Organic | Faith and Family Reviews

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Bella Organics

Posted by 278Wife on March 11, 2015
in All Natural Products, Beauty Products, Organic, Personal Care Products, Products for Mom, Reviews, Uncategorized

Keeping my family healthy is very important to me in many aspects. My husband and children have very sensitive skin so I have to be careful what I buy. Whenever possible I try to find natural and organic products for them. I find that organic products are worth the investment for the better of my family.

Bella Organics is a great company that has created an entire line of skincare products that are naturally organic. They contain no synthetic chemicals or toxic ingredients. They use only the best plant-based essential oils and extracts and their packaging is 100% recyclable. Bella Organics offers an array of products from lip balm, to body scrub, to deodorant, to baby items. I had the pleasure of trying Bella Organics Raspberry Lip Balm and Iced Lemonade Deoderant Crème.

First of all, I love that I can read all of the ingredients in the Raspberry Lip Balm; shea butter, almond oil, beeswax, coconut oil, raspberry extract, and stevia. It goes on smooth and made my lips feel silky. I was surprised that the lip balm lasted a couple of hours before needing to reapply. Their lip balms are available in a variety of flavors including mint, pina colada, and vanilla tangerine.

I wasn’t sure what to expect with the Iced Lemonade deodorant crème. Upon opening, I was immediately in love with the aroma. It instantly reminded of summer. I have never tried organic deodorant and never realized how toxic anti-perspirants are to the body. Bella Organics deodorant crèmes work simply by fighting bacteria and providing a pleasant scent to the underarms.

Overall, I would highly recommend Bella Organics. With so many organic skincare products to choose from, they have a product for everyone in the family.

http://lovebellaorganics.com/

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Veggie-Go’s

Posted by 278Wife on March 3, 2015
in All Natural Products, Children's Health, Food and Treats, Gluten Free, Health, Kids Stuff, Non-GMO, Organic, Reviews, Uncategorized

My kids eat very few vegetables. I either have to add a lot of cheese to mask the taste, or puree vegetables and sneak them into casseroles. Even then, my kids notice them. I have yet to find a way for them to eat vegetables willingly. That is until they tried Veggie-Go’s.

Veggie-Go’s are the original fruit AND veggie strip. These amazing strips provide half a serving of fruit and half a serving of vegetables. They are also GMO free, organic, gluten free, dairy free, soy free, vegan, and have no added sugar. The best part of all, they taste delicious! My kids had no idea they were eating vegetables or fruit, just a tasty snack. They even asked for more!

Veggie-Go’s come in some really unique varieties including Mountain Berry Spinach, Carrot Ginger, Cinnamon Spiced Beet, TropiKale, and Sweet Potato Pie. My son said his favorite one was the Mountain Berry Spinach. There is no way he would eat another one if I told him it was made with spinach and sweet potatoes! Veggie-Go’s are individually wrapped so they are great for on the go. They are available at your local Whole Foods as well as online at

www.nakededgesnacks.com

I highly recommend them, and definitely plan on buying more of them.

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Pet Gift Ideas: Treats

Posted by html404 on December 21, 2014
in All Natural Products, Animals, Holidays, Non-GMO, Organic, Pet Food, Pet Health, Pet Treats, Reviews, Uncategorized

We had the opportunity to review some pet treats not so long ago. Most of them were for our dog but we did get a little something for our cats too. We try hard to feed our animals healthy food and treats. We want them to live a long and healthy life and believe a healthy diet is a huge part in achieving this goal. If you have a pet on your Christmas list, Evanger’s has pet gift ideas to consider for the health of your pet. It is a new pet food brand to us, but here are some facts that we like about them:

Holiday and Kosher Pet Foods
Made in the USA
Over 40 certified Kosher meals for Dogs and Cats for Hannukah
Human-grade, USA-sourced ingredients
GMO-Free, No Preservatives
Even Grain Free

About Evanger’s

Dr. Fred Evanger began making pet food for his champion Great Danes in the 1930s. Almost 80 years later, Evanger’s continues to be the choice of top handlers, breeders, and enthusiasts. Our commitment to using the highest quality wholesome ingredients continues to make us the natural choice of conscientious pet owners.

Against the Grain

The following photos are of Against the Grain, Grain Free Jerky and another pellet like grain free treat that Padfoot is eating in the bottom photo.

Padfoot LOVED his treats, as you can see in the above photo! He really got into them.

