GreenOrganicMama

The Winner of our EcoSMART Organic Lawn & Garden Value Pack Giveaway!

2010-02-28T16:03:00.001-05:00

Thank you again to the great team at EcoSMART for partnering with us on this giveaway for an awesome Plant and Garden Value Pack of people- and pet-safe pest killers, made from organic essential oils. Here are the results of our Random.org drawing:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

Timestamp: 2010-02-28 21:01:20 UTC

Congratulations to Baby Sweetness! Your home and garden will be extra green, this spring :) (And I hope EcoSMART is the solution to your ant problem.) Please check your e-mail, so we can make arrangements to get your prize pack out to you.

Thank you again to our entrants. I hope everyone will keep their eyes open for this wonderful, safe alternative to conventional repellents and pest control, which is available in several major chain stores.

Enjoy your Sunday, and the Vancouver 2010 Olympics closing ceremonies tonight :)

Product Review: The Goodbyn Lunch Box

2010-02-26T14:50:00.002-05:00

Our family is always looking for ways to be eco-friendly (we wouldn't be the Green Organic family, if we didn't) ;) We successfully navigated babyhood, and reduced our landfill waste by choosing cloth diapers and training pants. Mission accomplished! But what's the next biggest source of trash, after diapers? My guess would be school lunches.

Green Organic Girl attends all-day preschool, and at age three, she was already bringing a packed lunch and snacks, five days a week. We love her preschool, and especially the healthy eating rules, like the avoidance of the four "C's": no cookies, no chocolate, no cake, no candy. We plan to continue that trend, when Green Organic Girl starts big-girl school in the fall.

Avoiding sugary treats in lunch boxes is actually quite easy. In our weekly share of organic produce from our buying club, there are always some of my daughter's favorites: ripe, local Florida strawberries, juicy cherry tomatoes, crispy bell peppers, baby-cut carrots, crunchy cucumber, etc.). These are all healthy, tasty, and easy-to-eat finger foods, that readily pack well into lunch boxes. Accompanying her fruit and veggies are always a tube of Stonyfield Farm YoKids organic yogurt, and some cheese, for protein and calcium. Add a small handful of organic crackers, and that's a delicious variety of snacks that my daughter really loves.

After deciding what to bring, the next problem in packing lunches is the transporting. Lunch bags all have a finite amount of space, and while we buy in bulk whenever we can, and try to avoid extra packaging (like, from individually wrapped single portions), we ultimately need something to store these snacks in. We've tried to minimize our use of little plastic sandwich baggies, which ultimately get thrown away; creating landfill waste. But reusable containers can quickly take up all the available space in a lunch box, and there's the issue of lids getting misplaced. We've also tried reusable sandwich wraps, but they're not quite suited to small items, like teeny little duck-shaped cheese crackers, and they're not transparent. We all know we eat with our eyes, as much as with our mouths. If Green Organic Girl can't see what's inside, she may not open it. We needed a better option for portable food storage.

In addition, we have a climate-related problem, living here in the very humid Florida Keys. We've now gone through two fabric-lined lunch boxes, to try to avoid exposure to the lead that may leach from PVC-lined lunch bags. Unfortunately, no amount of airing out, washing, and exposure to the sun prevented this big issue: mold. We unfortunately, had to throw away two lunch bags already, due to mold growing on the fabric. Avoiding PVC is one thing, but tossing out functioning lunch bags due to mold is not an eco-friendly solution.

Lucky for us, an amazing and totally adorable lunch solution awaited us: the Goodbyn. We instantly fell in love with this innovative lunch box; USA-made with solid, molded, non-leaching plastic (and solid plastic for us means no mold growth). This hard-case lunch box takes after the bento box design of Japanese lunch boxes. Growing up in an Asian household, I had a few beloved bento boxes, and the compartments were just the coolest thing :)

The Goodbyn is so functional, yet simple to use. The whole box is comprised of only two pieces; the base tray, and the lid. All the little compartments are built in, and there are no little pieces to lose. Everything seals in shut; safely tucked away in its own compartment, and separated from the rest of the food in the box. Fruits stay moist and juicy, crackers stay dry, and your sandwich won't get squished, or come apart. Just open the lid, and voila! Your healthy lunchtime smorgasbord awaits. My daughter loves sampling a little bit of everything on her plate when she sits down to eat (lucky for me), and her Goodbyn lets her do exactly that at lunchtime. She can see everything in front of her, and easily move from one item to the next, without having to open extra packages and containers.

We are very pleased with our Goodbyn. I love that it has a simple, yet functional and sturdy design. It's also USA-made from food-grade plastic, that is free of BPA, PVC, and phthalates. As the base is one single molded piece, there are no impossible-to-clean nooks and crannies, and the whole thing, even when decorated with the assortment of 275 stickers, can safely go in the dishwasher. (However, if your dishwasher is anything like mine, a greasy film still remains on all plastic items, so we just hand-wash them instead. The whole thing washes up very easily, and air-dries in the dish rack.) The stickers are just too cool, and with 275 options, including everything from eyes and ears to tails, a multitude of upper- and lower-case letters, and other odds and ends, your child can truly make this lunch box their own custom creation. Ours is a pink box, boasting green, square-shaped eyeglass frames, a big red clown nose, a mermaid tail, and assortment of food. A true work of art ;) I also love that at the end of its useful life, the Goodbyn can go straight into the recycle bin. There's even a sticker of a recycle symbol ;) I think it's wonderful that there was also so little outer packaging, when the product arrived. Just a partial cardboard sleeve, coming from an FSC-certified Washington-based printer; printed with vegetable-based inks, on recycled material. I really like the extra thought put into the design of the closure of the cardboard sleeve; allowing the whole thing to seal itself, with no tape or glue! Now that is smart, eco-friendly thinking :)

In researching for this purchase, I did come across some reviews from other parents, describing some minor issues with the Goodbyn. The first was the opening and closing of the unit, and ensuring a tight fit with the lid. Thankfully, Goodbyn enclosed a little pamphlet with diagrams on how to best close the box. The trick to opening the box is to start from the "ears". Once the "head" is free, I use my fingers under the lid to gently pop the lid loose. Very simple! Closing it requires a few strategic presses, but what reusable plastic container doesn't? The trick here is to start from the middle, and if your child is doing this, have them stand up, with the Goodbyn laying on a flat surface at waist level, for a little more leverage. Two presses directly under the eyes, then under the nose, and then at the bottom. Then press all around the outer perimeter, to make sure the outer edges have sealed. It's actually quite quick and easy. Even my four-and-a-half year old can do this :)

The second issue I came across in reviews, is with the accompanying drink bottle. Many parents expressed frustration with the tab on the lid, that just will not stay closed. Ours wouldn't close at all. I sent a comment into Goodbyn via their website, inquiring about this lid issue, and within hours, I received a very kind reply. Goodbyn is well aware of issues with opening/closing the unit, and the bottle top as well. To address these issues, Goodbyn has worked with their manufacturer, and there will be a new line coming out in March 2010. The Goodbyn rep was kind enough to offer to send me a replacement bottle from this new line, in a matching color for our lunch box. It was refreshing, experiencing great customer service, backing a great product.

My final concern with the Goodbyn had to do with food safety, and keeping cold food cold. This is actually when the compartments come in very handy. Green Organic Girl already has several small gel cold packs by Boo Boo Buddy, which are PVC-free, and filled with non-toxic gel. They also come in the cutest shapes, like pets and other animals. They stay soft and flexible, even when frozen. They're meant for soothing bumps and bruises, but these are also just the right size to fit in the sandwich compartment, and top compartment, to keep sandwiches, yogurt containers, cheese, and beverages cold. I stocked up on a few extra Boo Boo Buddies for this purpose. However, in future versions of the Goodbyn, I would really like to see perhaps some type of double-walled construction, kind of like those found in some sippy cups. That would help maintain the temperature within the compartment, as long as it stays closed. Perhaps some type of form-fitted gel-filled removable insert for those larger compartments would work as well. I'm sure the innovative team behind Goodbyn will come up with some great solutions.

All in all, we are extremely pleased with our Goodbyn. For us, it was a smart and fun eco-friendly choice. We're also glad to be supporting a domestic company, that truly stands by its product, and our planet. The makers of Goodbyn proudly participate in 1% for the Planet, a program for businesses, committed to keeping the Earth healthy. We look forward to enjoying lots of yummy, healthy lunches with our Goodbyn, and we're glad to see another option soon to be available for older kids, called the "Too Cool For Ears" option. Hmm... I think I may have to pick up one of those for myself ;)

No promotional consideration was paid for this post. This is a review of a personal purchase.
Images courtesy of Goodbyn.com.

Product Review: Tumaro's Gourmet Organic Flour Tortillas

2010-02-25T15:05:00.001-05:00

Our family is always big on enjoying fresh flavors in our food. Thanks to the great people over at Tumaro's Gourmet Tortillas, we have a new way to enjoy all the wonderful organic produce that we pick up from our buying club each week.

We were treated with samples of the newest line of tortillas from Tumaro's; a Santa Monica, California-based company, that began a mission back in 1994 to create the healthiest options for tortillas, made from whole grains, and infused with natural flavors. This new line is all organic, and that is clearly evident in the first bite. These organic wraps didn't have that dry, floury texture of some supermarket brands, and what surprised me, was that they didn't have that unpleasant tangy aftertaste, which must come from the preservatives in conventional wraps. The Tumaro's organic tortillas tasted pure and wholesome. They each had plenty of flavor on their own; not dry and bland like most other brands.

