Archive for All Natural Products

ClosedBuddy Fruits Review & Giveaway

Posted by html404 on May 6, 2011
in All Natural Products, Food and Treats, Giveaways

Our family tries really hard to watch our eating habits. We read labels and purchase organic, all natural, locally grown food as much as possible. We also do not buy a lot of convenience foods. Usually our convenience foods are a treat for trips or day outings. We bake and cook from scratch, unless our food co-op has some nice quick meals for those nights we just do not want to cook or have a busy day and need something quick and easy. If you are a mom who looks for all natural snacks, without preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, GMOs or lots of sugar, dyes and additives, then Buddy Fruits is a cute little snack option for your children.

We took our Buddy Fruits on our trip to Minnesota a couple of weeks ago and we loved them. There are five flavors for their pure blended fruits, which is a little pouch with a plastic screw top and pretty much like pureed fruit. This is a great solution for children with small appetites and cannot finish their snack in one sitting. Simply screw the top on and a little later when their tummy is hungry they can finish off their Buddy Fruit. The five flavors include Apple & Multifruit, Apple & Banana, Apple & Cinnamon, Apple & Strawberry, Mango Passion & Banana. The only one some of the children were not crazy over was the Mango.

I loved the ease of use, the lack of spills or need of spoons for these snacks while traveling. Even baby could eat them right from the package! Little bit messy for him, but it still was easy to feed him while on the road.

Here’s the ingredients from the Apple & Multifruit:

Apple, banana, passion fruit juice, mango, strawberry, concentrated apple juice.

That’s it.

The other Buddy Fruit snacks are pure fruit bites. Very similar to gummies, BUT they are ALL fruit! No added anything. They come in four flavors: Orange, Pomegranate & Acai, Apple and Raspberry. Can you say yummy! They were another hit. These are not listed on Buddy Fruits’ website but are available on Amazon, as are the blended Buddy Fruits.

Here’s what is in the Raspberry pure fruit bites:

Fruits extract, apple juice concentrate, apple puree concentrate, raspberry juice concentrate, lemon juice concentrate, fruit pectin, glazing agent.

And it says it may contain traces of wheat starch.

A huge two thumbs up from our family on Buddy Fruits. I am hoping to stock up for our trips to the farm this summer for something easy to take with us on the run.

For more information about Buddy Fruits and their company, please visit www.BuddyFruits.com

Giveaway!!

Enter to win Buddy Fruit products!

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.
Mandatory Entry: Visit BuddyFruits.com and tell me what you want to try from them.

Extra Entries (Please be sure and leave a comment and link for extra entries):

1 Entry:Follow Faith and Family Reviews On Twitter

1 Entry: Follow Buddy Fruit on Twitter.

1 Entry:Like/Friend Faith and Family Reviews on Facebook.

1 Entry: Like Buddy Fruits on Facebook and leave a comment on their wall saying what products you would like to try from them.

2 Entries: Follow Faith and Family Reviews on Google Friend Connect (on the our right side bar).

2 Entries: Subscribe to Buddy Fruits newsletter here.

2 Entries: Tweet about this giveaway. Up to three tweets per day. Include a separate comment for each and your tweet url with your comment. You may write your own tweet or use this one:

Enter to win Buddy Fruit all natural snacks! http://bit.ly/kzZnpQ @faithfamilyrevw! Please share!

5 Entries: Blog about this giveaway and link back this post.

1 Entry: For every comment you leave anywhere else on this blog, but please leave a link with your comment!

Details:

This giveaway will run from May 6th, 2011 to May 19th, 2011 at midnight CST. The winner will be chosen through Random.org. Buddy Fruits will send one winner their prize. Winner will be contacted via email on or before May 19th, 2011 and will be asked for their contact and other pertinent info. Winners will have 48 hours to send me their e-mail at [ffr] [giveaways] [at] [gmail] [dot] [com] (without spaces and parenthesis). Please note: This giveaway is offered to USA only.

Thanks and have fun!

Share and Enjoy

{27 comments}

Kim and Scott’s Gourmet Pretzels

Posted by html404 on May 5, 2011
in All Natural Products, Food and Treats

What kinds of treats does your family enjoy? Pretzels are a nice snack to have on occasion. I actually prefer the breaded pretzels over the ones in the chip aisle. Our children love this pretzel roll that I pick up at our food co-op, whereas they are not my favorites. Last week we had the chance to review some yummy pretzels from Kim and Scott’s Gourmet Pretzels. The difference between Kim and Scott’s Gourmet Pretzels and others is the fact they are stuffed.

Our Sample Kit included six 2-packs of Stuffed Pretzels:

- Grilled Cheese

This stuffed pretzel was simply yummy! It tasted so delicious and cheesy.

- Pizza

Can we just say YUM? Our family loves pizza and this pretzel was a hit in our home! It tasted almost exactly like pizza. The sauce was very good with just the right spices. And the pretzel itself…well, it was very good.

- Apple Cinnamon

Apple Cinnamon was also was very good. Are you noticing a trend here? It would make a very good breakfast treat. The apples where nice and soft and the sauce was sweet, but not overly sweet. And everyone in our family loved it!

- Chocolate Crumb

Chocolate lovers will love this pretzel, as it was one of our favorites out of all the ones that we tried! It tasted SO good. The pretzel was SO moist and chewy. And who could resist??? It’s chocolate, right???? Plus, the chocolate frosting was a added bonus. All of us loved this pretzel!