Evanger’s Organics for Cats

We do not know about you but we usually share our holiday meals with our dog and cats. We have to get after the children for giving our pets our favorite pieces of meat! Evanger’s Organics for Cats has a healthy option of Turkey Butternut Squash Dinner, which your cat is sure to enjoy this Christmas or Hannukah season! I know ours did. I did not realize until after the fact that my photos of the cats eating did not turn out well so I do not have any photos of them gobbling down their treat. But I assure you they LOVED it!

You can find more information at www.evangerspetfood.com Your pet is sure to enjoy some of these new holiday favorites!

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Block Island Organics Sunscreen

Posted by Professor on September 21, 2014
in Beauty Products, Organic, Personal Care Products, Reviews, Uncategorized

Welcome to the world of ORGANIC sunscreen! I Love it! We love when products are organic and this is another great find!

Block Island Organics sunscreen is a non-toxic mineral sunscreen for face & body. It provides ultra lightweight non-comedogenic, broad spectrum UVA & UVB protection. Along with all the aforementioned attributes it is also WATER RESISTANT!

We liked that the sunscreen was fragrance free and instantly absorbs into the skin. Regular sunscreens take forever to rub into the skin … but this one takes only seconds to disappear and start working! THe sunscreen is mineral based and synthetic free… which is so nice to hear in such a chemical laden market!

The sunscreen we reviewed was the SPF 15. We found that it worked well for protection during the cooler months where face and neck were exposed. During the summer months at the beach or pool… we might opt for a stronger SPF…which Block Island DOES carry!

I must also mention that I used the sunscreen not only on my children but also on myself. I applied the sunscreen to my face as an added protection and it went on smooth and was not greasy at all. So often facial sunscreens feel heavy on the face… this one was very light. However, since I rarely wear makeup I cannot say how it would feel as an underlayer to foundation… but I am sure it would work well since it absorbs so quickly!

For a list of ingredients please CLICK HERE.

This is a great Organic product … please visit Block Island Organics to view this and their entire line of products. They are running a special right now … if you sin up for their newsletter you get 15% off your order!

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Natures Baby Organics & Giveaway

Posted by Professor on August 22, 2014
in Baby Products, Faith and Family Reviews Friday Giveaway, Giveaways, Kids Stuff, Organic, Personal Care Products, Reviews, Uncategorized

We are pleased to share another company which offers NATURAL Organic products for children.

This company developed their products specifically for children with skin irritants. Thus, they avoid using any ingredient in their product line that might irritate skin!
We were able to review five of their products. The products came well packaged and they are nice large sizes so you get quite a bit of product for your expenditure in natural products, which is delightful!

Children will look forward to jump into the tub with this fun new Bubble Bath. Made with 70% certified organic and the highest quality botanicals, essential oils and luxurious moisturizers. Our Bubbles are long lasting and extremely gentle so they will not dry or irritate baby’s tender skin, while the natural scents fills the air. Great for Babies and kids of all ages. Also Paraben free, SLS Free, 1-4 Dioxane Free, Synthetic Fragrance Free, Gluten Free & Vegan.

This was such a great bubble bath! My children really enjoyed being able to use a bubble bath again! The traditional bubble baths i buy in the store ALL irritate their skin and we have just forgone the pleasure of a sudsy bath time…but now I am pleased to say my children can bask in a sudsy bath once again with this product! …and boy are they delighting in bath time now that there are bubbles!

A Healing Balm for Minor Ouchies, Eczema and Irritated Skin.

Organic Tamanu Oil, Shea Butter, Sunflower Oil, & Coconut Oil.

Use Organic Soothing Stick to treat minor cuts, scrapes, burns and any dry patches. Rub or touch lightly onto skin to soothe and promote healing. A roll-up tube for easy application, it can go with you in your pocket, diaper bag or purse. Ideal even for chapped lips and winter cheeks – you’ll be surprised by how many uses you find for this convenient skin-soothing product. Gentle enough for baby, effective enough for the whole family. Fragrance Free Scent.

This was an interesting and exciting product! This worked wonders on my daughters Eczema outbreaks! We also found it worked well on skinned knees from bike rides and outdoor play. Cannot wait to see what uses winter brings!

Calms Dry, Sensitive Skin.

With Organic Aloe, Organic Chamomile, & Calendula.

When it comes to moisturizing and soothing the skin, nothing surpasses Aloe. It’s even ideal for those hard-to-treat irritations. Jojoba Oil and Aloe absorbs quickly, retains moisture and restores elasticity, leaving skin very soft to the touch. Calendula promotes healing and is gentle for delicate skin.

