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Yummy Swap Snack Bars

Posted by html404 on November 7, 2013
in All Natural Products, Family Stuff, Food and Treats, Health, Health and Nutrition, Kids Stuff, Reviews, Uncategorized

As much as our family tries and struggles to eat healthy, we all have a sweet tooth. We like our baked goods and chocolate that’s for sure. Enter…Yummy Swap Snack Bars. Yummy Snacks consist of Peanut Butter Blast and Chocolate Blast Yummy Bars. Seriously, they were yummy. These would make great stocking stuffers for Christmas, snacks for school and home, or even family get togethers.

Everyone loved the Peanut Butter Blast Yummy Bar. It was a chocolate bar with a chewy peanut butter center.

Jr. enjoying his Peanut Butter Blast Yummy Bar.

Everyone but my husband loved the Chocolate Blast Yummy Bar. My husband doesn’t like coconut and the Chocolate Blast has a chocolatey coconut center. I find coconut flavored chocolate very addictive, what about you?

As far as ingredients go, Yummy Snack Bars were created to be used to “swap” out junk food for something healthier. Yummy Swap’s motto is “Dump the Junk” to make the transition from junk food to healthier snacks easier on kids.

Chocolate Blast Ingredients:

Peanut Butter Blast Ingredients may be found here.

Yummy Snack Bars are high in fiber, contain 100mg of Omega 3s, real coconut, cocoa, flax seed and almond butter. They are gluten-free, contain no high-fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, trans fats, artificial flavors, preservatives or food dyes, which all pass our reading label test.

The only problem we found is the price is more than a chocolate bar, but you get so much more for your health so it’s money well spent in the end.

People are fed by the food industry, which pays no attention to health, and are treated by the health industry, which pays no attention to food.
― Wendell Berry

So…..Yummy Snacks are here to stay at our house!!

Yummy Snacks may be purchased online as single items or as a subscription – get them shipped to your house on a schedule of your choosing! When you buy a subscription you automatically save 10%. You can find Yummy Swap on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on new products.

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6 Tips to Healthier Eating

Posted by html404 on October 29, 2013
in All Natural Products, Food and Treats, Health, Health and Garden Tuesday, Health and Nutrition, Organic, Recipes, Uncategorized

This is a featured post.

I was recently in a discussion with some other moms about how to start eat healthier. It made me think back to when we began to revamp our eating habits. It became a blog post idea so I thought I share some of the ways we changed our diet when we started to read labels and take a closer look into our pantry and refrigerator.

6 Tips to Healthier Eating

1. Read food labels. I cannot tell you how important this is. Reading labels will change your food buying habits. Learn what ingredients are bad and what ingredients are good for you to ingest.

2. Eliminate food dyes and artificial flavors from your diet. Dyes and artificial flavors are in a lot of things. So read labels and refuse to buy any food with these dyes and artificial flavors. It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it. We noticed a huge difference in how our children acted after we eliminated these from our diet.

People are fed by the FOOD industry, which pays no attention to health….And are treated by the health industry, which pays no attention to FOOD.

~ Wendell Berry

3. Buy as much organic as your budget will allow. There is a meme out there about organic food. It went something like this, “Think organic food is expensive? Have you priced cancer lately?” Pretty much says it all. Cancer is rather rampant. Organic food is usually non-GMO (Genetically Modified Organism), if labeled Non-GMO. Organic food also has a lot less pesticides and insecticides used on it. Organic food can be bought in most grocery stores now. Start with a couple of products and slowly increase it over time so the slight increase is only noticeable over time.

4. Shop the perimeter of the grocery store. Shopping the perimeter of a grocery store generally means buying more fruit, vegetables, dairy, juice, eggs and meat. It reduces the amount of packaged convenience food you buy.

5. Substitute junk food with healthy snacks. We rarely buy potato chips any more. We buy organic tortilla chips or make popcorn on top of our stove. You can also eat your favorite veggies and fruit in place of your favorite junk food.

6. Reduce and eliminate your soda pop intake. Start drinking water. You can add lemon or lime for flavor. Have a glass or 100% juice with your breakfast. Soda pop offers no nutritional value and causes weight gain when used in excess.

There are many other tips I could share but these seemed like the easiest to start with. For recipes to aid you in your healthier eating journey visit apple crisp recipe and this blueberry muffin recipe appeals to my sweet tooth and love of blueberries!

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Milk Unleashed

Posted by Professor on October 28, 2013
in All Natural Products, Family Stuff, Food and Treats, Uncategorized

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.

Milk Unleashed helps moms get their kids to drink more milk –anytime –anywhere!