- Cheddar Jalapeño

Only our two eldest daughters and I really liked the jalapeño pretzels. The others thought that they where too hot and spicy. They were tasty and had a nice kick to them. The cheddar cheese really accented the jalapeño. This one was not my personal favorite but I’d eat it in a pinch.

We heated our pretzels up in the oven for 15-25 minutes. Our overall experience with these stuffed pretzels is one word – Yum! Our mouths still watering when we see pictures/think of these pretzels!

All in all we LOVE Kim and Scott’s gourmet pretzels and want to order some more of these yummy treats soon! Now that I have tried a stuffed pretzel, they are truly the ultimate pretzel of all time. Other pretzels dim in comparison to them.

Be sure to tcheck out heir products on their website: http://www.kimandscotts.com

About Kim and Scott’s Gourmet Pretzels-

Since 1995, Kim and Scott Holstein, co-founders of Kim & Scott’s Gourmet Pretzels, have grown their business from the kitchen in Kim’s studio apartment to a national presence selling millions of pretzels each week via grocery store chains like Albertsons, Target, Walmart and Whole Foods. In addition, their pretzels can be found at Barnes & Noble, and via regular appearances on QVC, where they sold more than 150,000 pretzels in just 12 minutes when they debuted on the network.

Each one of our delicious pretzels is twisted by hand and made from scratch. Kim & Scott’s Gourmet Pretzels offer an assortment of amazing pretzels, using ALL-NATURAL and PREMIUM ingredients, like freshly shredded cheeses, hearty spices, unbleached flour and whole grains.

Connect with Kim & Scott’s on Facebook, Twitter, their blog, and Youtube!

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{2 comments}

* CLOSED* Planting Time: Week 4 and Final Giveaway of the Scott Naturals 4-Week Test Drive

Posted by html404 on May 2, 2011
in All Natural Products, Contests, Gardening

Winner of Week 3 Scott Naturals 4-Week Test Drive Giveaway is……….

Erica!!!!!!!!! Congratulations!!!!!!!!!

Thanks to all who entered and to Scott Naturals and TheMotherhood for sponsoring this giveaway! Erica was chosen because she was the only one to enter.

Please note this week’s giveaway ends on our usual Thursday night instead of the weekend due to having to get next week’s giveaway winner’s info in by next Friday, May 6th!

Sorry, I battled a headache yesterday and was out all day on Saturday. Then today had school stuff to deal with so I am posting this really late.

Planting Time

I don’t know about your area but here it has been pretty wet and raining for most of April. So much so that it hindered our organic farmer from getting much into the ground. May looks a little more promising so the next two days, if the weather cooperates, we will be working full speed ahead on planting all those transplants we planted in March in the greenhouse. I am looking forward to being outside and getting more active (walked a couple of times over the weekend and today…yay!)

We do not plan to plant too much here at home since my work at the farm is entitling us to two CSA (Consumer Supported Agriculture) boxes of fresh organic produce each week. However, if we manage to get our perennials moved around, the children may plant a seed of their choice. We do have blueberry bushes, strawberries, raspberries and rhubarb that should return, as well as oregano and chives. So that is quite a bit in our small garden plots. I am sure the raspberries and strawberries will need thinning. Sure wish we had more land so we could plant them in bigger plots!

Feel free to tell me in your comment what you are planting in your gardens this year, if you are planting one.

Week 3 Winner

Winner of Week 3 Scott Naturals 4-Week Test Drive Giveaway is……….

Tamara!!!!!!!!! Congratulations!!!!!!!!!

Thanks to all who entered and to Scott Naturals and TheMotherhood for sponsoring this giveaway! #12 winner chosen by Random.org.

Week 4 and Final Giveaway of Scott Naturals 4-Week Test Drive!

A 12 pack of toilet paper, a 6 pack of paper towel, a package of napkins and flushable moist wipes. Cool, eh? Yeah, we thought so too!

You may also choose to participate in the Scott Naturals 4-Week Test Drive between now and September 30 and enter to win a Ford Fusion hybrid car! Once you pledge to take the 4-Week Test Drive, coupons for each product are available -http://www.scottbrand.com/community/savings/scott

Scott’s Press Release says:

According to a recent poll, one third of consumers believe eco-friendly products don’t work as well as “regular” ones. That’s why Scott Naturals is on a mission to get people to rethink their notion of environmentally friendly products. As the world’s first line of “hybrid” paper products, including bath tissue, paper towels, flushable moist wipes and napkins, the Scott Naturals brand combines the green benefits of recycled fiber with the quality people want, making it easy to take a green step forward. If every American pledged to use Scott Naturals for four weeks, it would save two million trees. Starting on April 4, as part of the “Take the 4-Week Test Drive Sweepstakes,” Scott Naturals began challenging Americans to test out its line of hybrid paper products for four weeks and enter for a chance to win a new hybrid sedan.

Our Review of Scott Naturals Paper Napkins

This will be very similar to last week’s review of Scott Naturals paper towel in that we were satisfied with the performance of Scott Naturals paper napkins. They are comparable to other brands we have used. They function well when used for cleaning. They do not seem to tear too easily.

Overall we are very satisfied with Scott Naturals paper napkins.