We liked that this product did what it said…without irritation and NO greasy feel! We also LOVE the fact that it is usable on the face. I have found that some products irritate or dry out the face if applied…NOT this one!!! It is AWESOME for sensitive and delicate skin!

Made with the highest quality botanicals, essential oils and luxurious moisturizers like shea butter to pamper you and your baby’s tender hair and skin without drying. You will love how this luxurious shampoo and body wash will bathe your skin in luxury. Also available in Vanilla Tangerine and Lavender Chamomile, in both 8oz. and 16oz

We LOVED that this is a combination shampoo and body wash! This makes life so much easier! We can use this product at home or at the gym when we take the children to swimming lessons… having a combo product certainly makes life easier when showering on the go at the health club!

This Conditioner uses organic & natural ingredients to provide an incredibly soft and manageable finish for your babies’ hair. Using ingredients such as Organic Aloe.

We LOVE that this product is a leave in or shampoo out product. My daughters’ hair is so easily tangled and this product is AWESOME at relieving those tangles and making brushing a breeze. We have used the product both as a leave in and have shampooed it out…either way it worked wonderfully! I can say that for hair that is severely tangled this worked well as a leave in conditioner to help alleviate the knots! My youngest is so pleased that the brushing routine in our house has gotten much easier with this product. No more crying when time to detangle!

Overall, Nature’s Baby Organics is doing a wonderful job at providing consumers with products that are Natural, organic and family friendly! We really enjoyed the product and hope you will take a moment to peruse their website and find your favorite products!

Natures Baby Organics Giveaway

In case the prize does not show up correctly in the rafflecopter, here’s the complete list of products you could win –
One winner for all five of these products:

1 – 16 oz. Shampoo & Conditioner Coconut Pineapple (New Scent!)

1 – 16 oz. Conditioner & Detangler Coconut Pineapple (New Scent!)

1 – 8 oz. Face & Body Moisturizer Fragrance Free

1 – 0.63 oz. Organic Soothing Stick Fragrance Free (USDA Certified)

1 – 12 oz. Bubble Bath Tangy Tangerine

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

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Garden Harvest – Wordless Wednesday

Posted by html404 on August 13, 2014
in Family Stuff, Farm Stuff, Food and Treats, Fun Stuff, Gardening, Health, Kids Stuff, Organic, Seasonal Stuff, Uncategorized, Wordless Wednesday

Garden Harvest

The little ones raided the garden one day and found these organic veggies! Can you say yummy garden harvest?

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The Benefits of Organic Beef Over Traditional Beef

Posted by html404 on August 4, 2014
in Animals, Farm Stuff, Food and Treats, Health, Health and Nutrition, Health and Wellness, Organic, Uncategorized

This is a partnered post.

Lately more and more food related articles can be seen in the headlines and on social media, which I think is great because consumers are becoming more aware of what they are eating and what they are putting into their bodies. From old news of mad cow disease to pink slime to buying all organic food and pastured meats, we are seeing an increase in interest and buying of organic, grassfed, NON-GMO products.

We use to buy traditional beef in the stores but stopped, finally, and ordered grassfed organic beef online from a farm which comes to the Green Market we sell at once a month. We order online and pick up on market day. It makes for very convenient ordering and buying.

So what are the benefits of organic beef over traditional beef?

The Benefits of Organic Beef Over Traditional Beef

1. No fillers (such as pink slime).

2. More Omegas-3 and much more nutritious. “In B-vitamins, beta-carotene (look for yellow fat), vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol), vitamin K, and trace minerals like magnesium, calcium, and selenium. Studies show grass feeding results in higher levels of conjugated linoleic acid, the “good” naturally occurring trans fat.” (Source: marksdailyapple.com)

3. No pesticides or chemicals. Generally speaking, organic and grassfed farms do not use pesticides or any other chemicals.

4. Cattle are happier and healthier. There are less diseases and illness among grassfed beef, if raised correctly. The cows get plenty of sunshine, fresh air and pasture. Only if a cow is not performing well or does not possess the breeding qualities a farmer wants to continue putting into his or her herd, will he or she cull (kill) or sell the cow.

5. NON-GMO. Most organic farmers do not use GMO products. Take us for example, when we planted our pasture we used NON-GMO seeds. Our grain that we feed our cows is organic, NON-GMO.

6. Less fat content. Organic, grassfed beef is typically lower in fat than traditional beef. That is why it has to be cooked slightly differently than traditional beef. (see #2).

