching safer, more natural options with my first baby on my lap. I had just left a job in policy research, so I was still in the research mode.

I started my blog a few years later because I wanted somewhere to dump all that information I'd accumulated in my head, and figured that someone else might as well benefit from all the research I had done and still do to help make choices that are healthier for my family and for the planet. Do you have
I would love to hear from you. I try to answer all emails, but please keep in mind that I do have three little ones, so am not always able to answer right away.

betsy (at) eco-novice (dot) com

PR/ Disclosure

I write this blog to share information that I hope will help others live greener, healthier lives.  In general, if I review a product, I bought it myself and just liked it.  Sometimes I may tell a company that I am featuring their product and see if they want to offer a discount/ giveaway to my readers.  Sometimes I may ask a company I am interested in to send me some free stuff so I can try it out and tell my readers about it. Free samples enable me to review more products than I would otherwise be able to.  If I ever receive a product for free, I will tell you!  In all cases, I write my own opinion.

In general, if there are ads on my blog, I receive some kind of revenue from them.  Ads are pretty clearly ads (generally found in the sidebars).  I try to make sure that, at a minimum, I do not object to anything being advertised on my blog and that the products are in the spirit of eco-friendliness. Many links to stores in my posts are affiliate links. All Amazon links are affiliate links. Links through www.shareasale.com for other various merchants are also affiliate links. These affiliate links provide a small source of income that helps me pay for the cost of running this blog and sort of helps justify the many hours I spend researching and writing for this blog. Thank you for helping support my blog!

If you have a wonderful product that you think would benefit my readers, you may contact me at betsy (at) eco-novice (dot) com.  I do not promise a positive review, but I will do a little homework before agreeing to review your product.  You can also purchase an ad on my blog; please contact me for rates.

Now, here is the official-sounding stuff:

The owner of this blog may be compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner of this blog receives compensation for our posts or advertisements, we always try to give (I do believe in the inescapable nature of bias) our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blogger's own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.
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