Last weekend my family took a camping trip in our home state, Oregon. We stayed on a huge lake, surrounded by coniferous trees, including redwoods. Mt. Hood stood proudly in the background, still topped in snow.

For the most part, it was a fun trip that included activities interesting to both the teenager and the toddler, with an itinerary developed along the lines of my previous post on planning fun camping trips with kids. We took long walks, floated in our raft, did some fishing, and enjoyed evenings around the campfire.

There were a few challenges, though. We weathered a storm (including hail), for one. We struggled with a tent that no one could set up. And we fought that age-old scourge of campers: A battalion of mosquitoes.

Those little pests love mountain lakes. But we were prepared!

We took Buzz Away Extreme Spray, a natural insect repellant. It was important to us to use a product that is DEET-free, herbal, and most importantly, that works.

One thing that makes this product work well is that it comes in a spray bottle - common among the nasty DEET stuff but not so common for natural products. Some herbal products are oils or lotions and more difficult to apply. Being able to spray it on our heads and over our clothes made a big difference in repelling the relentless critters.

We did have to re-apply every couple of hours, but when we did, it worked. I have tried other natural products that seemed fairly useless. This time, I came home with no bites AT ALL. My husband (who used it less frequently) did have bites on his legs.

The only downside is that the smell is fairly strong (think Citronella).

Buzz Away also claims to repel other pests like ticks and fleas. We didn’t run into any of those, but I wouldn’t doubt it. One interesting claim they make is that DEET-based products repel fish as well. Not sure about that although it certainly piques my interest as we did do some fishing on the trip. But the bottom line is that we are not willing to risk the potential harmful effects of DEET for humans.

As I stood by Timothy Lake and watched a swarm of mosquitoes fly around my toddler, I was glad we had our Buzz Away Spray. We might have gotten a couple of bites, but we could have been miserable!

You can pick up Buzz Away! mosquito repellant on Amazon or on the Buzz Away website.

What about you? How do you ward off the critters when you are enjoying the great outdoors?

There are dozens of green product giveaways listed on PRIZEY at the moment... below are just the ones that were chosen as Editors' Picks, with their deadlines for entry.

• Pair of Eco-Friendly, Fair-Trade Wool Children’s Slippers [June 01]


• Kiss My Face kids personal care products [June 04]


• Bilingual 20 Easy Ways To Help Save The Earth [May 29]


• Posh Pads Bamboo Nursing Pads [June 05]


• Bamboo Baby Utensil Set [June 05]


• Vivesana Solar to Polar Organic Sunscreen [June 03]


• Fair Trade, Eco-Friendly Betty B Tote Bag [May 28]


• Scott Naturals Green Gift Bag [May 31]


• eko.kids Bug-a-Bug Childrens' Bug Spray [June 01]


• Karen Neuburger Bamboo Sheets [May 27]


• Belli Skincare [May 28]


• Super Natural Home by Beth Greer [May 28]


• Kopali Organic and Fair Trade Superfood Snack [May 28]


• Scooterbee's Eo-friendly Shoes [June 14]


• Flor Mums the Word Area Rug [May 27]


• Reusable tote with indie craft samples [June 01]


• Luscious Lather Variety Soap Bag [May 26]


• Happy Green Bee Hoodie [May 26]


• Twist Natural Cleaning Products [May 30]


• Seventh Generation Living Home Starter Kit [May 25]


• Chronicle Books' Happily Ever After Sweepstakes [May 31]

A few weeks ago I posted a Spring Clean Challenge! Summer is right around the corner; how is spring cleaning going for you? In my household, we have taken small, steady steps to organize clutter and do some deep cleaning.

Consider clearing out your closets and drawers (and chests and boxes) of all the clothes that both you are no longer wearing and your kids have outgrown. For items that are still in good condition, host a clothing swap. Clothing swaps are ecologically smart, economically thrifty and fun as well.

Something that you are sick of wearing or never wore might just be the dream outfit for a friend. A swap is also an opportunity to socialize and chat with people you might not ordinarily see. And you might just find a new “look” that you wouldn’t think to choose in the store!

In my hometown, we have a great group that holds regular clothing swaps.PDX Swap hosts well-organized swaps every month around the Portland, Oregon metro area. Consider doing some research to see if there is anything similar in your area.

If you want to host your own clothing swap, have no fear - it's easier than you might think!

1. Invite at least 10 people/families. Make sure everyone knows that they can bring more than they take or vise versa. Have everyone bring a bag (or two).


2. Organize the clothing into sizes. Small, medium and large usually work for adult sizes. For women’s clothing, make a decision on what numbered sizes go into the categories. For children’s clothing, size by age.


3. Place the clothing on tables, nicely stacked. I have been to swaps where the clothes are on the floor and it is a chaotic mess.


4. Make sure everyone helps sort but waits to take clothing until the set “start time.” Usually the host determines when it is time to grab and bag.


5. Determine ahead of time where the left-over clothing will be donated. At the end of the swap, make sure a couple of people help the host to bag the clothing that was not taken. It is best to go ahead and load it into the car of the person donating it. No reason to have bags of stuff just lying around.


6. Why limit yourself to clothing? Consider swapping shoes, handbags, children’s toys and books!

In these challenging economic times, creating community while supporting your values is a win-win!