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Archive for Organic

Happy Family #hfbrightside

Posted by html404 on July 26, 2013
in All Natural Products, Baby Products, Contests, Eco Friendly Products, Family Stuff, Food and Treats, Fun Stuff, Health, Health and Nutrition, Humor, Kids Stuff, Organic, Parenting

Readers familiar with our blog and family know that we value healthy eating and living. We try to promote products our family is personally interested in and enjoys. We review a lot of green, eco-friendly and organic products because we want to use products that are safe for the whole family. As beginning organic farmers, we desire to eat organic foods, including snacks, because we want to provide only the best food possible for our children. Their future health depends on it.

Happy Family

Happy Family offers organic meals and snacks for infants and toddlers (older children will love them too – ours did!). They are also great for traveling.

Happy Family products are a wholesome start for babies and are organic meals and snacks that your toddler will love, ours did!

Specific Happy Family products include: Happy Baby, Happy Tot, Happy Bellies, Happy Puffs, Happy Yogis, Happy Squeeze and more. Our children loved everything we tried and have asked for more! If you want to learn more about their full line of products or specific nutritional information, visit www.HappyFamilyBrands.com

Happy Family – Bright Side Campaign

As parents of eight children, we know how hard it can be at times to get a child to eat what is put before them. We do not require them to eat a plateful of something they do not like but they have to at least try a little bit of it. We learned that the hard way with our oldest child when she was little and now our youngest children thank us (or maybe not) for our foresight. (wry smile). We actually made her eat a bowlful of broccoli for fussing about it. Amazingly, she loves it to this day. However, we no longer require a full portion of anything be eaten if a child does not like it! That’s our “Bright Side” story because it did end well for all of us and we can laugh about it now. Though at the time it was an ordeal.

Happy Family’s Bright Side Campaign is a campaign that shares:

Stories in a a humorous light on food and feeding challenges that parents have through sharing funny stories told by top bloggers that are then acted out by improv troupe the Upright Citizen’s Brigade.

Happy Family wants YOU to share your personal “Bright Side” or funny feeding stories about food and the challenges that come with raising your children. Part of this campaign includes a sweepstakes. Happy Family will pick a funny feeding story to award $20K towards a child’s college education (the rules and regulations are on their Facebook page). To share your story or to view the contest rules visit: https://www.facebook.com/HAPPYFAM/app_512040132171168

For an example of a funny feeding story, watch the video below of Fellow blogger’s, Jim Lin from Busy Dad Blog, special feeding tactics – be prepared to laugh!

And don’t forget to share your own funny feeding story on Happy Family’s Facebook page for a chance to win $20K towards your child’s education! https://www.facebook.com/HAPPYFAM/app_512040132171168 . If you share your story or link on Twitter, be sure to use the hashtag #hfbrightside.

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Summer on the Farm – Wordless Wednesday

Posted by html404 on July 10, 2013
in All Natural Products, Animals, Family Stuff, Farm Stuff, Food and Treats, Gardening, Home, Organic, Wordless Wednesday

We are having an extremely busy summer. So busy that I am taken aback that we are nearly half way through July! Summer has always been my favorite season, though I enjoy the others. My birthday is during the summer and my mom always made birthday time FUN! From sleepovers to camp outs to a day on the lake, I always had a blast. Summer on the farm is fun too or not so fun in some instances, as we’ve had a couple of disasters (our sized disasters that is, as we realize there are much worse disasters happening). We lost 17 of our 29 broilers on the way to processing due to them overheating – expensive. Our new batch of turkeys were shipped over the 4th of July and we lost over half of them. Now I am struggling to find a local source for turkeys to save on the stress of having them shipped.

On the brighter side, our egg business is growing. We have been selling out of eggs for the past 3 weeks. So we started to increase our flock again. We purchased 6 month old Rhode Island crosses, much like our Red Sex Links. Not a heritage breed like our original flock but very good producers. We also purchased 13 Silkies. They have poofy hair and feet. Our youngest daughter asked for the baby chicks, who are not so little, so she’s been taking care of them. The mamas are very broody so we are hoping to hatch out some more eggs! Here’s to hoping for the best.