The Giveaway

Enter to win a Scott Naturals paper products!

Mandatory Entry: Tell me which products you want to try the most from Scott!

Extra Entries (Please be sure and leave a comment and link for extra entries):

5 Entries: Visit http://www.ScottBrand.com/4WeekTestDrive to help increase the amount Scott Brand will donate to National Wildlife Federation. Scott Naturals will donate $1 per unique click to the NWF, up to $25,000. You can do this as many times as you like!

1 Entry:Follow Faith and Family Reviews On Twitter

1 Entry:Like/Friend Faith and Family Reviews on Facebook.

1 Entry: Like Scott Naturals on Facebook and leave a comment on their wall saying- Faith and Family Reviews sent me.

2 Entries: Follow Faith and Family Reviews on Google Friend Connect (on the our right side bar).

2 Entries: Tweet about this giveaway. Up to three tweets per day. Include a separate comment for each and your tweet url with your comment. You may write your own tweet or use this one:

Enter Week 4 #ScottNaturals paper products! http://bit.ly/ScottNaturalsGiveawayWeek4 @faithfamilyrevw! Please share! #ScottTestDrive #Win

5 Entries: Blog about this giveaway and link back this post.

1 Entry: For every comment you leave anywhere else on this blog, but please leave a link with your comment!

Details:

This giveaway will run from May 2nd, 2011 to May 5th, 2011 (Please note that it is a short giveaway!) at midnight CST. The winner will be chosen through Random.org. Scott will send one winner their prize. Winner will be contacted via email on or before May 6th, 2011 and will be asked for their contact and other pertinent info. Winners will have 48 hours to send me their e-mail at [ffr] [giveaways] [at] [gmail] [dot] [com] (without spaces and parenthesis). Please note: This giveaway is offered to USA only.

Thanks and have fun!

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review and is being compensated by Scott Naturals andTheMotherhood. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review and compensation, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

Share and Enjoy

{23 comments}

CLOSED Week 3 Giveaway of Scott Naturals 4-Week Test Drive!

Posted by html404 on April 25, 2011
in All Natural Products, Cleaning, Contests, Giveaways, Giving Back/Charity

Congratulations to Tamara for winning the Week 3 giveaway for Scott Naturals 4-Week Test Drive!

Thanks to all who entered and to Scott Naturals and TheMotherhood for sponsoring this giveaway! #12 winner chosen by Random.org.

Please note this week’s giveaway ends on Saturday night instead of Sunday night this week due to having to get next week’s giveaway winner’s info in by next Friday, May 6th!

Green Cleaning

Over the years of our journey to using safer, green products in our home, I have eliminated many of the chemical products in our home – going back to using what many of our grandmothers and maybe even mothers used. I do not remember my mother using very many chemical based cleaning products in our home growing up, now that I think about it.

Now, we use the basics of soap, water, baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice and thieves cleaner. This not only saves us money but is better for health.

Hot soapy water is enough to clean most things, it is usually the tougher stains that need a little more to get surfaces or floors clean, and a bit of muscle behind your scrub brush.

Baking Soda is an abrasive substance and is very good at scrubbing out dirt and grim with either vinegar or lemon juice. We can get strawberry stains out of the counter tops with lemon juice and baking soda. This is also a good way to clean the tub and grout around the tub tiles, floor or toilet. Plus baking soda is a deodorizer too.

Thieves Cleaner is a green cleaner. As many of you know we have used thieves cleaner and essential oils since discovering mold in our home (if you do not know this story click on the tab at the top of the page that says, “Health Scents”). We continue to use it because we like it. It smells good and is safe for even the children to use. Plus it is effective in hindering the growth of mold. I use it to clean our mirrors, windows, floors, walls, sinks, and tub. It also gets out some stains if used in its concentrated form. Not to mention the fact that I should be using it around my window sills where condensation collects during the winter months, but have been rather slack this year.

Essential Oils. We diffuse essential oils in our home to purify the air and for the aromatherapy.

Vinegar. I you happen to be one of those people who do not like the smell of vinegar or how it makes your home smell…join the club! You can mix a couple of drops of your favorite essential oils in with the vinegar to give it a better aroma.

God wants us to take care of what He has blessed us with the land, our earthly possessions and our families. Therefore, it is important to choose cleaning products that are not only good for the earth but for our the health of our families too.

Week 2 Winner

Winner of Week 2 Scott Naturals 4-Week Test Drive Giveaway is……….

momznite!!!!!!!!! Congratulations!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations to momznite! # 7 as chosen by Random.org.

Thanks to all who entered and to Scott Naturals and TheMotherhood.com for providing this great prize package!

Week 3 Giveaway of Scott Naturals 4-Week Test Drive!

A 12 pack of toilet paper, a 6 pack of paper towel, a package of napkins and flushable moist wipes. Cool, eh? Yeah, we thought so too!

Scott’s Press Release says:

According to a recent poll, one third of consumers believe eco-friendly products don’t work as well as “regular” ones. That’s why Scott Naturals is on a mission to get people to rethink their notion of environmentally friendly products. As the world’s first line of “hybrid” paper products, including bath tissue, paper towels, flushable moist wipes and napkins, the Scott Naturals brand combines the green benefits of recycled fiber with the quality people want, making it easy to take a green step forward. If every American pledged to use Scott Naturals for four weeks, it would save two million trees. Starting on April 4, as part of the “Take the 4-Week Test Drive Sweepstakes,” Scott Naturals began challenging Americans to test out its line of hybrid paper products for four weeks and enter for a chance to win a new hybrid sedan.