There were so many flavors to choose from, we didn't know where to start! We got to try samples of each of these wonderful organic wraps:

Organic Jalapeño & Cilantro
Organic Honey Wheat
Organic Garden Herb
Organic Multi Grain
Organic Premium White

Each came in handy resealable packages, and recipes on the back. We enjoyed these both hot, and cold. They made for a wonderful breakfast; encasing organic scrambled eggs, à la Julia Child, with a little smear of safflower mayonnaise, some crispy bacon, and slices of fresh organic tomato, and perfectly ripened organic Hass avocado. My favorite wrap for this purpose was the Organic Jalapeño & Cilantro. The flavors just came together incredibly well. At first, I wasn't sure I'd enjoy this flavor, as I do like spicy foods, but not the bitter aftertaste that typically comes with jalapeños. When I did finally try this variety, I was in for a pleasant surprise. There was just enough hint of the jalapeño to add a little extra dimension to the flavors, without overpowering everything with heat. Just the perfect balance, if you ask me, and probably my favorite of the whole line :)

My daughter enjoyed several ham-and-cheese, and turkey wraps, made from these organic tortillas. She gobbled up each one, with a smile. Tumaro's gets the kid-approved stamp ;) I think these will make for very handy alternatives to bread, when we're packing lunches. We won't have to worry about soggy bread by the time lunch hour rolls around.

Tumaro's Gourmet Organic Tortillas are USDA organic, and proudly certified by the American Heart Association. These make a great healthy alternative to bread, as they are low in fat, high in fiber, and contain no artificial flavors, cholesterol, trans fats, preservatives, or lactose. They also contain no casein milk protein (great for me) :)

Tumaro's are available in several of the large chain stores, and I'm hoping to see this organic line available on Amazon.com soon, to join the other wonderful wraps, also made by Tumaro's.

Do pick up a pack of these at your local store, and enjoy the delicious, organic difference :)

No promotional consideration was paid for this post. This is a review of free samples from the manufacturer.

Movie Review: Food Beware: The French Organic Revolution

2010-02-21T12:33:00.003-05:00

It's grocery shopping day here. Green Organic Girl and I will be heading out shortly, for our weekly run. Isn't it amazing what modern day conveniences we have, that we can just walk into a store and enjoy a bounty of food? Bins and aisles just full of almost anything you want to eat, and at almost any time of year. But what if I told you that the farmers who grew some of that produce won't even eat it themselves? Why? Because they were the ones who doused the growing plants with repeated treatments of toxic pesticides. That is the underlying theme of the documentary, Food Beware: The French Organic Revolution.

This is a very enjoyable and eye-opening film. It starts out, following the school children of a small town in France, who partake in lunches served by the local municipal-run kitchen. At the initiative of the town's mayor and council, the kitchen began sourcing their ingredients from locally grown organics. The film follows the impact of this change, on the students, their families, their friends in surrounding communities, and the farmers themselves. Everybody was seeing the positive impact of this change.

Unfortunately, the change had come too late for some. There are some heart-wrenching moments in the film, tying the impact of the chemicals used in conventional farming to the rise in cancer. The film cites studies, showing that 90% of certain cancers can be attributed to environmental factors. The positive note to take away from all this, is that we have the power, as consumers and residents, to demand change (like what we've done, in joining a local organic produce buying club). This is a must-see film, and it is available from Netflix and Amazon.com.

In tying into this theme, please don't forget to get your entries into our giveaway for a great value pack of all-natural, organic pest control from EcoSMART, running through 2/28/10. We can all feel safer, knowing that there are safer alternatives to keep our lawn and gardens healthy and pest-free this spring, with products like EcoSMART.

Have a great Sunday, everyone :)

No promotional consideration was paid for this post. This is a review of a personal purchase/rental.

Image courtesy of Amazon.com

Product Review & Giveaway: Natural Bug Killer from EcoSMART

2010-02-19T19:06:00.006-05:00

Spring is around the corner! At least, we hope so. I'm sitting here, wearing a scarf and wool boots as I type this. Did I mention I live in the Florida Keys, where concrete buildings with no insulation are standard, as is the lack of home heating? We are definitely looking forward to some warm, sunny weather, and enjoying the outdoors again.

As we do reside in South Florida, bugs run rampant! My dog knows it's time for her evening walk, when she sees/smells me spritzing myself with bug spray. The cooler temperatures have been keeping the mosquitoes at bay, but the no-see-ums (gnats) are always ravenous. For some reason, which I discovered may have genetic ties, I seem to be a favorite flavor amongst the biting insect community. Insect repellent is a must.

As with all of the products our green, organic family uses, we try to steer clear of harmful chemicals; especially when it comes to insect repellents and household products, and we're always on the lookout for safer alternatives. We were fortunate enough to receive a sample of all natural bug spray from EcoSMART. This company specializes in all natural sprays, using special blends of organic essential oils. These plant oils are harmless to people, animals, the ground water, and the air. We could really smell the blend of essential oils in our sample of organic insect repellent. It smells very concentrated, and concentrated means a little will go a long way. Definitely a green plus! To help with applying just that right amount, the repellent comes in a very convenient, portable spray bottle. It has a very nice, non-greasy feel. No greasiness means this will be sunscreen-friendly come summertime, when we definitely need to wear both.

EcoSMART carries safe alternatives to many conventional household chemical products, like weed killers, garden fungicide, and several varieties of the best home pest control, to deal with bugs both inside the house, and in your lawn and garden. I'm very impressed that organic essential oils can do so much, and they're definitely the safe choice, versus conventional insecticides and herbicides.

But here is a chance for one lucky reader to win a special EcoSMART value pack! One reader of this blog will be awarded with the EcoSMART Safe Plant and Garden Value Pack to enjoy in and around your garden this spring :)

Thank you to everyone who entered! This giveaway has come to a close. Please click here to see the results of our Random.org drawing and to congratulate our winner!

Please be sure to read the complete rules:

To enter this contest, first visit EcoSMART.com and check out their wonderful array of products. Then, come back here and please leave a comment below, letting our readers know what EcoSMART product you'd like to try. Please be sure to leave your e-mail address, so I may contact you if you're the lucky winner.

Want extra chances to win?

For additional entries, please first leave a comment about a product you'd like to try from EcoSMART, and then do any of the following, for a maximum of 7 (seven) total entries in this giveaway contest [please be sure to come back and leave a follow-up comment for each of these completed tasks, in order to be counted as an additional entry]:

Read the "FAQ" on the EcoSMART website, and tell us one interesting fact about EcoSMART.
Follow this blog with either our RSS feed, or with Google Friend Connect, by clicking the button on the right-hand column of this blog (or if you are already, leave a comment telling me so)
Follow this blog on FaceBook with NetworkedBlogs by clicking the link, or on the button on the right-hand column of this blog (or if you are already, leave a comment telling me so)
Follow me on Twitter @greenorganicmom (or if you are already, leave a comment telling me so)
Display our Green Organic Mama badge on your blog
Blog about this giveaway (and paste a direct link to your blog post in your comment)
Tweet this giveaway, by clicking on the birdie icon below, and leave a comment with your Twitter ID

By entering this contest, you have read and understand the rules and fine print of this contest:

Contest ends Sunday, February 28th, 2009 at 4:00PM EST
Contest open to U.S. residents (excluding AK, HI).
Giveaway prize pack consists of one (1) bottle of Weed and Grass killer, one (1) bottle of Garden Fungicide, one (1) bottle of Garden Insect Killer, and one (1) bottle of Insect Repellent; to be awarded to one (1) randomly selected winner.

One (1) winner shall be chosen from the pool of valid comment entries, using Random.org
Winner will be contacted via e-mail, and will provide a U.S. mailing address and telephone number, which will then be forwarded to EcoSMART, for the purpose of directly mailing one giveaway prize pack to the winner.
If Winner does not respond via e-mail within 48 hours of the prize drawing, another winner will be selected via Random.org, and new winner will be awarded the prize package.
Approximate retail value of the prize pack: $33.00 USD.
Giveaway sponsor reserves the right to modify the prize package and quantities.
Winner will be announced here on this blog, and on Twitter, and on FaceBook.
No promotional consideration was paid for this post.

Good luck to everyone!! :)

Click here to be taken to the comments form to place your entry/entries.

No promotional consideration was paid for this review.
One full-size sample of insect repellent was provided by EcoSMART, for the purpose of this review and giveaway.

Product Review: Ben & Jerry's Organic Lip Balms

2010-02-17T16:51:00.002-05:00

What's one of my favorite things to do while traveling? Why, shopping, of course!

Just before Christmas, I flew out to California to attend a family wedding. While en route, one of my stops was in the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, Terminal D. And having flown through that terminal before, I knew of a mandatory pit stop: the Ben & Jerry's ice cream counter.

Now, my regular readers already know that I appear to have developed a milk allergy, so why was I headed to an ice cream counter? Why, for the coveted, totally adorable Ben & Jerry's lip balms.