Due to the shipping fiasco with our turkeys, we purchased a breeding trio of Bourbon Red turkeys. This is a heritage breed and may be a little bigger than our Midget White turkeys. We now have five “pet” turkeys. Our neighbor hatched two of our Midget White eggs and we would have had an additional two turkeys, but during a mating session the Tom smothered them beneath Brownie, our hen. Lots of death around our farm lately. One of my children’s words not mine. But I quite agree.

Animals are not the only thing that has been keeping us busy. Berry picking has too. We found some mulberry bushes (more like trees to be honest) at the back of our property and we’ve been picking those pretty regularly.

Then we have been visiting area berry farms to pick strawberries and raspberries. Next on the list is blueberries! Next year we are planning on planting more berries here on the farm, as most of our plants did not produce much due to us moving them from the townhouse to the farm in the spring.

We have also been working hard to get all our fall planting done or most of it, as we will be planting more greens in a month’s time. We bought some transplants from friends’ farms to make up for our spring greenhouse disaster, which will hopefully help us have some veggies in late July/early August. The pepper plants are from one friend’s farm in Wisconsin. They were a little stressed since we did not get them planted right away. Our little ones even help in the garden.

We enjoy growing our own organic meat and vegetables, but it certainly is not without its challenges and hard work!

How’s your summer going?

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Wood Pallet Herb Garden – Wordless Wednesday

Posted by html404 on July 3, 2013
in DIY Projects, Family Stuff, Farm Stuff, Fun Stuff, Gardening, Home, Organic, Wordless Wednesday

Wood Pallet Herb Garden – Wordless Wednesday

If you click on the photo it’s not so blurry. I don’t know why the editing program does that to photos!

This post was inspired by http://www.repeatcrafterme.com/2013/05/wooden-pallet-herb-garden.html?showComment=1372278599739&m=1 but I did not originally hear about it from her. I can’t even remember where I learned of this unique way to recycle pallet and plant a wood pallet herb garden. All I remember is seeing the idea and liking it. Then when we got our bags of soil, still on a wood pallet, I told the family I wanted to keep the wood pallet for an herb garden.

This was very easy to do. I just took a small roll of landscaping fabric and stapled it to the bottom of the wood pallet. Then my husband and I filled it up with about 2.5 bags of organic soil mix (sorry cannot remember the size of the bags right now), added some perlite and then planted our herbs.

We planted from left to right: rosemary, chives, curly leaf parsley, oregano and basil in the last two rows. These plants all came from a friend’s farm. She specializes in transplants, has a greenhouse; and since we never got our herbs planted from seed we got these from her. I’ll have to let you know how well the plants grow in this wood pallet herb garden, as this is the first time we’ve tried growing something this way.

We still have fennel, more parsley and oregano to plant, as well as all our fall planting…amidst everything else – one monthly market, a weekly market and possibly a corporate market for just five weeks this summer. Oy!

So much to do and so little time….We cannot wait to cook with our own herbs and share them with our CSA members (Consumer Supported Agriculture) and customers! Here’s to hoping the plants yield enough for all.

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Sambazon Smoothies Review & Giveaway

Posted by html404 on June 1, 2013
in All Natural Products, Family Stuff, Food and Treats, Health, Health and Nutrition, Organic, Reviews

Disclaimer: I received Sambazon Smoothies and Juices coupons for free from the sponsor of the Moms MeetSM program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms MeetSM 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.

I have mentioned time and again that we really try to eat well. I’ve also shared how much our family enjoys fruit smoothies and green smoothies, which we usually make at home with our blender. However, we learned of a pre-made product called Sambazon Smoothies and Juices that peeked our interest. Sambazon also has superfood juices as well.