Our Review of Scott Naturals Paper Towels

We were satisfied with the performance of Scott Naturals paper towels. They are comparable to other brands we have used. Scott Naturals are fairly thick and absorbent. They function well when used for cleaning. They do not seem to tear too easily. However, they have a pretty rough texture to use for napkins (if you have ever done that when you have ran out of regular paper napkins!) or to wipe a child’s face while dry, but are fine if moistened a bit.

Overall we are very satisfied with Scott Naturals paper towels.

The Giveaway

Enter to win a Scott Naturals paper products!

Mandatory Entry: Tell me which products you want to try the most from Scott!

Extra Entries (Please be sure and leave a comment and link for extra entries):

1 Entry:Follow Faith and Family Reviews On Twitter

1 Entry:Like/Friend Faith and Family Reviews on Facebook.

1 Entry: Like Scott Naturals on Facebook and leave a comment on their wall saying- Faith and Family Reviews sent me.

2 Entries: Follow Faith and Family Reviews on Google Friend Connect (on the our right side bar).

2 Entries: Tweet about this giveaway. Up to three tweets per day. Include a separate comment for each and your tweet url with your comment. You may write your own tweet or use this one:

Enter Week 3 #ScottNaturals paper products! http://bit.ly/ScottNaturalsGiveawayWeek3 @faithfamilyrevw! Please share! #ScottTestDrive #Win

5 Entries: Blog about this giveaway and link back this post.

1 Entry: For every comment you leave anywhere else on this blog, but please leave a link with your comment!

Details:

This giveaway will run from April 25th, 2011 to April 30th, 2011 (Please note that it is Saturday night not Sunday night this week!) at midnight CST. The winner will be chosen through Random.org. Scott will send one winner their prize. Winner will be contacted via email on or before April 27th, 2011 and will be asked for their contact and other pertinent info. Winners will have 48 hours to send me their e-mail at [ffr] [giveaways] [at] [gmail] [dot] [com] (without spaces and parenthesis). Please note: This giveaway is offered to USA only.

Thanks and have fun!

Share and Enjoy

{65 comments}

CLOSED Get Outside with the Kids & National Wildlife Federation: Week Two of Scott’s 4-Week Test Drive

Posted by html404 on April 19, 2011
in All Natural Products, Blog Stuff, Family Stuff, Giveaways

Winner of Week 2 Scott Naturals 4-Week Test Drive Giveaway is……….

momznite!!!!!!!!! Congratulations!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations to momznite! # 7 as chosen by Random.org.

Thanks to all who entered and to Scott Naturals and TheMotherhood.com for providing this great prize package!

It has been hard getting outside with the kids this spring since it has been so cold, wet and rainy. Nevertheless we have been able to do a couple of little things and hope to do more of our normal outdoor activities soon.

Playing outside at the farm. There are lots of things to do at the farm. My children love watching and feeding the chickens. Last week my boys took their dinosaurs to the farm and played outside in the dirt and grass with them, as well as climbed the wood pile, played in the underbrush of a large tree with plans to build a fort.

Walks. Walking has been a priority for me but the truth is we have yet to get back into the habit of a daily walk.

Biking. My children love riding their bikes. They will usually bike while I walk and push the little ones in the stroller. I have never been a runner. I prefer walking.

Picnics. We love picnics in the park or our backyard. We have even been known to picnic in our house when the weather is against our plans!

Botanical Gardens. We love the Chicago Botanical Gardens and have yet to get there this spring. I love the peacefulness and beauty of the gardens. Not only is it educational (the gardens provides a little card for the kids to find different items and mark it off with a sticky dot), it is good for our whole well-being. The aroma, the atmosphere and the sights are delightful to us all.

Backyard Games. None of our children have been involved in organized sports, yet. So it has been fun to teach the children how to play soccer, baseball, volleyball, badminton and football in our backyard. A couple of weekends ago my husband was instructing our boys and a couple of other boys in playing basketball on an outdoor court at the school where we attended a green expo. They do the goofiest things and were fun to watch! Sure tired those boys out!

The Zoo. The zoo also provides a great way to get outside with the kids and introduce them to lots of different animals. Our children love going to the zoo and are sorely disappointed if we go on days the animals are stay inside where we cannot see them.

The National Wildlife Federation

Speaking of animals, the National Wildlife Federation puts a huge emphasis on getting outside with your children. Take a look at their suggestions here.

B Kind 2 Earth Day

We are also participating in B Kind 2 Earth Day with TheMotherhood and NWF. We are hoping to volunteer at a local organic learning farm, as well as go for a walk and help at my friend’s organic farm on Thursday and Friday. B Kind 2 Earth Day also has some great ideas for getting outside on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/#!/BKind2EarthDay

Winner of Week 1 of Scott’s 4-Week Test Drive!

Winner of Week 1 Scott Brand 4-Week Test Drive Giveaway is……….

Karen!!!!!!!!! Congratulations!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations to Karen! You won this giveaway! Comment # 12 chosen by Random.org
Thanks to all who entered and to Scott Naturals and TheMotherhood. for sponsoring this great giveaway!

