Tag Archives: green

by | February 19, 2011

Yoreganics Laundry Trio: Review and Giveaway

In a recent post, I mentioned that I’m in the process of eliminating toxins not only from the food my family eats, but from the products we use in and around our home, too. That includes health care, beauty care, and of course, laundry products.

I’ve heard a lot of buzz about soap nuts, and while I’ve been curious, I’ll admit that I never really understood how a nut would get my clothes clean. I guess I just assumed this particular idea was just a little too far outside my personal realm of crunchiness…

That is, until Kim, the mom behind Yoreganics, sent me a sample pack of her Laundry Trio to try out.

It included:

  • enough soap nuts for 5 loads w/ wash bag
  • travel stain remover (perfect for my purse!)
  • 3 oz. Brightens & Whitens

I love the fresh, clean look of the Yoreganics logo, website and promo materials, but would they actually get my clothes fresh and clean? I wasn’t sure…

But then I saw that a soap nut is not a nut. It is a fruit berry from the soapberry tree (Sapindus Mukorossi) found in northern India and Nepal. The shells contain saponin, which creates a natural soap when agitated in water. You can use them to replace not only your detergent, but your fabric softener, too!

How cool is that? (Ma Nature does it again…)

Other benefits: Once the soap nuts get thin and no longer release saponin, I can toss them in the compost. They are also organic, vegan, sustainable, compatible with both standard and HE washers, perfect for those with sensitive skin or allergies…

…and great for use with cloth diapers! Woot! :D

Plus, they’re just cute. See:

I didn’t use my soap nuts on my dipes yet, but I did use them on baby sheets and clothing.  I also pretreated my son’s cloth crib rail protector with Brightens & Whitens, and spritzed one of our kitchen cloths with the stain remover. The combination left my laundry feeling, and looking, much better than I had expected! I just love it when a natural product exceeds my expectations! Um, exactly WHY have I been using the yucky manufactured stuff that’s full of chemicals?!?

I was especially impressed with the crib rail protector because my son chews on it a lot and it’s quite discolored. After washing with the Brightens and Whitens, I couldn’t see his favorite teething spot anymore! (I tried to get a photo, but since I was dealing with all shades of white, off-white, etc I just couldn’t do the products justice. Besides, you don’t really want to see my dirty laundry…)

My laundry was definitely clean, with a lovely freshness about it. It wasn’t exactly a scent that was left behind, but the kind of freshness you get when you hang clothes on the line (which I welcomed on a snowy day in February!) I don’t know how the soap nuts would handle a heavily soiled, truly dirty load of laundry, but I can attest to the fact that they can definitely stand up to the everyday stuff.

I accidentally left the little bag open when I threw it in my washer for one load, and all my nuts fell out. 8O It wasn’t a problem, though – I just had to gather them back up. But I did get to see the little suds that they produce…

So, in a nutshell :lol: , I am SO glad I tried soap nuts, and Yoreganics other laundry products. I no longer doubt whether soap nuts are effective, and I plan to incorporate them into our regular laundry routine! I love my laundry, and now I love Yore Laundry, too!

Buy it!

Check out the full selection of Yoreganics products here.

Have a question about soap nuts that I didn’t answer? Click here.

Win it!

***This giveaway is closed! Random.org says that my winner is Brittney, with comment #26! Thanks for entering! :) ***

Win your own Laundry Trio Sampler!

Mandatory Entry: Just visit Yoreganics and tell me one thing you like about the company.

Bonus Entry: Tell me why you want to “green” your laundry routine!

Bonus Entry: Like Yoreganics on Facebook

Bonus Entry: Subscribe to my blog!

Bonus Entry: Tweet this giveaway (limit 2 tweets per day, one entry each, at least 2 hours apart. Please leave me the link to each unique tweet.) Use the tweet button, or this sample tweet:

Win a soap nuts Laundry Trio Sampler from @Yoreganics and @ABCGP! http://wp.me/pTRQh-Do Ends 3/12 #organic #clothdiapers

 

The Fine Print:

Entries will be open until March 12th at 8pm EST. A winner will be chosen on or about that time using Random.org. Winner will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to respond and claim prize or a new winner will be chosen. Contest open to US and Canada.
I received the product mentioned above at no cost. I was not compensated for my review, nor was I obligated to provide a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own, honest opinions based on my personal experience with the product in question.