The last time Green Organic Girl and I flew to visit my parents, we visited this very same counter, and were enamored with a teeny little version of a tub of Mint Chocolate Chip. We're lip balm fanatics to begin with, and always on the hunt for great all-natural ones, free of petroleum, and other nasty stuff. Ben & Jerry's lip balm certainly fit the bill. We immediately loved the smooth, easy-to-apply, and long-lasting texture of the Ben & Jerry's lip balm. As an added bonus, there are no unrecognizable ingredients in the list. In fact, quite a few of the ingredients are also organic, including soybean oil, virgin olive oil, jojoba oil, hemp seed oil, calendula, comfrey, and St. John's Wort. All this, and it really smelled like mint chocolate. The container is also just as cute as can be, and also very functional. The base actually turns, and twists the lip balm up, so you don't have to go digging all the way down to the bottom, as you use it up.

This most recent trip, I was the crazy woman who cleaned out the whole supply at the Terminal D counter. Yes, I admit it. It was me. LOL! But there were only half a dozen left, and they were all Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. Just as equally delicious smelling as the Mint Chocolate Chip.

So, if you're fortunate enough to live near a Ben & Jerry's (unlike me... *sniff*), do yourself a favor and pick up one of these for yourself :) And do it quick, because I might be visiting your town, and in line behind you, to scoop up the rest ;)

Image courtesy of flickr.com
No promotional consideration was paid for this post. This is a review of personal purchases.

The Winner of our Dewberry Originals Giveaway from The Body Shop!

2010-02-07T16:09:00.000-05:00

Thank you again to The Body Shop for providing another awesome line of products to review and give away! I'm thoroughly enjoying these favorite classics from the 80's Originals line, and their revamped ingredients, including organic aloe vera, and sporting eco-friendly 100% recycled packaging!

A big thanks also to all of our entrants, for the chance to win a Dewberry lotion and body wash duo :) Here are the results from our Random.org drawing:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

Timestamp: 2010-02-07 21:04:27 UTC

Our lucky winner is scoop! Congratulations! Please check your e-mail, so we can arrange to get your Dewberry lotion and body wash out to you, for you to enjoy :D

Thanks again to everyone! Happy Super Bowl Sunday!

Another Great Green Giveaway From The Body Shop! Welcome Back to the Originals!

2010-01-29T19:04:00.008-05:00

Ah, memories... What's old is new again!

I remember many weekends during my high school days, strolling through the local malls with my friends. One mandatory stop each trip was at The Body Shop. We each had our favorite products, and I'm so happy that The Body Shop has brought back several of their "Originals"!

Eleven favorites are back, and better than ever! Each one comes in a 100% recycled PET bottles, and contain The Body Shop's signature Community Trade ingredients, including organic aloe. I'm glad to see more of The Body Shop's products sourcing organic ingredients, like the Nutriganics line that I reviewed. These are the great classics of the Originals line:

Banana Shampoo
Banana Conditioner
Dewberry Body Lotion
Dewberry Bath and Shower Gel
Fuzzy Peach Bath and Shower Gel
Green Apple Bath and Shower Gel
Carrot Moisture Cream
Cucumber Freshening Water
Cucumber Cleansing Milk
Passion Fruit Facial Cleansing Gel
Ice Blue Shampoo

These brought back so many memories, and they truly live up to the ones I remembered using years ago. One sniff of the Fuzzy Peach shower gel was enough to take me back to another decade ;) One major difference that I noticed, however, is that the shampoos and cleansers seem more concentrated, and easier to lather up. A little bit really goes a long way, yet they are gentle and non-drying. My daughter and I absolutely love the Banana Shampoo and Conditioner. Green Organic Girl described the scent in one word: "Yum!" My hair, especially, which I heat style, came out so amazingly soft and silky. I was surprised just how little of each product I actually needed, for my long hair.

Another stand-out product I have to mention is the Carrot Moisture Cream. I used this for several years, way back when, and this new version is even better than ever. It's silkier, and easier to apply than what I remember using in high school. I've been using it as a night cream on my combination skin, and I absolutely love it. I've been using this in conjunction with the Passion Fruit Facial Cleansing Gel; another favorite blast from the past. Like the shampoos and shower gels, this one also seems more concentrated, and easier to lather up. It's gentle, yet removes all of my makeup at the end of the day, and leaves my skin soft, fresh, and clean. No drying tightness, and no residues. Just pure and clean. I love this stuff!

Just in time, there is a special sale going on: enjoy any three of these products from TheBodyShop-USA.com for $20, and free shipping on orders over $60! I think I may have to stock up on those four favorites of mine ;)

But here is a chance for one lucky reader to win two of these special Originals to enjoy! One brand new set of the Dewberry Bath and Shower Gel, and Dewberry Body Lotion will be awarded to one reader of this blog :)

Thank you to everyone who entered! This giveaway has come to a close. Please click here to see the results of our Random.org drawing and to congratulate our winner!

Please be sure to read the complete rules:

To enter this contest, first visit TheBodyShop-USA.com and check out their wonderful array of products. Then, come back here and please leave a comment below, letting our readers know what Originals product at The Body Shop is your favorite (or one that you would like to try). Please be sure to leave your e-mail address, so I may contact you if you're the lucky winner.

Want extra chances to win?

For additional entries, please first leave a comment about a product you'd like to try from The Body Shop, and then do any of the following, for a maximum of 7 (seven) total entries in this giveaway contest [please be sure to come back and leave a follow-up comment for each of these completed tasks, in order to be counted as an additional entry]:

Read the "About Us" on The Body Shop's website, and tell us one way that The Body Shop gives back to our planet, and its people.
Follow this blog with either our RSS feed, or with Google Friend Connect, by clicking the button on the right-hand column of this blog (or if you are already, leave a comment telling me so)
Follow this blog on FaceBook with NetworkedBlogs by clicking the link, or on the button on the right-hand column of this blog (or if you are already, leave a comment telling me so)
Follow me on Twitter @greenorganicmom (or if you are already, leave a comment telling me so)
Display our Green Organic Mama badge on your blog
Blog about this giveaway (and paste a direct link to your blog post in your comment)

By entering this contest, you have read and understand the rules and fine print of this contest:

Contest ends Sunday, February 7th, 2009 at 4:00PM EST
Contest open to U.S. residents, and Canadian residents
Giveaway prize pack consists of one (1) bottle of Dewberry Bath & Shower Gel and one (1) bottle of Dewberry Body Lotion, to be awarded to one (1) randomly selected winner.

One (1) winner shall be chosen from the pool of valid comment entries, using Random.org
Winner will be contacted via e-mail, and will provide a U.S. or Canadian mailing address, for the purpose of directly mailing one giveaway prize pack to the winner.
If Winner does not respond via e-mail within 48 hours of the prize drawing, another winner will be selected via Random.org, and new winner will be awarded the prize package.
Approximate retail value of the prize pack: $18.00 USD.
Winner will be announced here on this blog, and on Twitter, and on FaceBook.
No promotional consideration was paid for this post.

Good luck to everyone!! :)

Click here to be taken to the comments form to place your entry/entries.

No promotional consideration was paid for this review.
Full-size bottles of all eleven Originals products were provided for free by The Body Shop USA, for the purpose of this review and giveaway.

Going Green With the iPod Touch - Great Mom-Friendly Paperless Apps!

2010-01-22T14:27:00.003-05:00

Over the Christmas holidays, there were some really special deals to be had. On a whim, I checked out the daily Gold Box deal on Amazon.com one day, and scored on a great price on the 8 GB second generation iPod Touch!

I'd been curious about the iPhone, since they first came out, but I was not ready to jump carriers from T-Mobile over to AT&T, and fork out the estimated $1600 over the course of a two-year contract, in order to have one. I'm very happy with my current Motorola W490, and the $10 per month it costs to share a family plan with my husband.

Still, I missed the days when I carried a Palm phone, and the convenience of having all of my contacts and calendar with me. So, when this special deal popped up on the iPod Touch, I jumped on it! And I wish I had done it sooner ;)

One month later, my iPod Touch is my new best friend. It follows me everywhere I go. I love that it's so lightweight, slides into my purse easily, and I can go several days on a single charge. With the help of the vast library of apps, and the super easy-to-use WiFi connectivity, I've got an army of resources at my fingertips. Everything from managing three e-mail accounts, to checking my Netflix queue, to peeking at what my friends and family are up to on Facebook; everything is just a swipe and a tap away.

