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Twist’n Pop Easy Drink Straw Cup

Posted by html404 on April 16, 2011
in Eco Friendly 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.

If you are not familiar with BornFree products you should get to know them! I highly recommend them. They are free of dangerous chemicals such as Bisphenol-A (BPA), Phthalates and PCV. BPA is a known estrogen mimicker that is used in the production of polycarbonate plastic. Remember the huge controversy over safe plastics? Well this is culprit. According to researchers it may cause developmental and neurological problems in our kids. Not good. That is why we have been slowly switching our old products over to the so-called good plastics.

Another important aspect is the venting system that BornFree has designed to reduce colic and middle ear infections. We have not had very much problems with our kids having colic or ear infections, thankfully, but I know for others this has been a struggle.

My Review

We received a Twist’n Pop Easy Drink Straw Cup. It is a toddler cup that holds 14 ounces, has a twist straw mouth with a pop-up soft silicone straw that keeps the straw clean if it falls to the ground. The cup dissembles for easy cleaning. My toddler uses this cup with ease. He loves it and so does his little brother, Go-Go Boy! Go-Go Boy tends to use the straw to gum on – he’s teething and has two big chompers bulging out on top. Once those are through no more gumming the straw!

I love the little grips that are on the side to help prevent slipping from a child’s hands. The straw is durable and it is leak free when it is twist shut. Bonus feature in my book!

This cup comes in four cool colors as shown in the photo above. We received the green one.

Two thumbs up for the new BornFree Twist’n Pop Easy Drink Straw Cup!

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Earth Month Deals

Posted by html404 on April 15, 2011
in Deals, Eco Friendly Products

It is Earth Day next week, April 22 and if you have any interest at all in a green lifestyle then you might want to celebrate by checking out some green retailers and their spring deals.

If you are interested in shopping for more green products, you have to check out the products that Gaiam carries. They carry household products, apparel and a lot more.

25% Off Sale at Gaiam

Gaiam’s Green Sale! Save 25% off all-natural Bedding Basics: comforters, pillows and mattress pads. Hurry, inventory is limited – sale ends 4.15.11

Organic Gardening Magazine

I love reading about organic gardening and keep adding to my collection.

Organic Gardening Magazine Exclusive Offer: SAVE 50% + FREE Trial Issue + FREE Recipes! *Official Site*

Organic Baby Sleepers

Organic cotton is so soft. We love it (on the few items we own) and have found a local supplier for t-shirts for our farm – Made in the USA even. It has been a while since we purchased anything from Hanna Andersson, but the dresses we bought back in 2003 held up very nicely and I even still have mine. Granted it only gets worn when I have not been nursing, but still it is in excellent condition. So be sure to check out this deal:

Hanna Andersson Organic Cotton Baby Sleepers Now Only $25!

FREE Shipping Deals

For the month of April only in honor of Earth Day, The Ultimate Green Store is offering FREE GROUND SHIPPING for all orders over $50 w/code: EARTHDAY.

They are also launching LIVESTRONG SUNSCREEN (also known as THINKSPORT LIVESTRONG SUNSCREEN). This safe sunscreen is great for athletes and everyone in the family. Saled help to support Lance Armstrong’s LIVRSTRONG’s brand’s fight against cancer. You can offer 10% OFF all orders w/ code LIVESTRONG.

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Let’s Do Lunch

Posted by html404 on April 12, 2011
in Eco Friendly Products, Food and Treats

This was a cool video done by Kelly Lester, of EasyLunchBoxes.com and celebrity guest, Sam Harris, thought it was worth sharing since we really like the EasyLunchboxes!

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Eco Tip

Posted by html404 on April 12, 2011
in Eco Friendly Products, Tuesday Tip

Reuse!! There are several websites to help with this:

Ebay
Freecycle.org
Barter Bee
Recyclers World
Throwplace.com

Just to name a few:)

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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!

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.