 

77 Comments

Filed under Cloth Diapering, giveaways, Green Living, Product & Restaurant Reviews

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by | February 15, 2011

EcoMom Review and Giveaway: Apple Pie, Anyone?

**GIVEAWAY CLOSED** My winner was Anne, with comment #113! Congrats Anne!

It’s pretty safe to say that I heart EcoMom. Lots of EcoMom products have found their way into our daily routine–from stainless steel straws and tiffins to our bamboo compost container, and even the eco-friendly decorations that brighten up my bland beige cubicle at work. And now, my son is an EcoMom devotee, too! Check out his new Melissa & Doug Wooden Make and Serve Apple Pie Set!

This fun toy is especially appropriate for my little man, because I spent the day before my induction baking apple pies. I had gestational diabetes, so apples were my go-to sweet snack during pregnancy, and I wanted to use the rest of my bag up before I went into the hospital. So, I baked and baked and baked to help ease my nerves on that long day (I found out later that my mom was doing the very same thing!)…and fresh apple pie will forever remind me of that day I spent peeling and slicing, anxiously awaiting the arrival of my precious baby boy. :)

The Apple Pie Set includes a pie crust, a segmented apple, a pie plate, pie server, wooden knife and oven mitt. All the ingredients to make a perfectly lovely little pie! I immediately fell in love with it because 1.) It’s just super cute! and 2.) It’s not a traditional “boy” toy. (I get really, really annoyed when kitchen toys are seen as “girls only.” :mad: )

All the pieces fasten together with a very sturdy velcro, so each piece stays put. I was quite pleasantly surprised at the quality of the pieces…I’m sure this set will stand up to lots of hours of playtime.

Looks good enough to eat, doesn’t it?

I wasn’t the only one who thought so! (Little Man is very into pretend eating and sharing lately…)

Nom nom nom…

So, needless to say, the Apple Pie set is a big hit. But the more we play with it, the more I realize how much potential it has for different types of play:

  • It can teach real vs. pretend.
  • It allows my son to model what he sees Mommy do in the kitchen.
  • It helps refine motor skills with cutting action and assembly of pieces.
  • We can make a game out of putting a piece of apple in one slice, and having him guess which one it’s hiding in.
  • The pie can even serve as a lesson in fractions, addition or subtraction for older children.

I have to be honest: When I first considered reviewing a toy from Melissa & Doug, I wasn’t sure it was the right fit for us. I strive to provide the safest toys for my son, and I’ve heard a lot of talk about Melissa & Doug not being quite as “eco-friendly” as they claim to be. Most of what I’ve heard seems to center around the fact that some of their toys are made in China, which strikes a chord of fear in many parents (me included) due to the lack of testing and regulations on materials and manufacturing procedures there. But I do trust EcoMom to choose their products carefully, and I like the fact that this toy does not contain any plastic, so I wanted to keep an open mind. So, I raised the question with EcoMom and asked them if they could provide any information.

Here are two excerpts from the responses I received from M&D’s Chief Products Officer:

Melissa and Doug started as a mom and dad team wanting to make different toys for their kids. They grew into a large company and are still very invested in their company. Not everything is made in China, either. Unfortunately China has gotten a really bad name for manufacturing, but Melissa and Doug’s facilities are managed by a hands on team, and all of their products have received certification based on rigorous testing. They believe in transparency, so if there’s ever a concern, they welcome questions and the opportunity to respond!

No matter how carefully we design our products, we believe there’s no substitute for TESTING, TESTING, and MORE TESTING. The key to assuring the safety of our products is not simply insisting our factories follow our instructions, but to go one step further and AUDIT, INSPECT, AND TEST, not only once, but at various phases of the production process. This is something we’ve always done.
Additionally, we specifically test our paints and coatings very frequently, to be sure our toys meet or exceed government recommendations limiting heavy metals and lead in children’s items. We have cabinets full of thousands of passing test reports, and these passing results have been verified by 3rd party independently accredited testing laboratories, considered by many to be the best scientific laboratories in the world.