The one thing that has really changed in my life is that I no longer rely on handwritten reminders to myself, scribbled on sticky notes and small scraps of paper, which ultimately get crumpled and forgotten about in my pockets, or at the bottom of my purse. I'm sure all of you moms out there can relate: just out of the blue, you remember something that you have to do, or something you have to buy. But of course, it hits you at the wrong time. For me, it's always when I'm at work, and my grocery list is hanging on my fridge. Or, I'll remember something five aisles away that I need to pick up, while I'm at the store, and end up forgetting by the time I make it over there. No more! Two of my favorite "paperless" apps are Awesome Note, and Grocery iQ. While the iPod Touch does come with its own Notes app, it's pretty basic. Awesome Note is definitely my favorite, as it is truly a digitized version of my beloved sticky notes. They're actually quite cute! I can easily create any number of virtual sticky notes (complete with their own different fonts and "paper" colors), and I can even organize them into my own custom categories. Best of all, there is no paper to lose, and no paper to throw away. Definitely a paperless, green plus for me! There is a "lite" version that you can test out, but I went ahead and paid for the full version. Definitely worth it :)

Grocery iQ is another indispensable tool. No more middle-of-the-week runs to the grocery store, battling with the rush-hour crowds, for things we forgot to buy on our big weekly run. No more showing up at the store, without my list. Grocery iQ makes it nearly impossible to forget anything (as long as you remembered to put it on the list, and have your device with you) ;) Now of course, there are several apps you could use to create your own grocery list, but you'd be retyping that same list, week after week. Grocery iQ takes out the tedium. My favorite part of this app is the "Favorites" section. Tied into a huge database of grocery store products, as managed by Coupons.com, just start typing the name of a product you buy regularly, and the app finds it (and related products). Then save that item to your Favorites, along with anything else you buy regularly. Then, when it comes time to create your weekly list, tap those items needed from your list of favorites, and they appear on your shopping list. Tada! It's easy to add other items, and just as easy to delete them as well. You can also e-mail your list, right from your device, to the kind soul taking on the chore of shopping for you that week ;) As a bonus, there is another button for coupons! This is an app from Coupons.com, after all. As long as you've got WiFi access, the app will search for available coupons in your area. You digitally "clip" the ones you want, and the ones that need to be printed, can be sent directly to your wireless printer, or e-mailed for later printing. Those special items then appear on your grocery list, along with a reminder that you have a coupon for them! How neat is that? As you shop, you tap each item, and it moves to the "Cart" area of your list. It's also easy to move an item back (just tap it again). At the end of your trip, press the "Checkout" button, and any unpurchased items remain, forming the start of your shopping list for your next trip to the store. This is an indispensable app. Totally worth the $0.99 it costs in the iTunes store. I haven't touched my paper grocery list pad since ;)

To round out my top three favorite "paperless" apps, number three is the Kindle app from Amazon.com. I love to read, but it seems like I never have a book with me, when the moment is right (standing in line, sitting in a waiting room, etc). My bookshelf is also packed two rows deep, and storage space is at a premium, here on this little tropical island in the Florida Keys, and let's face it... the books themselves can be expensive. I also tend to buy books, and not read them more than once. Sometimes I'll give them away, but mostly, they end up taking up space in my house. Welcome to the next generation of eBooks. I had tried eBooks a few years ago, on my cell phone and Palm devices, but the font was so grainy, and the scrolling jumpy and annoying. But the technology has really come a long way since. I'm really happy with the free Kindle app for my iPod Touch. The font is very crisp, there's a choice of text sizes, and color schemes (white text on black, black text on white, or sepia (my favorite)). I do also like that since I'm running the Kindle app on my iPod, it's back-lit, and I can read while in bed, which I like to do, before I fall asleep (the real Kindle device, on the other hand, is not back-lit). Reading with the Kindle is very comfortable. The text doesn't scroll, which I never really liked in an e-reader anyway, and instead, you have the option of swiping with your finger, or lightly tapping the margin, to turn pages. It has a very natural feel to it.

Downloading new books is super easy, and the orders show up in your Amazon.com account history. I also like the "try before you buy" feature; you can download the first chapter of any Kindle book for free. There is a huge selection of Kindle-ready books, and the prices are very reasonable. I had lent out my entire hardback collection of the Twilight series, and I'm not sure when I might get those back again... LOL! But I was in the mood to read Eclipse one more time. I ended up buying it through my Kindle app for about $4.00! It was also instantly delivered to my iPod Touch. No delivery trucks involved there! Within minutes, I was reading Eclipse again ;) Fast forward a few weeks later, and I've since been turned onto the Sookie Stackhouse series. Lo and behold, the entire eight-volume "box set" was available for Kindle for about $24, also instantly delivered! Now that was a bargain! That was great, being able to carry the entire set of books with me, on a recent trip to California. Not having to try to fit even one real book in my carry-on luggage was a blessing! I'm looking forward to adding to my eBook library, and reducing my carbon footprint at the same time, by choosing digital over paper.

I'm really enjoying my iPod Touch, and experimenting with the cool apps out there. The iPod really has come a long way, from being a portable music player. Hubby recently bought himself the Google Nexus One Android phone. It's pretty neat too, but I still like my iPod Touch. Should the iPhone ever become available to use on T-Mobile, I may consider upgrading to one. For now, I'm very happy with my current arrangement, and I hope those of you considering an iPod Touch will make the leap ;)

No promotional consideration was paid for this post. This is a review of personal purchases/downloads of apps from the Apple iTunes store.

iPod image courtesy of ottawa-gaming.com.

Book Review: The Gorgeously Green Diet by Sophie Uliano

2010-01-01T16:42:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year, everyone!

We're counting down to 2010, after what began as a rather whirlwind adventure through 2009. I feel very blessed to have a healthy family, a great job that I love, and we're on the hunt to buy our first home, with plans to transform it into our own little green corner of the universe :)

Every day, we try to find new ways to live a little greener. It's surprisingly easy to do, if you just put your mind to it. Over the holidays, we reused boxes for wrapping gifts, gift bags that we received were passed along to others, and we made sure that whatever gift packaging and wrapping was left over was sent out for recycling, whenever possible. Even envelopes from Christmas cards were recycled, and the cards we always keep (they make great custom gift tags next year). All of that took very little extra effort, but made a big impact on our family's waste reduction, letting us end the year with a lighter holiday carbon footprint :)

As we look to the coming year, many of us choose new goals. One of the big ones, of course, is dieting. A big thank you to Penguin Group USA for sending me a copy of The Gorgeously Green Diet: How to Live Lean and Green by Sophie Uliano. This is the second book for Uliano, whose first book is the New York Times bestseller Gorgeously Green: 8 Simple Steps to an Earth-Friendly Life. Uliano has appeared on Oprah, The View, and Good Morning America as an eco-expert. She readily admits that it's impossible to be a "Green Girl" all the time, but we can empower ourselves, and make choices every day to keep ourselves and the planet healthy. Unlike most diet books out there, Uliano advocates finding the right balance between our health, our pocketbooks, and our ideal weight. Much like the message that I try to send to you, the Gorgeously Green Diet focuses on taking "small, everyday steps" that fit our schedules and budgets. I certainly do not pay $9 for organic strawberries in the dead of winter, and Uliano doesn't believe in spending that kind of money, either. This book is all about taking a practical approach, picking and choosing ideas that fit into your own lifestyle, so that we can all be healthy, gorgeous, and green.

While the title of the book may lead you to believe it's all about dieting, the book is actually very comprehensive, and includes great tips on how to live greener and healthier overall. Combined with great, easy recipes, eating plans and menu ideas, are also very informative sidebars, covering everything from keeping your fridge coils clean to keep your fridge running efficiently, to saving money by using white vinegar as a rinse agent in your dishwasher (and a fully loaded automatic dishwasher does, in fact, clean more efficiently than washing dishes by hand).

This is a highly recommended guide to green living (not just for dieting), and I can already see myself giving away copies of this book to friends. Uliano does a great job, packing this book full of practical, realistic ideas for eating healthier, and living greener, that even the busiest person could make use of. I really do like that the author understands that we can't always pick the greenest options, and she guides readers through making the next best choices.

With the long weekend ahead, I'm looking forward to trying some of Uliano's do-it-yourself home skin care treatments. The Bananarama Nourishing Face Mask, and the Banana and Coconut Hair and Scalp Treatment are on my list ;) I think my four-year-old daughter would enjoy smearing herself in bananas, right alongside mommy, too!

Wishing everyone all the best in 2010!! Let's all strive to do our part to live a little greener :)

No promotional consideration was paid for this review. One copy of this book was provided for free by Penguin Group USA for review.

Movie Review: Food, Inc.

2009-12-26T15:27:00.001-05:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season :) I had a family gathering to attend, out in California. It was so great to get together with my mother's side of the family. One of the highlights of the trip was a shopping trip through a Trader Joe's grocery store with several of my cousins, after a lovely organic lunch at the Stanford Cafe at Stanford University. I was very pleased to see such an interest by the local college community in healthy, sustainable eating, and that affordable options are available, like at Trader Joe's. We picked up lots of snacks and treats, like organic pita chips and chocolates, and we strolled the aisles while sipping samples of delicious hot organic spiced apple cider. The prices at Trader Joe's are amazing. $4.99 for almond butter, for example, which sells at my local grocery store for $10.99. Eating organic doesn't require spending your whole paycheck.

We had a lovely Christmas at home. Our four-year-old is thrilled with the all-natural wooden food toys by Melissa and Doug, that Santa Claus left under our tree. She's busy scooping ice cream, serving us fresh-baked frosted cookies, singing Happy Birthday to Jesus and serving cake, and taking her favorite stuffed toys to the grocery store. She made me so proud when she remembered to bring her own reusable bags ;) We're very happy that she's following in our green footsteps.

Now that we have a few days to relax, and spend time as a family, hubby and I finally got around to watching a few movies, including Food, Inc., which I've been very eager to see. I remember reading Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation in college, and I was so glad to have taken that class in economics of food. That book really opened my eyes to the industry of manufactured food, and was the starting point of what would eventually be a green, organic lifestyle. I was very pleased to see that Eric Schlosser, along with Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, and In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto, which I really enjoyed, were producers and hosts in Food, Inc.