Week 2 Giveaway of Scott Naturals 4-Week Test Drive!

A 12 pack of toilet paper, a 6 pack of paper towel, a package of napkins and flushable moist wipes. Cool, eh? Yeah, we thought so too!

Scott’s Press Release says:

According to a recent poll, one third of consumers believe eco-friendly products don’t work as well as “regular” ones. That’s why Scott Naturals is on a mission to get people to rethink their notion of environmentally friendly products. As the world’s first line of “hybrid” paper products, including bath tissue, paper towels, flushable moist wipes and napkins, the Scott Naturals brand combines the green benefits of recycled fiber with the quality people want, making it easy to take a green step forward. If every American pledged to use Scott Naturals for four weeks, it would save two million trees. Starting on April 4, as part of the “Take the 4-Week Test Drive Sweepstakes,” Scott Naturals began challenging Americans to test out its line of hybrid paper products for four weeks and enter for a chance to win a new hybrid sedan.

Our Review of Scott Naturals Wipes

We really liked the performance of Scott Naturals wipes. They are free of alcohol and dyes and are flushable. All of the fibers are derived from sustainable resources, which we like. They also smell good and contain Aloe Vera as the third ingredient, another plus. My daughter says the ingredients are decent, as she is our most chemically sensitive, and says the ingredients could be a lot worse.

These wipes cleaned up pencil shavings “soot” from off our laminate flooring well, as well as some crayon marks. They are strong, very moist and hold their moisture in the wipes container unlike other brands we have tried. These are great for quick clean ups at home or on the road.

The Giveaway

Enter to win a Scott Naturals paper products!

Mandatory Entry: Tell me which products you want to try the most from Scott!

Extra Entries (Please be sure and leave a comment and link for extra entries):

1 Entry:Follow Faith and Family Reviews On Twitter

1 Entry:Like/Friend Faith and Family Reviews on Facebook.

1 Entry: Like Scott Naturals on Facebook and leave a comment on their wall saying- Faith and Family Reviews sent me.

2 Entries: Follow Faith and Family Reviews on Google Friend Connect (on the our right side bar).

2 Entries: Tweet about this giveaway. Up to three tweets per day. Include a separate comment for each and your tweet url with your comment. You may write your own tweet or use this one:

Giveaway: Enter to win #ScottNaturals paper products! http://bit.ly/ScottNaturalsGiveaway @faithfamilyrevw! Please share! #ScottTestDrive

5 Entries: Blog about this giveaway and link back this post.

1 Entry: For every comment you leave anywhere else on this blog, but please leave a link with your comment!

Details:

This giveaway will run from April 19th, 2011 to April 24th, 2011 at midnight CST. The winner will be chosen through Random.org. Scott will send one winner their prize. Winner will be contacted via email on or before April 27th, 2011 and will be asked for their contact and other pertinent info. Winners will have 48 hours to send me their e-mail at [ffr] [giveaways] [at] [gmail] [dot] [com] (without spaces and parenthesis). Please note: This giveaway is offered to USA only.

Thanks and have fun!

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review and is being compensated by Scott Naturals and TheMotherhood. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review and compensation, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

Share and Enjoy

{37 comments}

ClosedHow To Get Kids Involved in Going Green: Week 1 of Scott Naturals 4-Week Test Drive & Giveaway

Posted by html404 on April 11, 2011
in All Natural Products, Eco Friendly Products, Giveaways

Congratulations to Karen! You won this giveaway! Comment # 12 chosen by Random.org

Thanks to all who entered and to Scott Naturals and TheMotherhood. for sponsoring this great giveaway!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review and is being compensated by Scott Naturals and TheMotherhood. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review and compensation, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

How To Get Kids Involved in Going Green

I am sure some parents are at a loss or have battles in knowing how to get kids involved in going green, but it’s been the opposite for our family. We have been on a healthy living journey probably since our first child was born – a natural progression of how our family lives. It certainly has been to our advantage to have some of our children “chemically sensitive”, because of that all of our children who read are or are becoming avid label readers. They want to know what is in the food they eat and the products they use on their body. We have taught them to read labels to learn these things.

Leading by example is the most important aspect of getting kids involved in a green lifestyle. If we are practicing what we “preach” and are not dictators in our approach, I think kids naturally gravitate towards what their parents are doing. This may not happen for everyone or every child, but it has been our experience so far, thankfully. And yes, I know our kids are still young, but I hope it continues.

Exposing kids to green fairs and expos are another great way to get them acquainted with becoming environmentally friendly. We have attended several over the past year. These fairs and expos not only have interactive vendor booths where they can ride a bicycle, which in turn causes light bulbs to go on, there are recycling demonstrations, worm composting and planting your own seeds etc. Then there is the literature to be picked up and read and guest speakers to share their knowledge of living green.

Buy and use eco-friendly products at home. This is right up there with leading by example. Children gain an appreciation for safe products that do not make them sick. Some of our children will refuse to use products with “no-no” or “bad” ingredients in them because they have been educated about the affects they can cause.

Garden with them. Teaching kids about organic gardening, not only educates them on where their food comes from but also shows them food can be grown without harmful chemicals. And ultimately encourages them to eat healthy organic produce because they planted it themselves! Our children love growing our food. The whole process is exciting to them and harvesting (eating!) is the icing on the cake so to speak.