Sambazon Smoothies Facts:

Sambazon smoothies and juices are made with the finest organic Amazon
Superfoods™ on the planet such as Açaí [Ah-sigh-ee], Acerola [Ah-sir-o-la], and
Yerba Mate [Yur-ba Mah-tay].
• Their juices and smoothies are available in ten different delicious flavor varieties,
and packed with antioxidants and healthy omega 3-6-9s.
• All Sambazon Superfood juices are NON-GMO, USDA organic, vegan, gluten-free,
and provide whole food nutrition.
• A bottle of Sambazon Superfood juice (10.5 ounces) retails for $2.99.

Sambazon Smoothies Review

My two year old and I really enjoyed the Sambazon Smoothies and Juices. We tried the Blended Breakfast Smoothie with Strawberry, Banana, Chia and Ancient Grains (Amaranth & Quinoa) and Acai Superfood Juice. They tasted like green smoothies to me. The juice is not as thick as the smoothie. Not too sweet but not bitter either. I cannot say I noticed any difference in how my toddler or I felt after drinking the Sambazon Smoothies and Juices but appreciate the nutrition they provided our bodies.

I thought they were a little pricey for such a small bottle, but have come to accept that we often have to pay premium prices for good food. I also found not all smoothies and juices are available at all locations so if you decide to look for them check for their availability and store locations on Sambazon’s website.

Feel free to follow Sambazon on Facebook and Twitter. Please use the hashtag #momsmeet. And be sure to enter the giveaway below so you have a chance to try Sambazon Smoothies and Juices too.

Sambazon Smoothies Giveaway

One winner will receive three free product vouchers, plus a wooden bowl and spoon (pictured in the photo above) valued at $45. Giveaway prizes will be sent to the winners directly by Moms Meet.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Wallaby Organic Greek Yogurt

Posted by html404 on May 14, 2013
in All Natural Products, Family Stuff, Food and Treats, Health, Health and Nutrition, Organic, Reviews, 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.

Our family loves yogurt. We’ve even made it ourselves and plan to do it again once our garden is planted. So when a Wallaby Yogurt review opportunity presented itself I agreed to do it. We had tried Wallaby Yogurt before but had not tried their new Greek Yogurt.

Wallaby Organic Greek Yogurt is smooth, silky, creamy and yummy. If you don’t know the difference between regular yogurt and Greek yogurt it’s the thickness and texture, in my opinion. It stays on the spoon better for kids (and adults too!) Sometimes, but not always Greek yogurt has less sugar in it. It depends on the brand and of course the fruit flavor.

My hubby brought home blueberry because it’s one of my personal favorites. The yogurt and blueberries were in separate sections like so:

Then I mixed them together like this:

The only thing I didn’t like was the curve of the container made it hard to get all the blueberries out of the bottom. I actually used the end of my spoon to get as much as I could out and added to my yogurt. The more blueberries the better in my book. Spoken like a true Bluenoser (person from Nova Scotia ) I think one of those new inventions shown on the show Shark Tank called Spatty (and the larger one Spatty Daddy) would have come in handy to get all the blueberries out.

Otherwise the yogurt was delicious and definitely one we’d buy again.

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Moody Sisters Organic Skincare Review and $25 Gift Card Giveaway!

Posted by html404 on March 29, 2013
in All Natural Products, Eco Friendly Products, Giveaways, Kids Stuff, Organic, Personal Care Products, Reviews, Shopping

Looking for a line of skincare products that are not only organic, but are safe for the whole family? Look no further. Moody Sisters Organic Skincare is a company committed to bringing skincare back to the basics. Not only are all of the ingredients natural and organic, all of their products are homemade. Since they are homemade they are made fresh weekly. All of their products are chemical free, preservative free, paraben free, and organic. I had the opportunity to try two of their many skincare products.