This is a really well put together movie; not at all dry, like typical documentaries. The crews explored the hidden ugly truths behind feed lots, the tyrannical power of the multinational food conglomerates, like Monsanto (which just happens to be on the top of my personal list of despicable companies). Being able to see how powerless farmers are, at the mercy of these giants, really helped us reinforce our decision to make organic, local food choices, whenever possible. If we, as consumers, continue to buy cheap, unhealthy products, that's what the market will produce. But the opposite is also true. Watching one farmer's commitment to producing real food, the natural way, gives us all hope, that maybe feedlots and food contamination will someday be a thing of the past -- humankind's one time experiment gone wrong. Our family has already made the shift to organic produce through our buying club, and we've increased our proportion of organic meat purchases to conventional. We're hoping to make a total switch by investing in a deep freezer, and splitting whole grass-fed steer with our club next.

Every penny spent does send a message to the producers and suppliers. Let's all make a commitment in 2010 to send a loud and clear, green, organic message to all of them.

Watch the Food, Inc. movie trailer.

Product and Site Review, and Coupon Code: MyGoodGreetings.com - Eco-Friendly Green Greeting Cards

2009-12-06T11:25:00.001-05:00

Happy Holidays, everyone!

This year began with some unexpected challenges, but we pulled through together, and we feel very blessed for all that we have :)

It's time to share in the holiday spirit. We're very happy to see more options becoming available to help us have a greener Christmas. Along with having properly recycled our old, broken incandescent Christmas tree lights, and now enjoying beautifully bright, colorful, and super energy-efficient LEDs, we'll be sending out eco-friendly recycled greeting cards.

We were very pleased with the lovely samples we received from MyGoodGreetings.com, a company that specializes in beautiful, customizable greeting cards, that are green, from the ground up. Everything from Christmas cards, Hanukkah greetings, birth announcements, wedding announcements, thank you cards, party invitations, and address labels, customized with your own photos, can be produced by their Bay Area Certified Green Business printer. I really enjoyed navigating the MyGoodGreetings.com website. It's very easy to find the category you're looking for, and all of their lovely designs can been viewed together on one page.

The samples we received are printed on sturdy, FSC Certified recycled card stock, and the colors and print are bright and crisp. Even with purchasing Green-e certified renewable power offset credits, MyGoodGreetings.com offers products that are very price competitive with many of the popular custom photo product printers on the Web, like Shutterfly.com; a conventional printer and online storage site, that we used before, for things like our birth announcements, Christmas, and thank you cards. We'll be glad to switch our greeting card printing needs over to MyGoodGreetings.com.

Just in time for the holiday season, MyGoodGreetings.com is sharing a special coupon code for our Green Organic readers. Place your orders by January 31, 2010 and enter the following code, and enjoy 10% off your order!

GREENORGANIC10

This would be perfect for your holiday greetings, thank you cards, Christmas and New Year's party invitations, and maybe even some birth announcements :)

Best wishes to everyone for a safe and happy holiday season!

No promotional consideration was paid for this review.
Images courtesy of MyGoodGreetings.com

Product and Site Review: SproutBaby.com, Bye Bye Bugs Organic Insect Repellent, and $2,500 Giveaway!

2009-11-14T14:13:00.004-05:00

Aside from being a green, organic mom, I'm also a HUGE fan of the Food Network. So, imagine my delight in finding out that celebrity chef Tyler Florence is the mastermind behind Sprout Foods organic baby food!

I've been HUGE fan of Tyler Florence for years! His "Food 9-1-1" show was one of my favorites. The man knows food ;) I remembered seeing these unique pouches in the baby aisle at our local Publix grocery store, but that was long after Green Organic Girl was finished with her last jar of puree. But I am so glad to see more and more organic baby food offerings coming available, and I had no idea that Tyler Florence was the chef and organic dad behind Sprout Foods.

Sprout Foods can be found online, from the fabulous website, SproutBaby.com. They offer a huge array of products, from diapering, to kid care, to mom care! We got to try out a fantastic organic insect repellent, called "Bye Bye Bugs", made by the Bye Bye Shop. Living in South Florida means that we spend a lot of time outside. And waiting just outside are plenty of mosquitoes, no-see-ums, and other biting pests. The weather was lovely last night, and we enjoyed it, while grilling in the back yard. Before we head out, we always spritz ourselves with some kind of bug spray. We, of course, avoid DEET at all costs, and we're glad to see more natural products available. Lately, we've been using Jason "Quit Bugging Me" natural insect repellent spray. It is all natural, and it works, but the smell is a bit unpleasant and strong, though it does go away. However, it appears that we've found a new favorite, in the "Bye Bye Bugs" that SproutBaby.com sent us. This organic insect repellent is a lovely smelling blend of red thyme, lemongrass, lavender, and peppermint essential oils. It comes in a very convenient spray bottle, and just a light spritzing is all it takes to keep the nastiest mosquitoes and biting bugs away. It goes on very easily, and doesn't leave a greasy film. I even spritzed a little on my hand, and patted it on my face, and my makeup didn't smear. We love this stuff! I can vouch that it really does work, as we had the unfortunate incident of our grill running out of propane. Hubby had to come outside and unhook the tank, and make a quick Home Depot run to get it exchanged. When he returned, it was much darker outside, and as hubby wasn't wearing any spray, he got bitten numerous times. Green Organic Girl and I were outside for over an hour after dark, and we weren't bitten once :)

Bye Bye Shop makes a few other products, including the very cutely named "Bye Bye Monsters" spray; a blend of relaxing essential oils for scared children to use at bedtime, to spray around their beds, to ward off scary monsters. We don't have a problem with scary monsters, but I would love to try out the "Bye Bye Germs" spray, which is an alcohol-free blend of eucalyptus, lavender, lemon, and tea tree essential oils, for disinfecting. I'm totally against conventional hand sanitizers -- I'm a firm believer that they do more harm than good; killing off your own body's natural defenses, and potentially creating "super bugs", by weakening, but not killing, harmful bacteria. "Bye Bye Bugs", however, is one all-natural sanitizer I would welcome into my home (and in the car, and in my purse) :)

We'd also like to wish SproutBaby.com a Happy First Birthday! To celebrate, SproutBaby.com is giving away $2,500.00!! Every purchase made between October 15, 2009 and December 15, 2009 is an automatic entry in the giveaway. Entries can also be made without a purchase. Click on the picture below for more details :)

Please keep up the great work, SproutBaby.com! :)

Images above of Sprout Foods, Tyler Florence & Baby, Bye Bye Shop products, and $2500 giveaway courtesy of SproutBaby.com.

One bottle of "Bye Bye Bugs" spray was provided for free for review.

No promotional consideration was paid for this post.

Creamy Dairy-Free and Egg-Free Seafood Pasta Alfredo

2009-11-14T10:30:00.000-05:00

I'm having a grand time, experimenting with the vegetarian food supplement, nutritional yeast, which I first posted about here. I'm discovering all sorts of uses for this amazing, vitamin-B-packed, all-natural product, that adds an amazingly cheesy and nutty flavor to foods, all without the dairy.

Green Organic Girl loves shrimp and pasta, and tonight's dinner adventure was an attempt at a creamy Alfredo-like pasta, with shrimp, scallops, and asparagus -- minus the traditional cream, eggs, and Parmesan cheese, to accommodate my milk allergy. The experiment was a success!! I'm also happy to report that it was super easy to make -- requiring not much more effort than the traditional recipe. Here is my dairy-free, and egg-free version, using organic fusili pasta:

1 lb dry pasta

1 lb fresh asparagus, ends trimmed, and cut in one inch pieces

1/2 lb frozen, cooked, peeled shrimp

1/2 lb frozen scallops

1 clove minced garlic

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1/4 cup rice flour (or substitute with all-purpose flour)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

2/3 cup almond milk (or any unsweetened soy or nut milk)

1 tbsp vegan margarine (like Earth Balance)

Cook one pound of your favorite pasta in salted, boiling water, according to package directions, to al dente doneness.

While pasta is cooking, thaw the shrimp and scallops in a colander under cool running water.

In a dutch oven, sautee the garlic and asparagus in extra virgin olive oil on medium heat.

In a small bowl, blend together the nutritional yeast, rice flour, garlic powder, kosher salt, and black pepper. Stir in the almond milk to form a slurry. Set aside.

Drain the shrimp and scallops well, and toss with the garlic and asparagus. Turn the heat down to medium-low. Add the yeast and almond milk mixture, stirring constantly, as the sauce will thicken quickly. Cook for about two minutes. Drain the pasta well, and toss with the sauce. Cook for another minute, and serve immediately.

This dish was a hit with my cheese-loving hubby and daughter. I'm very happy to have found a way to incorporate creamy pasta dishes back onto our menu, while keeping them dairy-free :)

Have a Green Christmas: Recycle Used/Broken Christmas Lights at The Home Depot and Save $3 Off New LEDs!

2009-11-11T10:42:00.008-05:00

Happy Veterans' Day everyone! We'll always remember those who made sacrifices for us.