Practice recycling and what it means. It is one thing to own a recycling bin and recycle, it is quite another to explain to children why we do it. Teach children that trash goes into landfills and that we do not want so much garbage buried in the ground. We teach recycling and reusing preserves our earth’s resources and makes us good stewards of the land God has given us and eliminates the amount of trash going to landfills. Give children a reason for wanting to recycle.

Read books about green living. I do not remember owning or reading any books about green living as a kid, but there are plenty at our local library. If you homeschool, do a unit study on how to be good stewards of the land God has blessed us with. If your kids attend public school, they will probably do something this month for Earth Day on April 22, so get a couple of books to read at home to go along with your child’s lessons at school.

Remember an involved parent is a precious thing, so attend that green fair they are having in your community and plan an Earth Day celebration at home according to your own belief system. It is not hard to implement these things and the greatest part is not just getting your child involved in going green, but that you are spending quality time together as a family.

Scott Naturals 4-Week Test Drive & Giveaway

This ~~week,~~ or month rather, we are doing things a little different due to a blog campaign we are participating in. We are hosting our giveaways on Monday and not Friday and they will last for one week. Each week ONE winner will be chosen to receive one of these Scott Naturals Kits:

A 12 pack of toilet paper, a 6 pack of paper towel, a package of napkins and flushable moist wipes. Cool, eh? Yeah, we thought so too!

Scott’s Press Release says:

According to a recent poll, one third of consumers believe eco-friendly products don’t work as well as “regular” ones. That’s why Scott Naturals is on a mission to get people to rethink their notion of environmentally friendly products. As the world’s first line of “hybrid” paper products, including bath tissue, paper towels, flushable moist wipes and napkins, the Scott Naturals brand combines the green benefits of recycled fiber with the quality people want, making it easy to take a green step forward. If every American pledged to use Scott Naturals for four weeks, it would save two million trees. Starting on April 4, as part of the “Take the 4-Week Test Drive Sweepstakes,” Scott Naturals began challenging Americans to test out its line of hybrid paper products for four weeks and enter for a chance to win a new hybrid sedan.

Eco Fact: If every person that updated their Facebook status this week took the 4-Week Test Drive there’d be 1,744,400 trees saved.

Our Review of Scott Naturals Toilet Paper

The toilet paper has lined ridges and has a rather rough feel to it. Ok, I have to be completely honest here and admit that our family has tender tushies. Let’s just say our tushies are use to a certain softness element was missing from Scott Naturals bathroom was anything but tissue. Scott Naturals toilet paper is rough and stiff. Not like our usual brand at all. The three older members of our family complained about it from the start, the younger crew….well….did not say much at all. The two middle girls stated they liked it and thought it was nice….maybe I should ask them while they are on the potty next time not at bedtime when they are giddy school girls? No, but seriously the toilet paper leaves much to be desired and that is our humble opinion on the first product of our 4-Week Test Drive. (It gets better from here! I did the worst first. )

Enter to win a Scott Naturals paper products!

Mandatory Entry: Tell me which products you want to try the most from Scott!

Extra Entries (Please be sure and leave a comment and link for extra entries):

1 Entry:Follow Faith and Family Reviews On Twitter

1 Entry:Like/Friend Faith and Family Reviews on Facebook.

1 Entry: Like Scott Naturals on Facebook and leave a comment on their wall saying- Faith and Family Reviews sent me.

2 Entries: Follow Faith and Family Reviews on Google Friend Connect (on the our right side bar).

2 Entries: Tweet about this giveaway. Up to three tweets per day. Include a separate comment for each and your tweet url with your comment. You may write your own tweet or use this one:

Giveaway: Enter to win #ScottNaturals paper products! http://bit.ly/ggOx8R @faithfamilyrevw! Please share! Thx!

5 Entries: Blog about this giveaway and link back this post.

1 Entry: For every comment you leave anywhere else on this blog, but please leave a link with your comment!

Details:

This giveaway will run from April 11th, 2011 to April 17th, 2011 at midnight CST. The winner will be chosen through Random.org. Scott will send one winner their prize. Winner will be contacted via email on or before April 20th, 2011 and will be asked for their contact and other pertinent info. Winners will have 48 hours to send me their e-mail at [ffr] [giveaways] [at] [gmail] [dot] [com] (without spaces and parenthesis). Please note: This giveaway is offered to USA only.

As part of this project, Scott Naturals will be making a donation to the National Wildlife Federation, so please help spread the word!

Thanks and have fun!

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A-Peeling Reuse

Posted by Brande on April 5, 2011
in All Natural Products, Articles, Books, Eco Friendly Products, Health, Health & Garden Tuesday, Organic, Saving Money

Leaving the grocery store the other day I picked up a free magazine called Natural Awakenings (March 2011) Edition. I found this article – “A-Peeling Reuse” by Jeff Yeager. It goes onto say…

“A rind is a terrible thing to waste,” says Jeff Yeager, who refers to himself as the ultimate cheapskate. Yeager has discovered multiple uses for produce rinds and ways to extract extended benefits before they land in the compost pile. Here are a few of his favorites, shared with us during a recent interview:

Cornhusks – Wrap fish and other seafood in fresh, dampened, sweet corn husks to grill and serve in husks.