Just because busy families are often on the go, they don’t have to sacrifice nutrition. Thanks to Tetra Pak cartons, milk has officially been unleashed! Milk is packaged in the same shelf safe cartons as juice boxes and not requiring refrigeration until they are unopened. Moms can take milk to the beach, the park, sporting events and picnics – anytime, anywhere. It is the same nutrient-rich Grade fluid milk – but packaged for convenience.

How is this possible? The milk is flash-heated at higher temperatures (ultra-pasteurization) to eliminate bacteria and then put into Tetra Pak shelf safe cartons, which protect the milk from air, tight, and other contaminants. Shelf safe milk stays on the shelf without preservatives until it is ready to chill and drink.

Here are a few tips from Milk Unleashed website for getting kids to drink more milk:

Stock the refrigerator (and pantry) with flavored and white milk in single serving cartons for a healthy snack on the go.

Put in the kids’ lunchboxes. If it’s there they will be more likely to drink it.

Try offering flavored milk. It has the same nutrients and only a little added sugar.

Appeal to their eyes by adding a drop of food coloring to make milk fun!

Be a role model. Kids will be more likely to want milk if they see you drinking it.

The Milk Unleashed website is packed with information for moms on the go, ideas for increasing milk in their families’ diets, nutritional facts about milk, plus promotions, contests and information about the various brands of shelf safe milk and where to buy.

Tetra Pak’s shelf safe milk boxes enable milk to retain its quality without refrigeration for several months. Families can purchase large quantities and store it safely in their pantry until they are ready to chill before opening, if they choose. For more information visit www.milkunleashed.com

Our Review:

We LOVE milk in our house we go through 3 sometimes 4 gallons a week! I was excited to try the options from Milk Unleashed in the Tetra Pak containers. The containers are a very nice size (larger than a normal juice box). We received various brands and flavors from milk unleashed. We received Organic Valley Farms White and chocolate milk, Hershey’s chocolate and white chocolate milk, TruMoo vanilla and chocolate milk, and Cow Wow Chocolate milk. All of the brands and flavors were a hit… except I have to say the children did not like the Organic Valley farms regular milk, they did not mind the chocolate flavored milk but honestly hated the regular milk. I tasted the Organic Valley milk and it did have a differently flavor to it… not sure if this was because it is organic or because of the pasteurization but it did taste different. But that was the only one that was not a hit.

The milk was so popular that the kids drank it down before I got to take a nifty picture for the blog of all the flavors and packaging that we received (sorry!) but here are some stock photos of the packaging…

I LOVE the idea of safe shelf milk… this is a great alternative to juice boxes. We do not do juice boxes often, we opt for water bottles instead…BUT now we have an even better option with the new Tetra Packaging of milk!

We also visited milkunleashed.com for more information about the available products and information about shelf safe milk. There is a wealth of information on the website so PLEASE if take some time to peruse the website it will certainly be informative!

WWW.MILKUNLEASHED.COM

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Calorease Review

Posted by html404 on October 17, 2013
in All Natural Products, Health, Health and Fitness, Health and Nutrition, Products for Dad, Products for Mom, Reviews, Uncategorized, Weight Loss

I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms Meetsm program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC. or the manufacturer of the product.

Weight loss has been on my mind lately and not just weight loss for the sake of losing weight but for the sake of getting healthy. You see my husband and I started going to the park to shoot hoops. Playing one on one left me breathless. We ended up playing the game of “horse”. For those of you unfamiliar it’s basically choosing a spot to shoot from and the other player(s) shoot from the same spot, if they miss they earn a letter. The one with the least amount of letters in “horse” wins or the one who earns “horse” loses. The breathlessness like this has never happened to me before and I didn’t like it. I know I’m getting old but not that old.

I am not much for diet fads or diet pills but a few all natural and seemingly “safe” products have come across my inbox that I thought I’d give them a try. Calorease is one of them.

Facts About Calorease

• Stimulant free.

• FBCx (TM), a patented heart healthy fiber.

• If taken as recommended, results can be seen in about 2-3 weeks. Keep in mind that Calorease is not a license to overeat, nor is it a magic bullet for quick weight loss. As always, results will vary from person to person.

• There is no program or special diet involved with taking Calorease. A reasonable, balanced and nutritious fat-containing diet is recommended. Click here for sample meal plans.

• Calorease does not contain gluten, lactose, yeast, wheat, sugar, salt, egg, soy, dairy, artificial colors, sweeteners or preservatives. It is naturally sourced from grain and is suitable for vegans.

• It binds with fat in food to reduce up to 500 calories a day. That’s equivalent to 15000 calories a month, which could be a whole pant size!