We're enjoying a family day together, and soon we'll be heading off to The Home Depot. While it doesn't snow in the Florida Keys, we still love to decorate for the holidays. Nevertheless, no matter where you live, there's always the problem with broken strings of lights. We have a couple sets that have just completely given out. This year, The Home Depot this year is offering a special recycling program for used and broken strings of Christmas lights! Until November 15th, they're also offering a $3 off coupon when you recycle your old lights, and purchase a new set of eco-friendly, low-power, long-lasting LED Christmas lights! Perfect timing, as our old lights have reached the end of their useful life.

We're big fans of LED lighting in this house, as they are super-bright, they stay cool, and use so little power. Hubby is a wedding DJ, and has proudly phased out all of his old conventional stage and show lighting, and incorporated all the latest and greatest in DJ LED technology. He puts on a fabulous show, and never has to worry about tripping circuit breakers at the hotels and parties he attends, as the whole rig uses so little power. He also doesn't have to sit around after a gig, waiting for his light rig to cool anymore. LEDs stay cool, from their low power consumption, so hubby can just pack up and go. We use LED flashlights for emergencies, and we'd love to eventually phase out our CFL bulbs, which are already more energy-efficient, for LED bulbs, in our light fixtures around the home. We're very happy that we'll be able to incorporate some more energy-efficient lighting this holiday season, and that our old lights are going to be recycled and disposed of in a responsible way.

So, hurry and dig out those old lights before this coming Sunday, November 15th, and enjoy a Green Christmas ;)

Christmas Light Trade-In image courtesy of HomeDepot.com.
No promotional consideration was paid for this post.

The Winners of our Eco-Friendly Kids Toys and Gifts Giveaway!

2009-10-31T17:11:00.002-04:00

Thanks again to Challenge and Fun for sponsoring this HUGE eco-friendly kids gifts giveaway! And thank you to everyone who entered, and for your Facebook and Twitter follows, and daily tweets! :)

As promised, THREE prizes are up for grabs, and here are the results of our Random.org drawing:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

2 23 29

Timestamp: 2009-10-31 21:00:58 UTC

The winner of prize #1, the totally awesome Labyrinth Balance Board is Anne from Mommy Has to Work!! Congrats Anne :D

And talk about luck!! The winner of prizes #2 and #3, the "I Cherish Planet Earth" book and game, as well as the autographed Charlie Hope CD "I'm Me!" is Rachelle from Mommy? I'm hungry! Girl, you are on a roll! Time to go play the lotto!! Hahaha ;)

Ladies, please check your e-mails, so we can make arrangements to get your prizes out to you and your little ones!

Thanks again to everyone :)

Have a safe and happy Halloween!

Product Review and Recipe: Vegan "Queso" Cheeze Sauce made from Bob's Red Mill Nutritional Yeast

2009-10-29T20:59:00.005-04:00

I thought I'd never eat nachos and cheese dip again.

A few months ago, I seem to have stumbled upon having an adult on-set allergy to the milk protein casein. It's apparently very common for adults to suddenly become allergic to this substance. I'm still waiting for an allergy test to confirm this, but the flaming rash on my hands that lingers for a week, after ingesting any kind of dairy, would seem to indicate that I have a milk allergy.

Oh, it's been a tough transition for this cooking mama, trying to work around recipes calling for things as simple as butter. I thank wonderful companies like the makers of Earth Balance vegan margarine, Rice Dream rice milk, and of course, my favorite Publix Greenwise soy milk for helping to make this transition easier :)

Just when I thought I'd never again experience the ooey goodness of melted cheese, I started reading about an intriguing ingredient: nutritional yeast. Also called vegetarian yeast, the one from the famous Bob's Red Mill brand got rave reviews on Amazon.com. Many were singing the praises of this long-lived, yellowy powdered yeast, that has been around since at least ancient Egyptian times. Sprinkled on popcorn or hot pasta, or stirred into a sauce, this nutrient-packed yeast adds a surprisingly good nutty and cheesy flavor, all without the dairy! This all-natural substance is packed with B-vitamins, and is also serves as a source of complete protein!

Nutritional yeast keeps very well in the freezer, so I went ahead and ordered a full case. My shipment of four packages of Bob's Red Mill large-flake variety nutritional food yeast arrived today from Amazon, and I couldn't wait to try it out. This recipe for Nutritional Yeast Queso Sauce from VegWeb.com looked simple, yet delicious. I added a few tweaks, as we like our nacho dips a little chunkier, and this is what I came up with:

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1 cup water
2 tbsp Earth Balance dairy-free margarine

1 cup fresh salsa

0.5 tsp rice vinegar (optional - for that tangy flavor)
Organic corn tortilla chips for dipping

In a sauce pan, over medium heat, combine the first five ingredients, toasting them for about a minute. Whisk in one cup of cold water. Continue to whisk over medium heat, until the sauce thickens and starts to bubble.

Remove the sauce pan from the heat, and whisk in the margarine, followed by the salsa and rice vinegar.

Return the sauce pan to the stove, and continue stirring until heated through.

Serve warm with tortilla chips for dipping.

According to the green organic kids panel (aka my daughter), the verdict is "Yum!" :D I guess hubby didn't hear me when I said this was made with "fake cheese", and he didn't even notice the difference! We thoroughly enjoyed this as a dip, with Publix Greenwise organic blue corn tortilla chips.

Now on a side note, please, do not confuse nutritional yeast with any other kind of yeast (dry active yeast for baking, Brewer's yeast, etc). They are NOT the same thing, and will not yield the same results. Your local health food store or organic grocery store should carry nutritional yeast; either in flake or powder form. I do plan to make my own yeast powder from these large flakes, by grinding some in my food processor. Powdered nutritional yeast is supposed to be a great condiment, and we'll be using that in place of Parmesan cheese on our pasta and veggies. We'll be sure to test out more recipes for things like "cheeze" spread, and we'll be posting our recipes and results. We love our new dairy-free cheese alternative :D

Bob's Red Mill Nutritional Food Yeast image courtesy of BobsRedMill.com

Product Review: Crofter's Organic Superfruit Spreads

2009-10-28T20:00:00.002-04:00

Well what do you know? I won a giveaway!! WOOHOO :)

A big thank you to Gerhard and Gabi Latka, the founders of Crofter's Organic; the largest manufacturer of organic jams in North America! Crofter's specializes in organic fruit spreads, conserves, and jellies, and they've been creating these delicious delights for over 20 years. I'm also very excited that Crofter's Organic is based in Ontario, Canada, where I was born :)

Our delicious giveaway prize arrived: four full-size 11-ounce jars of each flavor of their Crofter's Organic Superfruits Spreads! These aren't called "Superfruits" for nothing! Ten antioxidant-rich fruits go into the making of this line of spreads. Each of the four flavors has one of four continent themes: Asia, Europe, South America, and North America. If you've been looking for an organic spread with less sugar, and more fruity flavor, these spreads will certainly fit the bill.

Each blend starts with a base of morello cherries and red grapes, and then combines more fruits, unique to various regions of the planet. They're also sweetened with fair-trade sugar, and only just enough, without overpowering the flavors of the fruits. I really enjoyed each and every one of these organic spreads. The Asian blend, which is the least sweet of the bunch, brings together the yumberry (also known as Chinese Bayberry) and raspberries. The North American spread is a tasty blend of blueberries and cranberries, creating the firmest of the spreads (very jam-like). The South American variety blends maqui berry and passionfruit to create the sweetest, and most jelly-like of the four Superfruits spreads. My favorite blend is the "Europe" jar, in green, shown above. It combines black currants with pomegranate. The black currant flavor really stands out! This spread has a nice firm consistency, and lots of chunks of fruit. I love that these spreads use organic fruits, and don't contain any additives (no artificial colors, flavors, etc). Each one is delicious on toasted fresh bakery bread. Mmm... mmm! :)

I'm hoping my grocery store will be able to stock some of the Crofter's Organic jams! Can't wait to try more! Hope you will, too :)

Crofter's Organic Superfruits Spreads image courtesy of CrofterOrganic.com.

This is a review of four free jars, won in a free giveaway contest.

No promotional consideration was paid for this post.

Dairy-Free Organic Apple and Peach Crisp

2009-10-15T19:49:00.008-04:00

I can always count on my dear friend Rachelle for amazingly delicious, yet simple recipes! It's fall, and our fridge is stocked with two and a half bags of organic apples from our buying club. Perfect timing, as Rachelle just posted this awesome Apple Crisp recipe!

Green Organic Girl and I have been fighting colds for the past week, and we finally started feeling a bit better today. I was eager to get back in the kitchen for some cooking therapy. I put together an organic version of Rachelle's Apple Crisp, with a few tweaks. As I seem to have developed a casein allergy, I made ours dairy-free, substituting margarine for butter. I also added two very ripe organic peaches. My pantry also has an abundance of pumpkin pie spice that needed to be used up, so that was used in place of cinnamon. Yum yum!! It's 80 degrees this October evening in South Florida, but the house smells like autumn has arrived :) Here is my version of our dairy-free organic apple and peach crisp:

For the base:

8 small organic Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced
2 ripe organic peaches, peeled and diced
6 tbsp white granulated sugar
2.5 tsp pumpkin pie spice

For the topping:

1 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup organic all-purpose flour
1/3 cup rolled oats
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup margarine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, prepare the base filling by combining the white sugar and 2.5 tsp of pumpkin pie spice. Toss to coat with the apples and peaches. Grease a shallow baking dish with margarine. Pour in fruit mixture, and distribute evenly. Set aside.