The first was their Travel Intense Cream. It is suggested to be used for dry hands, feet, elbows, or at night for intense hydration. My elbows are always dry, especially in the winter. I placed just a dab of the cream on each elbow twice a day, and within three days my elbows were smooth as ever! I have tried many different moisturizers for my elbows and none of them have worked that fast. I also tried the Travel Intense Cream on my feet since they get dry this time of year, too. The first night I rubbed some on the bottom of each foot and put on some socks to lock in the cream. When I woke up I noticed a big difference in the dryness. I did the same thing for three nights in a row and could not believe how soft my feet were. Now I use it everyday on my feet and elbows after I shower to maintain. I cannot believe how well it worked. I like that a little bit of the cream goes a long way. The Travel Intense Cream is similar to a paste, but goes on smooth. It is not oily and it has an absolute wonderful smell to it. It is made with sweet almond oil, apricot kernal oil, cocoa butter, beeswax, water, green tea, aloe, oats, juniper berry, vitamin E, herbal extracts and essential oils. I would recommend it for anyone that has dry skin; you will not be disappointed!

Next I tried their Baby Wipe Solution. The solution can be used for reusable wipes or as a feminine hygiene cleanser. I used it with their Natural Bamboo Baby Wipes. Their reusable wipes are ultra soft and the perfect size for babies. They even stay soft after repeated washes. I wish they would make them in adult towel sizes, they are that amazingly soft. The solution came out almost like water and it was easy to spread over the wipe. It smelled absolutely wonderful and I feel it cleaned just as well as disposable wipes, if not better. I really like that the solution is free of chemicals. Some babies have such sensitive skin, that this solution is perfect for all babies. The Baby Wipe Solution is made with water, aloe juice, castile soap, sunflower oil, oat extract, vitamin E, lavender, rose, and tea tree oil.

Overall I was very impressed with the products from Moody Sisters Organic Skincare. They have an entire line of products for all skin types and ages including toners & scrubs, lip & eye products, and body care products. I would highly recommend these products to anyone looking for a quality skincare product that works. What a bonus that they are organic and handmade, too! Check out their website www.moodysistersskincare.com for some great homemade organic recipes you can make at home.

Remember to check out the giveaway below!

Moody Sisters Organic $25 Gift Card Giveaway!
by Theresa

The mission of Moody Sisters is:

Happy {Healthy} Skin for the Whole Family. Tiny Tots to Tiny Grandmas. Bringing skincare back to the basics, using only natural and organic ingredients handmade by two sisters from Cashmere, WA. Changing the way we take care of our skin and earth, one bottle at a time.

For this reason they are able to sell on Etsy, so be sure to check out their store there!

In addition to this giveaway, you might be interested in this offer:

Sign up for FREE SHIPPING on your next order: https://www.facebook.com/#!/moodysisters/app_100265896690345. If you become a Moody Sisters FB fan, you can enter their weekly contests too.

Now onto the giveaway….

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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PROBAR Review

Posted by Professor on March 28, 2013
in All Natural Products, Exercise, Food and Treats, Health, Health and Nutrition, Organic, Products for Dad, Products for Mom, Reviews

The PROBAR Company’s goal is to change how the world thinks when it comes to real, whole food. PROBAR products are proof that a food maker can wholeheartedly commit to quality, sustainability—and sheer deliciousness. Part of the Simply Real® promise is sourcing the finest all-natural, 100% vegan organic ingredients from growers who believe in these things as well. As you check out their products, they all have one thing in common: they start with only the best raw ingredients.

There are 4 PROBAR products to choose from:

PROBAR Meal ~ This PROBAR weighs in at a solid three ounces of fruits, nuts and seeds with enough nutrition to make a fresh, tasty, satisfying meal replacement. It’s rich in raw ingredients and the right nutrient-dense calories for lasting energy and nourishment.

PROBAR Core ~ Looking for a protein bar that resembles nature rather than a science experiment? Good…because they have packed 20 grams of plant protein and plenty of real, recognizable ingredients into this bar. And it does more than build your strength – it boasts chia seeds for hydration and recovery too.

PROBAR Bolt ~ These organic chews step up your game right when you need it. They’re packed to power you from morning workouts to race days. Plus, they’re loaded with electrolytes, B vitamins, antioxidants and complex carbs for fast fuel-ups that last through the home stretch.

PROBAR Fuel ~ Go ahead, dig in and fuel up with this gluten-free bar’s superfruits, cashews and oats. It’s soft, chewy, and it’s a full serving of fruit – a scrumptious snack for action packed days. We balanced this blend with chia seeds to regulate hydration and raw oats for easy-to-digest energy.