Olive oil infusions – Add citrus peels to olive oil for flavor and to reinvigorate oil that’s getting old.

Savory Chicken – Stuff all kinds of fruit and veggie peels, inside a free-range chicken before roasting to give it extra flavor. Trimmings from onions, celery, citrus, apples garlic, etc., can be stuffed in the chicken cavity or sprinkled around the roasting pan. Once baked, the trimmings break down faster in the compost pile.

Hair Dye – Boil potato peels in water for about a half-hour, strain and let cool. Rinsing hair with this water after shampooig will gradually darken grey hair without any synthetic chemicals.

Shoeshine – Put a “split-shine” on leather shoes by polishing them with the slippery side of a banana peel.

Metal Polish – Lemon, lime, and other citrus rinds and pulp/juice are high in citric acid, which makes them great for polishing brass, cooper and other non-ferrous metals. Sprinkle on a little baking soda to hasten polishing (Ketchup works, too).

Seedling Pots – Scooped-out avocado shells make perfect biodegradable pots to start garden seedlings.

Note: Always thoroughly wash the rinds of produce that will be eaten or come into contact with food, even if it is organically grown.

Jeff Yeager is the author of The Cheapskate Next Door and The Ultimate Cheapskate’s road Map to True Riches.”

I went to Yeager’s website at www.ultimatecheapstake.com, and he’s really got great ideas. There’s one for egg shells, perfect since Easter is coming.

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Dye Job – Easter’s Coming!

Posted by Brande on March 28, 2011
in All Natural Products, Articles, Eco Friendly Products, Family Stuff, Fun Stuff, Holidays, Seasonal Stuff

I was looking at my Food Network Magazine(April 2011) and found on page 115 a great way to dye Easter eggs with stuff you may have at home. The article goes onto say…

“This year’s egg-dyeing kit might already be in your pantry: We tried dyeing eggs with ingredients we had on hand – candy, spices, fruit – and ended up with this amazingly colorful half dozen. To make your own, boil 2 cups of water with 1 tablespoon of vinegar, add your “dye” (12 Now and Later candies, one 7-ounce box of Red Hots, 1 tablespoon Jell-O or Kool-Aid, 1/2 cup of frozen blueberries or 2 tablespoons turmeric) and simmer 15 minutes; strain into a mug for dyeing. Experiment with ingredients in your own kitchen: If it’s something that stains your clothes, chances are it’ll work wonders on an egg!”

I made 2 different dyes on Saturday. One blueberry (on the left) and the other to the right is mixed berries (strawberry, raspberry, & blueberries). Here’s the proof….

It works! I left them in the dye for about 20 minutes. They are lighter than the packaged dyes you will get at the store, but at least you know the ingredients in these dyes! I was thinking about maybe trying beets. What are your ideas?

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Organic Toothpaste: An Alternative to Chemicals

Posted by html404 on March 8, 2011
in All Natural Products, Guest Post, Organic, Personal Care Products

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post. While we appreciate our guest writer’s submissions, this does not constitute endorsement or agreement to the opinions expressed in the articles featured.

by Sally

Brush your teeth! Mothers are constantly reminder their children to do this. Since the beginning of childhood, the emphasis on good dental hygiene is drilled into most kid’s minds, with the threat that if they do not follow this daily hygienic duty, their teeth will rot, fall out and they will be left toothless. Of course, no one wants that! Therefore, we obey and most people brush regularly, obtain dental insurance and get regular check-ups with the good intentions that they are preventing tooth decay, gum disease and providing a healthy service to their bodies. Moreover, most people never give thought to the fact that some toothpastes contains dangerous, harmful ingredients. After all, this is a product that must go into the mouth so it has to be safe, in all regards. Unfortunately, this is
not the case. Many popular brands of toothpaste contain ingredients that are harmful and carcinogenic.

Potentially Harmful Ingredients in Name Brand Toothpaste

Sodium Fluoride

When examining the ingredients on popular toothpaste labels, many only give one active ingredient, Sodium Fluoride, as an anti-cavity. This ingredient is classified as a toxin when ingested or inhaled in high doses. It is often used in cleaning products, psychiatric medications, anesthetics and in Sarin Nerve Gas. It was regularly added to the water in concentration camps during World War II to help keep the prisoners more compliant. It is also added to our public drinking water supply. Although it does work to help prevent cavities, it also can cause collagen to breakdown in muscles, skin, bones, kidneys and lungs and in lethal doses can affect the circulatory system and the heart.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

This ingredient is used in low doses for toothpaste and in larger doses for cleaning products, degreasers and soaps. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate has been shown to be associated with the development of mouth ulcers. Because of the harshness of this ingredient, it can damage oral tissue lining inside the mouth.

Hydrated Silica

This ingredient is added to many popular brands of toothpaste as a whitener. This ingredient works as an abrasive on the surface of teeth, which can harm the enamel causing a severe wearing down of this protective surface. Those who have receding gums, gum disease, sensitivity and tooth decay should avoid using toothpastes with this additive.

So, what is a person to do? After all, we cannot just stop brushing our teeth, unless we have some good dental insurance and don’t mind the sound of a drill. The best solution to this problem that many people have found is to switch to an organic toothpaste. Organic toothpastes contain safe, natural ingredients such as herbs and essential oils to fight bacteria, protect gums and freshen breath. There are a wide variety of these products to choose from today, which do not contain any harmful ingredients. Many
popular brands include Tom’s and Kiss My Face. Both of these can be purchased at Whole Foods Markets or Amazon. Using these products can provide the necessary tooth and gum hygiene to keep teeth and gums healthy, without the risks of causing harm to the body.