In another mixing bowl, combine the light brown sugar, flour, rolled oats, and remaining pumpkin pie spice. Using a fork or pastry cutter, combine with margarine, forming lumpy crumbs. Spread crumb mixture on top of the fruit.

Bake uncovered for about an hour, until the apples are tender, and the syrup is bubbling.

Enjoy :)

Our Columbus Day Green Giveaway Winners!

2009-10-12T18:46:00.004-04:00

Thank you to everyone who entered our two fantastic Columbus Day giveaways!! The contests have come to a close, and here are the results of our random drawings from Random.org:

The winner of the Nutriganics Organic Skin Care Prize Pack from THE BODY SHOP is:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

Timestamp: 2009-10-12 23:07:51 UTC

#72 is Aimee!! Thank you for all of your daily retweets!! Enjoy this skin care pack!!

The winner of our fantastic customizable Halloween-themed Safety Tats temporary tattoos is:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

Timestamp: 2009-10-12 21:45:35 UTC

#2 is Jen from "Moore" Than A Mom! Jen, your little pumpkins are going to love these :)

Ladies, please check your e-mails, so we can make arrangements to get your prizes out to you!

A HUGE thank you to all of our entrants, THE BODY SHOP, and Safety Tats! Don't forget that THE BODY SHOP is still running their "2 for 1" skin care sale, and the Nutriganics products are eligible! And get your orders in at Safety Tat before October 15th, and enjoy 10% off your order of $15 or more!! Enter "GreenOrganicMama" at the checkout :)

The giveaway fun continues! We already have another fantastic green giveaway under way. Please check out our review of these awesome eco-friendly kids products from Challenge & Fun, and enter to win one of THREE of these for your own children!

Have a great week, everyone :)

Product Review and Giveaway: Eco-Friendly Toys from Challenge & Fun!

2009-10-12T00:01:00.007-04:00

Is it too soon to think about Christmas and holiday gifts? Maybe not for me ;) This shopaholic mommy is always on the lookout for special gifts for Green Organic Girl. Here are three fantastic products that we were given a special opportunity to try out, and your chance to enter to win these for your own children to enjoy!

This year, we're very pleased to see more and more green and eco-friendly toy options out there. The wonderful people at Challenge & Fun have put together an amazing assortment of products -- toys with lasting quality and entertainment value. This company prides itself on making safe, smart, all-natural toys and products available to everyone, all the while supporting their own commitment to the environment.

Challenge & Fun sent us three fabulous products to review, and we were having so much fun, I had to stop just long enough to write this. LOL!

Labyrinth Balance Board

The first is this amazing, engaging, and "not-as-easy-as-it-looks" Labyrinth Balance Board. Call it an "unplugged", manual version of the Nintendo Wii Fit ;) This is one of Challenge & Fun's own line of products, made entirely of wood, and manufactured right here in the USA. I have to say that I'm truly impressed with the workmanship and quality of this product. This is a hefty toy, and certainly made to last. The bottom of the board is fitted with a smooth wooden ball, so no worries about damaging your floors. Still, just for safety, I didn't want Green Organic Girl potentially wiping out onto our terrazzo floor, so she played with this on a rug. No assembly required, and very few instructions. Just take one of the three included wooden marbles (one each of red, blue, and yellow), and place it in the middle of the board. Stand up on the board, placing your feet on the footprint outlines on the opposite sides of the board. Then, using your feet only, tilt the board back and forth, maneuvering the marble through the labyrinth, all the way to the little marker on the outside top edge of the board.

This toy is recommended for ages five and up, but four-year-old Green Organic Girl had no problem getting the hang of this! Mommy had a turn on this too, and wow, is it ever fun! LOL! Once you master one marble, add another, and then another. Then start trying to work the marble(s) from the outside in. This is a great toy to play by yourself, or challenge your family and friends. However, I do recommend supervising younger children with this; especially if it's their first time trying it out. Also, keep the wooden marbles away from the mouths of younger siblings. Store them some place safe and out of reach, when not in use. This is truly a wonderful toy, and I know we'll get years of use out of this one, and we'll probably still be able to pass it on to younger relatives so they can enjoy it, too!

WHERE TO BUY:

The Labyrinth Balance Board is available from MuseumTour.com.

I Cherish Planet Earth

The second item in our package is all about teaching our children about caring for our planet Earth. "I Cherish Planet Earth" by FocusBloom, is a combination book and memory matching game that the whole family can enjoy together. The book is full of beautiful illustrations, showing images of nature, animals, and children doing their part each day to help the environment. The book is easy to follow, and the tasks are easy for children and families to do (turn off the water while you brush your teeth, take things out to the recycling box, turn off lights, etc). After reading the book, a memory game is included, with 48 cards featuring the same lovely images from the book, with short descriptions, as reminders of things we can do every day to help the planet. What a great way to reinforce what was just read.

This would make a lovely gift for younger children, serving as a teaching tool, and as an eco-friendly toy. FocusBloom is a member of "1% For the Planet", and the book and cards are all made from 100% recycled paperboard, and printed with vegetable inks. Included is a cloth bag for the cards, and the entire set is made in the USA. I Cherish Planet Earth also recently won the 2009 Dr. Toy "Best Green Product" award. I think it'd be a great addition to the classroom as well. We'll be taking ours to school to share with Green Organic Girl's preschool class.

WHERE TO BUY:

I Cherish Planet Earth is available from My Little Green Room.

"I'm Me!" - A Collection of Songs for Children by Charlie Hope

We love music in this family. Green Organic Dad is classically trained in brass, he's played bass guitar for several classic rock bands, and he stays very busy as a tropical destination wedding DJ here in the Florida Keys. Needless to say, we listen to a lot of music ;)

We are in love with the CD that came in our package. Charlie Hope is a female singer/songwriter, who also grew up in Toronto, Canada, like me! This is a wonderful collection of songs -- almost like Raffi (okay, now I'm dating myself... LOL!). Charlie has a sweet, cheerful, yet soft voice. Listening to her songs, you can just imagine her strumming on a guitar, surrounded by a circle of children, happily singing along. The songs are very easy to listen to, and ones that I wouldn't mind listening to over and over again (and you can't say that about most kids music). Our favorite has to be the Frog Song. I burst out laughing when I heard it the first time. It's about frogs, and toast with jam, and Edamame. What else can I say? LOL!

The CD has 20 songs, and some of them are familiar favorites, like "Mr. Sun" and "Pop Goes the Weasel". It also comes in a paperboard case, with a lyrics book that doubles as a coloring book. They're both printed with vegetable inks, on Certified Green components. I highly recommend this CD for your kids. It will put a smile on your face, too :)

Charlie Hope was also recently awarded the 2009 Silver award from Parents' Choice! Congrats to Charlie!

WHERE TO BUY:

The CD and downloadable MP3s are available from Amazon.com. Click on the image above to listen to sample tunes :)

ENTER TO WIN:

Thank you to everyone who entered! This giveaway has come to a close. Please click here to see the results of our Random.org drawing and to congratulate our winners!

Now here's your chance to win your very own Labyrinth Balance Board, I Cherish Planet Earth book and game, or an autographed Charlie Hope - 'I'm Me!' CD! At the end of the giveaway, I'll be picking three numbers from Random.org, and awarding one prize to each corresponding commentator!

Please be sure to read the complete rules:

To enter this contest, first leave a comment, telling us what you and your family do to live greener. Please be sure to leave your e-mail address, so I may contact you if you're the lucky winner.

For additional entries, please first leave a comment about what you and your family do to live greener, and then do any of the following, for a maximum of 28 (twenty-eight) total entries in this giveaway contest [please be sure to come back and leave a follow-up comment for each of these completed tasks, in order to be counted as an additional entry]:

Become a Fan of Challenge & Fun on Facebook
Follow Challenge & Fun on Twitter @challengeandfun
Follow this blog with our RSS feed, by clicking the button below (or if you are already, leave a comment telling me so)
Follow this blog with Google Friend Connect, by clicking the button on the right-hand column of this blog (or if you are already, leave a comment telling me so)
Follow this blog on FaceBook with NetworkedBlogs by clicking the link, or on the button on the right-hand column of this blog (or if you are already, leave a comment telling me so)
Follow me on Twitter @greenorganicmom (or if you are already, leave a comment telling me so)
Display our Green Organic Mama badge on your blog (or if you are already, leave a comment telling me so)
Blog about this giveaway (and paste a direct link to your blog post in your comment)

FOR BONUS ENTRIES: Earn up to one additional BONUS entry each day, between now and 4:59PM EST on Saturday, October 31, 2009, by Retweeting this giveaway daily! Remember to come back and leave a comment and a copy of your new Retweet each day, in order for your daily Retweet to be counted. [Maximum of one bonus Retweet entry each day, for a maximum of 20 for the length of the contest.]