PROBAR Halo ~ Satisfying your sweet tooth with zero grams of guilt. Introducing PROBAR Halo™, the delicious between meals treat that’s designed to do your body good. With natural whole food ingredients and heavenly taste, these bars have such big flavors they take on a personality all their own.

Our PROBAR Review:

We received the following products from PROBAR: PROBAR Meal (Superberry and Greens), PROBAR Core (Peanut Butter Chocolate), PROBAR Bolt (Raspberry).

These are VERY good bars. I enjoyed the flavor and quality of each type of bar.

PROBAR Meal (Superberry and greens)

This bar goes beyond what I thought it could do…it REALLY fills you up! When they say a meal replacement they mean meal replacement! I was surprised when I opened the package and saw how green the bar was…I was glad because I know I do not eat enough “greens” and this bar is packed full of vital nutrients! As for taste… I enjoyed the flavor of the bar… for some it might be an acquired taste if you have never had a meal replacement bar. But, if you have had meal replacement bars before this one stands out in quality and flavor. The texture and balance of the ingredients was very nice on the tongue! This product is NON-GMO product verified.

Check out the ingredients and nutritional information here: PROBAR Meal Replacement Superberry and Greens

PROBAR Core (Peanut Butter and Chocolate)

These are EXCELLENT! I am a chocolate lover… so I was pleased to see a protein bar in my favorite flavor! I have tried other protein bars before and these surpass the other brands in quality and taste. They are very flavorful and pack a punch of 20 grams of protein. I was not disappointed. This product is Gluten-Free!

Check out the ingredients and nutritional information here: PROBAR Core (Peanut Butter & Chocolate)

PROBAR Bolt (Raspberry)

This was a very nice alternative for fast fuel ups for workouts! I enjoyed this flavor immensely! These are not a bar but a “chew” reminiscent of a “gummy bear”. These are wonderful performance aides. Since I am not an avid runner or workout aficionado … I gave some samples to my brother who is a power lifter and he attested that they are a great way to boost a workout!

Check out the ingredients and nutritional information here: PROBAR Bolt (Raspberry)

OVERALL… I was delightfully surprised at the taste and texture of the products along with the nutritional values contained in the product. I do also have to add that the products are 100% Vegan ORGANIC … how wonderful!

To learn more about the PROBAR company and their products, please visit their website www.theprobar.com

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.

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Baby Gourmet…mmm good!

Posted by 278Wife on January 3, 2013
in All Natural Products, Baby Products, Food and Treats, Organic, Reviews, Travel

Baby Gourmet is a healthy, organic, and nutritious food for your baby. They come in three different stages. Stage 1 is for babies 6 months and older, stage 2 is for babies 7 months and older, and stage 3 is for babies 8 months and older. All of their foods are organic, contain no thickeners or fillers, contain no added sugar or salt, and are kosher. Each stage of foods has three different flavors to choose from, for a total of nine different products.

My favorite feature of this product is their packaging. It’s in a resealable pouch that can be served warm or cold. It does not require any spoon, just squeeze and feed! It is so convenient to throw in my diaper bag when I know I’m going to be out, and I have a meal already prepared and ready. I can’t wait to bring them with when we go for long car rides. Rather than pulling over to feed my baby, or trying to feed her with a spoon in the car, I can just feed her the pouch while we are on the move.

I cannot say enough positive things about this product. They taste fantastic (Tropical Banana Bliss was the favorite in our house), are extremely convenient, and are a healthy choice for babies and even toddlers on the go. Here’s their website for more information and to find out where you can buy them:

www.babygourmet.com

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eco.kid’s Giveaway

Posted by html404 on December 28, 2012
in Giveaways, Kids Stuff, Organic, Personal Care Products

eco.Kids is hosting a giveaway with us! You can read our review of them on the blog: Kim’s review

eco.kid’s products are all natural and safe for your babies. We love how they also work. Unlike most organic products that only do half the job, these do more then their fair share. Plus they smell good too!