Calorease Review

I haven’t been very consistent, nor have I used the product long enough to see a significant difference. I feel no different when taking Calorease. It’s easy to take. Just take two tablets with water after a fat containing meal or snack, up to three times a day. The package contains 90 tablets so about 15 days worth of product, if taken consistently. A 90-tablet pack retails for $29.99. They do have a 180 count pack for 30 days for $49.99.

I liked the idea of Calorease because there is no special diet plan. You eat healthy, treat yourself if need be and exercise. So many diet programs or diets are so restrictive that it feels like you are starving and depriving yourself. I’ve always been able to lose weight by increasing my physical exercise, cutting back on sweets (not that I eat a lot of sweets anymore), so that is what I am working towards…ever so slowly…after all that’s another reason I want to farm – physical work.

Special Discount

Calorease is offering you a 50% discount! You’ll pay only $14.99 for a 90-tablet pack! Visit calorease.com/buy and enter code 4MOMS. You can also find Calorease on Facebook.

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The Liquid Amino Diet Part 1

Posted by html404 on October 14, 2013
in All Natural Products, Health, Health and Fitness, Health and Nutrition, Products for Dad, Products for Mom, Uncategorized, Weight Loss

This is a featured post and I did receive product to review. All opinions are my own.

I really struggle with weight loss. It’s been years since I have successfully take off extra pounds. I love to watch the TV show Extreme Weight Loss Makeover. I find it is very inspirational and sometimes wish I had coaches like Chris and Heidi to help me over the mental, emotional and physical hurdles that come with losing weight. They say that you have to be ready to lose weight. For months I have felt it building up to the point where I was going to say, “Enough is enough.” However, I still need some motivation. Elizabeth’s video below inspired me.

Elizabeth’s Video

The fact that I am even willing to try a weight loss product shows I have made some progress. I am usually quite skeptical of diet products. I am a firm believer in eating healthy and getting enough exercise. Speaking of exercise my husband and I have started going to the park to shoot hoops. We use to play basketball together before we were even dating so it’s something to not only get us moving physically but to spend time together doing something we enjoy. We’ve been the kind of couple who has often put our marriage on the back burner while raising our kids, especially when they were younger. Now they are all getting older and we are finding a healthy balance again.

Back to dieting and losing weight….

About the Liquid Amino Diet

The Liquid Amino Diet is a product I am going to try over the next few days, maybe even weeks. The nice thing about this product is that it does come with a personal coach to assist you along your journey.

Dr. Finsand developed the Amino Diet about 4 years ago after years of research and trials with his patients. The Liquid Amino diet is not about a quick fix, it is about a total and complete lifestyle change, which is something I need, especially increasing my activity level. You would think living on a farm would do it but it doesn’t especially when I spend most of my day on the computer earning an income. Supposedly, the lifestyle change is accomplished through clean eating and ALL NATURAL homeopathic drops. Because of the healthy change in diet, you can expect to lose between .5-1 lb per day. Unlike other diets, the Amino Diet does not inject hormones for a total body shock, but instead focuses on teaching people how to eat clean without the shock of the system. This is one HUGE factor in keeping the weight off for extended periods of time. One thing I was shocked about was the limited calories – 1500 per day. I am scared I cannot stick to this. I am a total carbs girl and cannot picture life without them!

So stay tuned to read about my update The Liquid Amino Diet Part 2 in the coming weeks….

Visit www.liquidaminodiet.com for more information.

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Fruit Sparx Candy Review

Posted by Brande on October 7, 2013
in All Natural Products, Food and Treats, Fun Stuff, Kids Stuff, Organic, Products for Dad, Products for Mom, Reviews, Seasonal Stuff, Uncategorized

Halloween is right around the corner and my daughter is already excited about all the candy. Sparx has a wonderful product! Recommended by dentist & hygienist, it is 100% Xylitol and tooth friendly! These all natural sugar free candies are also gluten free. They come in citrus, berry, & fruit flavors.

My first question was what is Xylitol? Direct from the Xlear.com site – here is the answer.

“Xylitol is a natural sweetener derived from natural sources. It is also produced in the human body as a by-product of a normal metabolism. Our xylitol is of the highest quality possible. It is a pharmaceutical grade, meaning it must be more that 99.95% pure, and is made from non-GMO (non-genetically modified organism) corn fibers. It does not contain any of the corn grain and it is tested to ensure that no corn allergens, mycotoxins, or corn proteins of any type are in the product.”

