One of my goals with the Conscientious Christmas Challenge is to buy gifts from independently-owned businesses in Connecticut. In order to do this, I needed to do some research and actually find small businesses. I found Like a Fresh New Penny, which sells handmade, all-natural laundry supplies, via Ann Nyberg, and I’m giving away a starter kit to one lucky reader!

Rebecca Pickering, a Connecticut native living in Newington, started making her own laundry detergent for a few reasons: her husband has sensitive skin, she wanted an eco-friendly detergent, and she is trying to live more frugally. Her detergent {“laundry soap”} only contains three ingredients: washing soda, borax {a naturally-occurring mineral}, and ivory soap {99% pure with no dyes or chemicals}. Rebecca sometimes gets her soap from Connecticut soapmakers. The laundry soap contains no harsh chemicals, so it’s perfect for babies or people with skin allergies. You only need about a tablespoon for each load, half for high-efficiency machines, and each bag comes with a scoop so you know just how much to use.

Rebecca’s felted dryer balls were born out of her frustration with dryer sheets. “I would find dryer sheets all over the house, which drove me nuts,” says Rebecca. “So, I thought, there has to be a better way to do this.” The dryer balls are made entirely from felted wool and they last for a very, very long time. “I know people that have used the same dryer balls for years,” Rebecca said. “Initially, they’re more expensive than dryer sheets, but because they last so long, they’re less expensive in the long-term.” You pop 2-4 dryer balls in for small loads, and 5-7 for large loads. They work by separating the clothes, which allows them to dry faster, resulting in less time needed in the dryer. Oh, and the noise of the balls bouncing around in the machine is normal! Rebecca’s dryer balls are unscented, but you can add a few drops of essential oils onto them to fragrance your dryer loads.

So what’s in the starter kit and how do you win it? I’m giving away Like a Fresh New Penny’s Holiday All-Natural Starter Kit, which contains a 10 oz bag of laundry soap {good for 30 loads in a regular machine, 50 for high-efficiency machines} with a scoop and 3 felted dryer balls, all nestled in a sweet holiday candy cane basket and wrapped in a Christmas tree print bag. This is a great gift for anyone because everyone washes their clothes {hopefully}! Keep it for yourself, give it to a friend who has sensitive skin or a new baby, or bring it to a holiday party grab bag, which is what I’ll be doing! Here’s how to enter: 1) “Like” Like a Fresh New Penny on Facebook,  2) “Like” Poor & Pretty on Facebook, and 3) Leave a comment on this post by the end of Sunday, December 11th. Winner will be chosen and announced on Monday, December 12th. Good luck!