If you would like to buy organic beef, visit
http://www.americanfarmersnetwork.com/beef.html

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Non-GMO Artisan Oils

Posted by html404 on July 25, 2014
in Food and Treats, Health, Health and Nutrition, Organic, Reviews, Uncategorized

We try really hard to eat healthy, and as I always say, we are a work in progress. As organic farmers, I think the difficult part is walking our talk, which means avoiding GMO products as much as humanly possible when there are no labeling laws in the state of Illinois or much of the United States for that matter. Here is an interesting article that includes a map graphic of how many states have labeling, which ones are reviewing it and which ones have done nothing: http://onforb.es/1ls9AUE). Walking the organic talk also means eating organic, which we do but we are not at 100% yet.

We love learning about companies committed to offering us organic, Non-GMO products. That’s why I was interested in working with Emile Noel Non-GMO Artisan Oils.

About Emile Noel

Emile Noel is a family run business, started by Emile Noël in Southern France. Their website states, “The Emile Noël oil mill offers only organic products – farmed without chemical fertilizers, synthetic pesticides or GMOs. In 1972, we were the first oil millers in France to press organically-farmed seeds.”

Emile Noel Non-GMO Artisan Oils offers a variety of organic, virgin-pressed oils including: mild olive, robust olive, sesame, toasted sesame, sunflower oil, sunflower spray, pumpkin seed, hazelnut, walnut, and sweet almond.

Review of Emile Noel Non-GMO Artisan Oils

We were sent a bottle of Sweet Almond oil. I have never used almond oil so at first I was at a loss as to how to use it. Then I decided I would substitute it for the oil we usually cook with.

We made egg muffins and used the Sweet Almond oil to cook the eggs in:

There wasn’t any difference in how the oil cooked the eggs and I don’t think we noticed anything different about the taste of the eggs either.

However, when I made homemade bread we definitely tasted a slightly nutty flavor and I don’t know if it was the oil or perfect weather but the bread turned out great, if I do say so myself! I just made regular bread with unbleached white flour.

For not having used almond oil before, I’d say that it was a good experience and you can expect us to purchase it in the future. I mean what was there not to like about the Sweet Almond oil? Nothing. My only concern would be finding a large enough bottle. I used the whole bottle making these two items. We usually buy most oils in a gallon size. But that isn’t going to be most families dilemma is it?

Visit http://usa.emilenoel.com/oils/seed/ for more information on these tasty non-GMO artisan oils.

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Stonyfield Greek Yogurt

Posted by html404 on May 2, 2014
in Farm Stuff, Food and Treats, Health, Health and Nutrition, Organic, Reviews, Uncategorized

I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again, our family loves yogurt. We recently tried Stoneyfield Greek Yogurt. It was delicious.

Did you know Greek yogurt has 20% of the recommended daily allowance of protein? And 30% of calcium? Greek yogurt also contains half the carbohydrates compared to regular yogurt — 5 to 8 grams per serving compared with 13 to 17! (Source: US News)

The store we where bought our Stonyfield Greek Yogurt only had Super Fruits, Blueberry, Strawberry Banana and I think that’s it. I can’t wait to try the other flavors. The night my husband brought the yogurt home everyone was hungry and I didn’t even get a chance to take personal photos! If we get to the store this weekend for more, I’ll try to take photos and add them!

Super Fruits ingredients:

Our Family Recipe Yogurt (Cultured Pasteurized Organic Nonfat Milk), Pomegranate, Raspberry, Acai Fruit Preparation (Organic Sugar, Organic Raspberry Puree, Organic Corn Starch, Organic Acai Puree, Organic Pomegranate Juice from Concentrate, Natural Flavor, Organic Fruit and Vegetable Juice Concentrates [For Color]), Organic Guar Gum).
Live Active Cultures S. thermophilus, L. bulgaricus, L. acidophilus, Bifidus, and L. casei

About Stonyfield Greek Yogurt

Facts:

0% fat and twice the protein of other yogurts

Made without the use of harsh pesticides or GMOs

Ingredients are bought from farmers Stoneyfield trusts

Certified USDA Organic

Their cows are not treated with artificial hormones or antibiotics and their cows are treated humanely.

Greek flavors:

Super Fruits
Black Cherry** newest flavor
Blueberry
Cafe Latte** newest flavor
Caramel
Chocolate
Honey
Lemon
Peach Mango
Pineapple
Plain
Raspberry
Strawberry
Vanilla

Our Review of Stonyfield Greek Yogurt

We really loved it! The flavors were great. The yogurt was thick, yummy and tasted delicious! I loved the blueberry.