Fruit Sparx Candy Review

Sparx candies are tiny dot like goodies; they are on the hard side. I would recommend these for your older kids, just because you don’t want your younger kids swallowing a bunch of them at a time. My daughter and I shared a package and I really enjoyed them, she kind of wished they weren’t as hard to chew. You can get a great Halloween bag with all the flavors or order you favorite flavor directly from Xlear.com. They sell them in tubes and are only 1.49 each!

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V8 V-Fusion Refreshers

Posted by html404 on October 2, 2013
in All Natural Products, Family Stuff, Food and Treats, Health and Nutrition, Reviews, Uncategorized

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product and a gift card in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

We recently tried V8 V-Fusion Refreshers and were pleasantly surprised by their yummy flavors.

What are V8 V-Fusion® Refreshers?

New V8 V-Fusion Refreshers are a light and crisp juice drink with a 20-25% blend of fruit and vegetable juices that come in four delicious – and unique – family pleasing flavors. Made with both fruit and vegetable juices, V8 V-Fusion Refreshers are naturally sweetened, contain no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives and are an excellent source of Vitamin C.

V8 V-Fusion Refreshers are available in four tasty flavors, Black Cherry Berry, Cranberry Grape, Tangerine Passionfruit and Peach Strawberry, providing premium juice refreshments that will make the whole family happy.

We received Tangerine Passionfruit and Black Cherry Berry in 46 oz bottles. The ingredients of these two V8 VFusion Freshers are as follows:

Tangerine Passionfruit: Water, reconstituted vegetable juice blend, (water, concentrated juices of sweet potatoes, carrots), reconstituted fruit juice blend, (water, concentrated juice of apple, tangerine and passion fruit), sugar, contains less than 2% of citric acid (for flavor), natural flavoring, passion fruit concentrate, vitamin C (absorbic acid).

Black Cherry Berry: Water, reconstituted vegetable juice, (water, concentrated juices of purple carrots, sweet potatoes, carrots), reconstituted fruit juice (water, concentrated juice of apples, cherries, strawberries, red raspberries, black berries), sugar, contains less than 2% of citric acid (for flavor), malic acid, natural flavoring (contains pomegranate juice), vitamin C (absorbic acid), natural flavor.

All these ingredients do not look so bad to the naked eye, but the natural flavoring is obscure so I’d like to know what exactly it is, pretty please, V8?

V8 V-Fusion Refreshers Review

I turned to my dear husband for V8 VFusion Refreshers review photos, because as you know he adds a definite umpf to my blog posts. Remember, he’s the one who turns his nose up at most veggies, so getting him to drink something with the word vegetable in it was progress in and off itself. The children are easy!

Hamming up his taste testing….

Tentatively bringing the cup to his mouth….

Taking a drink…..

Mmmmm…..surprisingly good!

Ahhhh…..the Black Cherry Berry is refreshingly good!

Therefore, we have a winner! Both the V8 V-Fusion Refreshers Black Cherry Berry and Tangerine Passionfruit were a big hit among the children as well. They even asked if we could buy more. We found the V8 V-Fusion Refreshers were tasty, tasting more like fruit juice than vegetable juice. Personally, I preferred the Black Cherry Berry over the Tangerine Passionfruit because the Tangerine Passionfruit flavor tasted something like peach to me and I’m not a huge peach fan. Nevertheless, it didn’t stop me from going back for more later in the evening!

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Why is Organic Dairy So Important? #FightPesticides

Posted by html404 on September 17, 2013
in All Natural Products, Family Stuff, Farm Stuff, Food and Treats, Health, Health and Nutrition, Home, Organic, Safety, Uncategorized

This post is part of my application to become a Stoneyfield ambassador and I will receive Stoneyfield coupons for my participation. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Why is Organic Dairy So Important?

I know our family knows why organic dairy is so important but thought I’d share with you our reasons for wanting to eat and drink organic dairy to the point of owning our own cow. As you know, organic anything can be expensive, especially when buying for ten people. A huge reason for our buying a cow is so we could provide fresh milk for our family (and animals because we do share!). You also know from our Mariano’s shop, organic milk is around $7.99 per gallon at Whole Foods and Mariano’s. However, our reason for feeding her organic feed and hay is to be free of harmful pesticides (and GMOs – Genetically Modified Organisms) often used on crops. Now that we have our own pasture and hay, we know without a doubt our milk is organic, free of harmful GMOs. We have been supplementing Miss Moo with certified organic feed because when we brought her home she was underweight and want to fatten her up so she’s a good weight for her age and stage of lactation. We also know exactly what Miss Moo is fed, how she how the milk is handled and how she is cared for. We like knowing where our food comes from, and for our large family that means we are raising our own at this stage of our lives.

Don’t just take my word for it. Research it for yourself.