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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FFR Giveaway-BPA-Free Beginning Solids Kit Review and Giveaway

Posted by html404 on February 18, 2011
in Contests, Eco Friendly Products, Faith and Family Reviews Friday Giveaway

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

We were sent a BPA Free Beginning Solids Kit by Soft Landing and here is what it contains:

# One small DexBaby Dura-bib; colors & patterns vary
# Two Nuby Nibblers
# Set of three Sassy Feeding Bowls with lids and super grip base
# One Play and Learn Training/Teething Spoon (the spoon will not be packaged since they come in a 2pk and we are opening the package for the sampler)

We really like this kit. The kit contains everything you need to feed your baby (but the food!). The bib gives your babies clothing complete coverage from food spills, so that is really nice. It also cleans up nicely with a good scrub or toss in the washer. The Nuby Nibblers will let your baby eat food without choking on it, which I love! The Sassy Feeding Bowls lids snap shut and they come in 3 different sizes. The feeding bowls also come with a super grip base that grips to your table so your baby can’t knock it off. The Training/Teething spoon is a multipurpose spoon that can be used for feeding your baby, but my 6 month old has been using the spoon as a teething ring too and it works great.

I love that this kit is Eco-Friendly and BPA free! And all in all I think it’s wonderful kit and I highly recommend it! We really couldn’t find much wrong with it except the Nuby Nibblers are messy and a nuisance to clean.

Enter to win a BPA Beginning Solids Kit! Estimated value $25.00

Mandatory Entry: Tell me what else you would like from Soft Landing.

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 Soft Landing on Twitter.

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

1 Entry: Like Soft Landing 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 beginning solids kit! http://bit.ly/hexXEI @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!

1 Entry: For every comment you leave on Soft Landing’s blog.

Details:

This giveaway will run from February 18th- March 4th, 2011 at midnight CST. The winner will be chosen through Random.org. Soft Landing will send one winner their BPA-Free Beginning Solids Kit. ($25 value) Winner will be contacted via email on or before March 10th 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 internationally.

Thanks and have fun!

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Hefty Basics Paper Plates

Posted by html404 on February 12, 2011
in Eco Friendly Products, Houseware

em>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.

I love it when PR people stumble upon our blog because I am always surprised at what they pitch. This time it was a line of of paper plates that are biodegradable in-home composting and free of inks, dyes or coatings. Hefty® Basics™ paper plates are stronger than everyday plates at a value price, and provide a eco-friendly choice. We were sent the 45-count 8 5/8-inch lunch plate packages and 24-count 10 1/4-inch dinner plate packages.

We love these paper plates. They are very sturdy. And they hold up really well with juicy foods and can be carried with one hand. We even used ours for chili. We didn’t get to test how bio-degradable they are however but we wish we could have.

In the spirit of environmentalism, Hefty® Basics™ has partnered with the Arbor Day Foundation™ on a quest to plant 10,000 trees, one for every ten new “Like”s on Facebook and we’d greatly appreciate your support by spreading the word! like them here-http://www.facebook.com/Hefty.BasicsTableware

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Review ~ Eco Bling reusable shopping tote

Posted by Professor on February 9, 2011
in Eco Friendly Products, Family Stuff, Fun Stuff, Shopping, Uncategorized

I received the Eco Bling bag featured above to review. I personally LOVE the idea of reusable bags, not only are they eco-friendly but they are cute too! One thing that sets this bag apart from other reusable bags is the cute design on the face of the bag. Even though it is a “brand” symbol on the front it is much cuter than the grocery store emblem plastered across the front of many bags I own. I feel very stylish when I pull this bag out to carry goods home! The only downfall of the facial design is the color…white…white gets dirty very easily, and although the bag can be washed I find it gets dirty very easily.

One plus to this bag is that there is a little pocket on the inside, which can fit keys, credit cards, or a wallet. The pocket is a very handy feature. The bag is also very large …the height of the bag is wonderful; it far surpasses the height of my other bags, making it very deep. It can easily hold a large cereal box or two with room to spare! However, I do have to say that the width leaves something to be desired. I personally like wide box bottom bags, but this is a personal preference …the eco bling bag is the standard width of most reusable bags …so if you have never experienced the luxury of having a wide box bottom bag…you will not miss the feature! I also wish the handles on the bag were larger so that I could throw it over my shoulder…as designed it has to be held in the hand or over the elbow.

Overall, this is a delightful bag, one that I will definitely add to my stash of reusable bags when I go on a shopping adventure! Kudos to Eco Bling for making a fashionable shopping tote!