Sally is a dental hygienist and health expert who spends her free time traveling to local elementary schools teaching youngsters how to care for their teeth. After exploring dental insurance options as a new college graduate and as a single mom, she became passionate about preventative care in order to save money. After all, in this economy, it’s better to save now rather than pay later!

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FFR Giveaway- Funky Monkey Snacks

Posted by html404 on March 4, 2011
in All Natural Products, Food and Treats

Congratulations to Karen! You won this giveaway! Winner chosen by Random.org. Thanks to all who entered and to Funky Monkey for sponsoring this great giveaway!!!

Funky Monkey Snacks are a line of freeze-dried fruit that are 100% natural, 100% real fruit, and 100% delicious – with 3 servings of fruit in each 1oz bag! Our “fruit that crunches” provides the ultimate snack, fusing the great taste, smell, and nutritional goodness of fresh fruit with the crunch and convenience of conventional snacks. You can read our review of Funky Monkey Snacks here.

Here are some additional Funky Monkey highlights:
• Funky Monkey Snacks have no added colors, flavors, sugars, or preservatives
• Their special, proprietary manufacturing process provides for a crunchier texture vs. conventional freeze-drying techniques
• They use full slices and pieces (not dices) of delicious, fresh fruit
• Funky Monkey is made in Brazil (not China!) using tropical fruits at the peak of freshness
• Their products are gluten-free, certified Kosher, and certified non-GMO
• They have 7 flavors- Applemon, Bananamon, MangoOJ, JiveAlime, Purple Funk, Pink Pineapple, and Carnavel Mix.

Enter to win a Funky Monkey Sampler Kit! (1 bag of each of their 7 flavors) Estimated value $10.

Mandatory Entry:Visit Funky Monkey Snacks.com and tell me what flavor you are most looking forward to trying.

Extra Entries (Please be sure and leave a comment and link for extra entries):

1 Entry:Follow Faith and Family Reviews On Twitter

1 Entry:Funky Monkey Snacks on Twitter.

1 Entry:Like/Friend Faith and Family Reviews on Facebook.

1 Entry: Like Funky Monkey Snacks on Facebook. And leave a comment saying- Faith and Family Reviews sent me.

2 Entries: Follow Faith and Family Reviews on Google Friend Connect (on the our right side bar).

2 Entries: Tweet about this giveaway, but only one tweet per day please. Include your tweet url with your comment. You may write your own tweet or use this one:

Giveaway: Enter to win a Funky Monkey Snacks! http://bit.ly/fadwUL @faithfamilyrevw! Please share! Thx!

5 Entries: Blog about this giveaway and link back this post and Funky Monkey Snacks.com.

1 Entry: for every comment you leave anywhere else on this blog, but please leave a link with your comment!

1 Entry: For every comment you leave on Funky Monkey’s Blog, but please leave a link with your comment.

1 Entry: Sign up for Funky Monkey’s newsletter.
Details:
This giveaway will run from March 4th, 2011 to March 17th, 2011 at midnight CST. The winner will be chosen through Random.org. Funky Monkey Snacks will send one winner their prize. Winner will be contacted via email on or before March 20th and will be asked for their contact and other pertinent info. Winners will have 48 hours to send me their e-mail at [ffr] [giveaways] [at] [gmail] [dot] [com] (without spaces and parenthesis). Please note: This giveaway is offered to USA only.

Thanks and have fun!

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* CLOSED* Planting Time: Week 4 and Final Giveaway of the Scott Naturals 4-Week Test Drive

Winner of Week 3 Scott Naturals 4-Week Test Drive Giveaway is……….

Erica!!!!!!!!! Congratulations!!!!!!!!!

Winner of Week 3 Scott Naturals 4-Week Test Drive Giveaway is……….

Tamara!!!!!!!!! Congratulations!!!!!!!!!

Thanks to all who entered and to Scott Naturals and TheMotherhood for sponsoring this giveaway! #12 winner chosen by Random.org.

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CLOSED Week 3 Giveaway of Scott Naturals 4-Week Test Drive!

Congratulations to Tamara for winning the Week 3 giveaway for Scott Naturals 4-Week Test Drive!

Winner of Week 2 Scott Naturals 4-Week Test Drive Giveaway is……….

momznite!!!!!!!!! Congratulations!!!!!!!!!

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CLOSED Get Outside with the Kids & National Wildlife Federation: Week Two of Scott’s 4-Week Test Drive

Winner of Week 2 Scott Naturals 4-Week Test Drive Giveaway is……….

momznite!!!!!!!!! Congratulations!!!!!!!!!

Winner of Week 1 Scott Brand 4-Week Test Drive Giveaway is……….

Karen!!!!!!!!! Congratulations!!!!!!!!!

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ClosedHow To Get Kids Involved in Going Green: Week 1 of Scott Naturals 4-Week Test Drive & Giveaway

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A-Peeling Reuse

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Dye Job – Easter’s Coming!

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Organic Toothpaste: An Alternative to Chemicals

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FFR Giveaway- Funky Monkey Snacks

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