Resources:

http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/06/07/milk-101-whole-raw-organic-low-fat-etc/

http://www.utne.com/Environment/organic-milk-USDA-amendment.aspx#axzz2f5HSUr2e

http://www.realmilk.com/

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Robi Comb Review

Posted by Professor on September 12, 2013
in All Natural Products, Health, Parenting, Personal Care Products, Reviews, Uncategorized

Head lice problem? No worries ROBI COMB can help!

Robi Comb is Pesticide FREE, Chemical FREE, Oil Free, and Reusable 100’s of times!

What is Robi Comb?

From the makers of LiceGuard Robi Comb is a patented product that detects and destroys Lice on contact! Simply comb through DRY hair and when the electronic Robi Comb contacts lice, they get zapped and die!

What are the benefits?

Detects Lice - Just comb through dry hair
Destroys Lice on Contact
No Chemicals / Non-Toxic
No Mess, No Gels, No Oils
No Odor or Fragrance
Use Anywhere and Anytime on Dry Hair
Reusable and Economical

Remember that the Robi Comb is Safe and Effective
Parents are becoming wary of using dangerous chemical gels, oils and toxic shampoos that poison lice, because of serious health risks! These treatments use chemicals that are harmful to living things, and may cause harm to your children.

In addition, although lice can build up a resistance to pesticides used in other lice treatments, lice cannot become resistant to the Robi Comb. The Robi Comb works when chemicals shampoos fail.

VERY ECONOMICAL

The Robi Comb is also a very economical way to kill lice fast. Harsh chemical treatments and toxic shampoos cost between $9 – $15 a treatment. Most shampoos suggest between 2-4 treatments per out-break, per person. Compare that to 1 multi-use Robi Comb that can be used over and over, as often as you like. The Robi Comb can be stored and used repeatedly by the entire family!

Our Robi Comb review:

We are very fortunate to have NEVER (knock on wood) experienced a lice outbreak in our house. But let me tell you … if we ever come in contact with the little buggers ROBI COMB would be our first course of action. I am very leery of lice products that leech chemicals directly into the scalp…cannot be good right? The Robi Comb is a great alternative. It is electronic and non-invasive…just comb through the hair and zap the little buggers! Even though I use the word electronic and “zapping” the product does not hurt…at most it just tingles.

I also liked that the teeth of the comb are detachable from the product so it is easily cleaned and sanitized for the next user or future uses. For heavy users or people who like to keep things separate… you can buy replacement teeth and each person in your house could have their own “teeth” that just pops into the unit…if you are so inclined (much cheaper than buying a unit for each family member).

Overall this is a neat product and I am glad that a company has come out with an alternative to the harsh lice treatments that are currently on the market. I also noticed that the product is readily available at the local Walgreens or CVS…so it is SO convenient to get…no ordering online or waiting for shipments…simply go to your local store! Of course the product is available on line to our online shoppers… visit robicomb.com for their whole product line and ordering information!

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Bambo Nature

Posted by 278Wife on September 9, 2013
in All Natural Products, Baby Products, Diapers and Accessories, Uncategorized

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

If you are looking for the best eco-friendly diaper that is also the safest for your baby, look no further. Bambo Nature is the only company that is certified 100% free of dangerous chemicals and known allergens. This means no chemicals were used during raw material sourcing or production and there are absolutely no chemicals or additives on the diaper itself. Their diapers have one of the least environmental impacts, so they are very eco-friendly! Bambo Nature diapers are clinically tested for skin irritation and allergy, which means your baby has a very slim chance of getting a rash while wearing them. They are so open and transparent that they publish a complete list of their ingredients. Nothing is hidden.

I was very impressed by the softness of Bambo Nature diapers, they reminded me of a feathery pillow. They are very flexible, not stiff or itchy. The diapers are also unbelievably thin, yet extremely absorbent. My daughter always has a very full diaper in the morning and these diapers still kept her feeling comfortable. No leakage or wetness on the outside, either. The diapers are 100% breathable so they will release heat, humidity, and moisture. My daughter received absolutely no irritation or rash while wearing these diapers. She has had problems with some of the other big brand named diapers, so this was a big deal for me!

Another great feature of these diapers is the handy carrying handle on the top, how smart!

Bambo Nature has received many prestigious certifications, eco-labels, and awards including the Nordic Swan Eco-label and the FSC label. They come in 10 different sizes to accommodate premature babies all the way through potty training. So if you are looking for the safest, most absorbent, greenest, and reasonably priced disposable diaper for your baby, try Bambo Nature. You will not be disappointed!

http://www.bambo-nature.com/