 

My conclusion: The reps from Melissa & Doug were very forthcoming in addressing the China and safety issues. I’m sure they’ve heard my questions before. My concerns have to do with adequate testing and safety standards – M&D seems to fully understand the concern, and they stand firm in their commitment to upholding high safety standards. Ever the skeptic, I might limit use of these toys if my son were still chewing on anything and everything, but at this age, I feel comfortable with this toy in his toybox.

So, it’s TOO cute, right? BUY IT!

You can buy the Melissa & Doug Apple Pie Set at EcoMom for $19.98.

DEAL ALERT! Place an order before February 28, 2011 and save 15% on your total purchase using this exclusive promo code available only to ABCGP readers: SBBL663

EVEN BIGGER DEAL ALERT! If you place an order of $50+, shipping is FREE!

While you’re there, be sure to sign up for EcoMom’s Daily Deal (a daily promotion that features one great eco-item at an irresistible price!) and sign up for their newsletter!

WIN!

One lucky winner will win a $15 gift certificate to EcoMom’s online store!

Mandatory Entry: Visit EcoMom’s online store and tell me what you would buy if you were to win.

Extra Entries (One entry each. Please leave your email address in each comment.):

  • Follow @EcoMom on Twitter (Leave your Twitter handle)
  • Like EcoMom on Facebook (Leave your FB name)
  • Like ABCs and Garden Peas on Facebook (Leave your FB name)
  • Subscribe to my blog
  • Sign up for EcoMom’s newsletter
  • Tweet about this giveaway. Please use the tweet button below so your tweet includes a link back to this post. (Please include the URL to each unique tweet in your comment. Limit two per day, please, at least 2 hours apart.)

Good luck! :D

The Fine Print:
Entries will be open until March 8, 2011 at 8pm. I will choose a winner via Random.org on or about that time. Winner will be alerted via email and will have 48 hours to respond to claim their prize, or another winner will be chosen.
Giveaway is open to residents of US or Canada.
Giveaway recipients may only win 1 Ecomom prize every 45 days. If you have won a prize from Ecomom within the past 45 days, you are ineligible for this particular giveaway.
I received a sample product free of charge for review purposes, but I was not compensated for my review. All opinions expressed are my own and are based on my own personal experience with the product.

120 Comments

Filed under giveaways, Product & Restaurant Reviews, The Everyday

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by | February 6, 2011

A Bottle of Tomatoes.

Some days, I sit down with every intention of blogging and realize: I got nothin’.

Other days, I have so many things to write about and it’s hard to narrow it down to one topic.

Like today.

Today, I spent the whole day in the kitchen, cooking my little heart out.

So, I could write about meal planning, and how helpful and cost-effective it can be during the workweek when you plan out your family meals ahead of time.

Then, I could tell you about the bangin’ chana masala I made (from a recipe I found with a little help from @Blacktating). I added coconut milk and extra tomato to the recipe, and it came out great! I’ll pair it with a fragrant basmati rice for lunches this week so I don’t have to leave the office. (Funny, even with all the spices, my toddler loved this recipe too!)

Or, I could tell you about the chicken I roasted with parsnips, carrots and potatoes, and how we’ll be able to use the leftovers tomorrow night on sandwiches. Whole wheat rolls, roasted chicken, baby spinach and Robert Rothschild Roasted Garlic, Onion and Fig Spread. Nom! So much

But I think I’ll skip those things. Tonight I’m keeping it simple (I know you probably have football to watch.) No profound thoughts, no big revelations. Just one great product that I am excited to have found.

You see, I’ve been SO frustrated lately because I don’t buy food in cans anymore, and I just can’t find tomatoes in any other packaging! I’ve searched and searched, to no avail, and I get annoyed every single time I shop. I can’t be the only one looking!

What’s a mama gotta do to find safe tomatoes??!!

Enter: Bionaturae Organic Strained Tomatoes in a glass bottle. Sure, I might prefer a pouch or carton, but I’ll definitely take this over a can.

AND they were good! AND they only cost a few cents more than the ones in the yucky can! Thank you, Bionaturae!

That’s it. Just good tomatoes, and the fact that I’m thrilled to have found them.

Now go watch the game! :D

_____________________________________

Do you buy food in cans? Do you have any good alternatives to share?

2 Comments

Filed under Product & Restaurant Reviews, Recipes & Food

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