What Stonyfield Greek Yogurt flavors appeal to you?

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Fresh Express Salad Swap Party #momsmeet #saladswap

Posted by html404 on March 23, 2014
in Coupons, Food and Treats, Health, Health and Nutrition, Health and Wellness, Organic, Reviews, Uncategorized

We were provided coupons in exchange for our hosting a Fresh Express salad swap party for Moms Meet. All opinions and thoughts are our own.

You all know we are trying to live a healthy lifestyle, including our eating habits. Our whole family enjoys salad. That’s why we were interested in this Fresh Express salad swap.
For the first time in two years, we’ve been battling a serious cold for the past month or so. But we also have mold in our rental home too so it is hard to discern what exactly is causing our illness at this point. Due to our illness, we rescheduled our Fresh Express Swap party a couple of times and finally opted to send our guests their coupons for them to try the Fresh Express Swap app themselves and send us their feedback and photos. The overall opinion was unanimous. Everyone enjoyed their Fresh Express salads!

Fresh Express Facts

•Fresh Express salads are thoroughly washed, rinsed, and gently dried, then sealed in patented “Keep-Crisp®” breathable bags to keep their just-picked freshness, without
preservatives.
• Fresh Express has a wide variety of products, including refreshing mixes and ready-to-eat kits. They also have a special USDA-Certified Organic line.
• Fresh Express salad mixes can vary in price, depending on the retailer, but typically cost between $2-$4 per bag.

The organic line did not seem to be easy to find in the stores we visited, which may just depend on the individual store’s buying/selling habits.

About the FREE Fresh Express Salad Swap App

The free Fresh Express Salad Swap App includes a variety of recipes and salad swaps, a progress tracker, motivation and inspiration, even additional Fresh Express coupons.

You can also participate in the 30 Day Salad Swap challenge and have a chance to earn more salad coupons. For every two salads you buy, you earn a coupon, which will be emailed to you. So if your new year’s resolution to lose weight or eat healthy has fallen by the wayside, this challenge could reboot your goal, plus give you great recipe ideas of how to swap out your favorite high calorie meals for a healthier alternative.

Here are a few screen shots to show you a little inside look at the app:

I wanted to know what would be a swap for blueberry pancakes (my favorite!) and this is the salad that came up:

Here’s what Magen thought of the app:

“Just tried the app … Wow! So cool! I am actually going to the store to try one of the swaps now. Going to try the lemon tilapia with Kale! I like that it has a calorie tracker and that you can put in what you are craving and it actually gives you an EASY option to trade with which are yummy!”

Download the Salad Swap app at 30daysaladsswap.com

Fresh Express Salad Swap Party

I opted to do a sandwich version of this Salad swap – Grown up Ham and Cheese but with my own twist.

I used wheat bread, Fresh Express Baby Spinach, deli ham, colby cheese, raw honey and mustard. I made it like a grilled cheese sandwich in a frying pan but instead of butter I used coconut oil, which heated up waayyy too fast…and they say coconut oil does not burn? Yes it does. This was my first time trying to substitute coconut oil with butter. I think next time I’ll have everything ready before I turn on the burner! I’ll blame it on being in a hurry and my head being clogged from this cold.

Rosemarie shared:

“If you’re craving a favorite comfort food search Fresh Express Recipes for a delicious Salad Swap. I love Middle Eastern cuisine and falafel are one of my favorites. I was eager to try the Roasted Chickpea and Cucumber Salad with Lemon Feta Vinaigrette. It had the zesty flavors. I love and the firm and crunchy Fresh Express Leafy Green Romaine held up great under the roasted chickpeas. This Salad Swap was a healthy alternative that I would make again.”

Magen and her family opted to do the Bacon Caesar salad kit:

Here’s what they had to say about the salad, “We loved Fresh Express Salad. My daughter had a friend over and they could not wait to tear into the bag for lunch. They even started eating it before I could serve it at the table. Fresh express salad was very tasty and we LOVED their “kit” option!”

Here is what Jamie said:

“I enjoyed a lovely cheeseburger salad.”

There is a Fresh Express salad coupon available online for YOU at greenmomsmeet.com/freshexpress and you can learn more about Fresh Express by visiting their social media sites:

FreshExpress.com (click on their store locator for stores carrying Fresh Express)

Facebook.com/FreshExpressSalads

Pinterest.com/FreshExpress