You can enter to win below! They are giving away ten products. Which adds up to five winners winning two products each.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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5 Last Minute Stocking Stuffers

Posted by html404 on December 22, 2012
in Eco Friendly Products, Fun Stuff, Gift Ideas, Holidays, Kids Toys, Organic, Reviews, Seasonal Stuff, Shopping, Techie Stuff, Technology/Electronics

If you are heading out shopping this weekend and still need a few stocking stuffers, we have some ideas for you! Below are some products we have recently tried and reviewed or have used in the past. From techie stuff to kids toys, there are last minute stocking stuffers for nearly everyone in the family!

1. Shredz. We got our first snow the other day and our boys have been outside playing with their new Shredz action figures and accessories. The boys really like them! The photos speak for themselves.

2. Eco.Ditty. Eco.Ditty is a company that offers eco-friendly, organic cotton, reusable sandwich and snack bags.

3. Fruit. My mom use to always put a huge apple and orange in our stockings. We never saw that size of fruit any other time of the year.

4. Love’s Christmas Journey DVD. We won this movie in a drawing or something and received it this week. Planning on watching it this weekend or sometime over Christmas.

5. PlayMG. PlayMG is a portable mobile gaming device. It is very cool. So cool that my husband and I have enjoyed playing NBA Jam. If you knew us, you’d know that we both love basketball both watching and playing, but don’t do much of either anymore. Though PlayMG is a pricier item for a stocking stuffer, it is the size of a perfect last minute stocking stuffer, especially if you are stuck in what to get a special someone. No need to buy extra equipment, as it uses a standard cell phone charger to charge. Accessories can be purchased separately, like a case, charger etc.

We have really been enjoying learning to us our PlayMG, but I wouldn’t say it hasn’t been as user friendly as I would like. It took me an email and a couple calls to support and I still cannot get the internet to work even though my WiFi says it is connected. I have to call them again after Christmas. The game has frozen on us a couple of times causing us to reset it by pressing the brightness and volume down buttons, which I need to ask about. Support has been great though.

There were a couple of cards like this and that was the extent of instructions. It came beautifully packaged though in a nice box that slide out like a drawer. Too bad my children sort of wrecked ours already or I could show you how nice it was.

I will say that so far the PlayMG has been a motivator for my boys (9 and nearly 11) to do their chores, so it is working in the sense that I want it too. I like that it is portable and needs no other service other than WiFi and it will work with our NetZero device. I also like that we can use the Bill My Parents card. I added $20 to it and Bill My Parents added another $10, so I can use that as an extra incentive for chores. OR if certain individuals are not complying then I can say I get to spend the money instead. Hoping I don’t have to resort to that but if I have to play hard ball I will!

The Bill My Parents card works like a debit card but teens cannot overspend if there is no money on the card. Parents can be notified via email of purchases etc., but they will not be able to get a report of websites visited or what their kids watched. That’s a downfall, if you ask me. I like that it’s a debit card. Now that my girls are getting older, it will be a useful tool to use to educate them about responsible credit card use.

Overall, we like PlayMG, I just wish more instructions came with the device on how to get everything set up -email, internet etc. This is a great device that gets my children OFF my iPhone and onto THEIR games without expensive cell phone charges or contracts.

Have fun with any last minute shopping, visiting or preparing you have to do this weekend!

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Archive for Organic

Happy Family #hfbrightside

Happy Family

Happy Family – Bright Side Campaign

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Summer on the Farm – Wordless Wednesday

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Wood Pallet Herb Garden – Wordless Wednesday

Wood Pallet Herb Garden – Wordless Wednesday

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Sambazon Smoothies Review & Giveaway

Sambazon Smoothies Facts:

Sambazon Smoothies Review

Sambazon Smoothies Giveaway

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Wallaby Organic Greek Yogurt

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Moody Sisters Organic Skincare Review and $25 Gift Card Giveaway!

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PROBAR Review

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Baby Gourmet…mmm good!

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eco.kid’s Giveaway

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5 Last Minute Stocking Stuffers

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