By entering this contest, you have read and understand the rules and fine print of this contest:

Contest ends Saturday, October 31st, 2009 at 5:00PM EST
Contest open to U.S. residents.
There are three (3) giveaway prizes in total, consisting of one (1) each of the following

Labyrinth Balance Board
I Cherish Planet Earth book and game set
Charlie Hope "I'm Me!" autographed CD

Three (3) winning numbers shall be chosen from the pool of valid comment entries, using Random.org, with the possible outcome that one person may be the winner of all three prizes, depending on the actual numbers drawn.
Winner(s) will be contacted via e-mail, and will provide a U.S. mailing address, which will then be provided to the giveaway sponsor, Challenge & Fun, for the purpose of directly mailing one giveaway prize to each corresponding winner.
If a winner does not respond via e-mail within 48 hours of the prize drawing, another winner will be selected via Random.org, and the new winner will be awarded the corresponding prize.
Approximate retail value of the prizes: Labyrinth Balance Board $79.95 USD, I Cherish Planet Earth book and game set $16.95 USD, Charlie Hope "I'm Me!" CD $14.95 USD.
Giveaway sponsor, Challenge & Fun, reserves the right to modify the prize package offering and quantities.
Winners will be announced here on this blog, and on Twitter, and on FaceBook.
No promotional consideration was paid for this post. One of each product reviewed above was provided for free for review. No monetary compensation was received.

A big thank you to Challenge and Fun for allowing us the opportunity to try out these awesome products! How often do you find quality toys, that are educational, engaging, good for the environment, and so much fun?

Good luck to everyone!! :)

Click here to be taken to the comments form to place your entry/entries.

Toy images courtesy of ChallengeAndFun.com.

The Green Organic Family Visits Walt Disney World - Part 5 - EPCOT

2009-10-11T01:15:00.006-04:00

Continued from Part 4 - Disney's Hollywood Studios

We were in for another fun-filled day when we arrived at EPCOT. Here we were, standing in front of the infamous giant... golf ball? I don't know. But it's cool looking!!

EPCOT is another one of those endless, sprawling parks that is impossible to cover in a single day. Out of the four parks, I would have to say that EPCOT is probably the best choice for a big family. There are so many attractions that would appeal to everybody from toddlers to grandma and grandpa.

EPCOT is comprised of "Future World", made up of many sit-down, air-conditioned rides and shows, and exhibits, and the "World Showcase", the more famous part, consisting of re-creations of eleven nation, surrounding a huge lagoon. You can take a rocket to space, and then see a Mayan pyramid, all in the same day.

We started our day out in Future World. I can't even begin to describe all there is to do. We even missed several attractions, as we only had one day at this park, and still wanted to make time for the World Showcase. One of our favorites early in the day, was "Ellen's Energy Adventure"; a 45-minute show hosted by Ellen Degeneres. It's a combination ride/show. A word of warning: children frightened by large animatronic creatures should probably pass on this one. Green Organic Girl did just fine on this one, and I was pleased that this show was all about conserving energy. It gets a green, organic thumbs up :)

After watching some family vacation videos posted on YouTube, I was really eager to take the little one over to "The Seas with Nemo and Friends". This building is packed with exhibits, all sorts of sea life, and two very popular attractions which I was very eager for Green Organic Girl to see. We enjoyed two turns, seated in a giant clam shell, watching a 10-minute ride version of "Finding Nemo". Very cute, lots of fun for us parents and the little one, and not scary at all.

The next is an innovative and funny show; probably the most high-tech interactive puppet show out there: Turtle Talk with Crush. Crush is the hilarious "surfer dude" sea turtle from the Finding Nemo movie. You and your children enter a "people tank" and sit in front of a giant screen ... err... glass window, looking out on the ocean floor. The host instructs everyone to call out to Crush, and invite him over to chat. And that he does! Almost like watching the movie, an animated Crush swims up to the screen, and greets the group! The host goes around the room, and lets children (and parents) ask Crush questions. Then some very high-tech digital puppeteering and a real actor as the voice of Crush, respond in real time! After seeing some YouTube videos of some of these chat sessions, it appears they are very different each time, with some unexpected antics and possible appearances by other sea creatures during your 10-minute chat. It's seamless, so realistic (as far as cartoon sea turtles go), and full of laughs. This is definitely worth taking your children to, and I'm sure you'll get a kick out of it, too! This was one of our favorite pavillions over all. Just watch out for sharks.

After visiting Nemo, it was close to the return time for hubby to use his FastPass tickets to get on Mission: Space and Fast Track; two fast-paced rides, a little too intense for the little one. So, we decided to meet up later at the Electric Umbrella for another burger-and-fries lunch. Now, had I known beforehand, we would have headed straight over to the cafeteria over at The Land pavillion, for much healthier lunch options. The Sunshine Seasons cafeteria on the lower level of The Land pavillion is HUGE! There is plenty of seating, and I saw several tour groups, wearing matching t-shirts, occupying several tables at once. But there was still plenty of room, and lots of cleaning staff, keeping tables immediately available. This would be a great spot to stop and eat your own food brought from home, too. It's wide open, with lots of people-watching opportunity. The food at Sunshine Seasons is fantastic. There's just an amazing assortment: fresh homemade soups, salads, stir fries, noodles, sandwiches, bakery items, frozen treats, and the largest selection of drinks (including beer and wine) out of all the parks. The prices are standard park prices, like $3.99 for the homemade vegetable soup I had for a snack later in the day, which BTW was just perfectly made and hit the spot. I really do think that this cafeteria would make the perfect organic food venue, tying in with the nature theme of this pavillion. I hope that's something Disney will consider doing.

Back to our lunch, poor hubby was a little green by the time he met us at the Electric Umbrella, but he did enjoy his two adrenaline-rush rides. When his stomach settled, he had his burger, and then we were off to The Land pavillion for more shows, and of course, our late afternoon snack. We headed over to the "Circle of Life"; another sit-down show. Another green plus for Disney! The Circle of Life show is a movie, hosted by Simba, Timon, and Pumbaa from The Lion King, as Simba takes his "entrepreneurial" friends on an environmental awareness adventure. Now, I really enjoyed it, and I'm sure it was a combination of it being just after lunch, and nice and dark and cool, because Green Organic Girl and Green Organic Dad fell asleep. I don't know how -- it was rather loud! Oh well. I watched the whole thing and thought it was very well put together.

The next show we headed off to was Soarin'; a hang-glider simulation ride. It's not scary at all. It's an exhiliarating adventure, as you sit in a row of special seats, with your feet dangling, and you're carried around and pitched and spun against a giant video screen, to simulate flying. The three of us really enjoyed it, and had we had extra time, we would have lined up for a second round.

By this time, we figured to head over into the World Showcase, and do some leisurely walking around, before picking a place for dinner. I guess we took the back door in, and started out in Canada, my home country! Well, not really. LOL! It was a miniature approximation, but not really a true depiction of life in Canada. We stopped and enjoyed live music from the band "Off Kilter", as they entertained everybody in their kilts, and continued on to the United Kingdom.

I loved the little shops in the United Kingdom! The one tea shop even carried Twinnings tea in K-cups! WOOHOO :) My parents are from Hong Kong, a former British colony; so growing up, visiting relatives brought a lot of British goodies as gifts. So I was super excited when I saw that this tea shop also had all sorts of British snacks available! I haven't eaten these in years -- all sorts of biscuits, Curly Wurly, Ripple... mmm!! Too bad I've developed a milk protein allergy since. *sigh* That's okay... not like I need to eat more junk food ;)

Our next stop was France, and Green Organic Girl was in for a special treat. One of the street vendors was selling custom-designed, hand-painted parasols! Green Organic Girl has a special place in her heart for anything to do with umbrellas and balloons. There were sample pictures to choose from, so we selected a mini parasol, which includes her name and flowers hand-painted on the panels. For $5 extra, additional designs were available -- unicorns, Cinderella's castle, ladybugs, all sorts of things. As this was Green Organic Girl's special custom souvenir from her very first trip to Disney World, I chose images of the Mickey ears balloons to be painted on two of the parasol's panels. The finished parasol was ready in an hour, and it was lovely!! For $21, this adorable personalized souvenir was well worth it. It's a unique way for our little one to remember this vacation :)

We continued walking through Morocco, and then arrived in Japan. This is where we spent the most amount of time. We got there just in time, and caught one of the live performances by three drummers. They had so much energy!! Highly entertaining show :) By then, it had started to rain, so we ducked inside the gift shop. This was no ordinary gift shop. It was almost like a mini department store, full of all sorts of Japanese knick-knacks. We're talking Hello Kitty everything, anime shirts, toys, and posters, Japanese swords, and the cutest little wind-up toys, which kept the little one amused while we waited for the rain to stop. Well, the rain didn't want to let up, so we figured to have some dinner. We dashed across the way, up the stairs to Yakitori House, for some teriyaki. Now, I've eaten my fair share of Japanese food; from mall food, to upscale. Yakitori House is right around "mall food" quality, at Disney prices. I was a little peeved that the side of veggies were nothing but cheap grocery store frozen vegetable mix. Peas, corn, carrots, and beans. Exactly what is Japanese about that? Some iceberg lettuce with some miso dressing would have been more appropriate. Oh well. We hung around Japan a little while longer, waiting out the rain, stopping to buy some Japanese lollipops, which I haven't eaten since I was probably seven years old. They brought back memories :)

By the time the rain tapered off, it was getting dark, so we continued on our way, in search of a good spot to sit and be ready for the nightly IllumiNations fireworks closing ceremony, that occurs in and above the lagoon. Our guidebooks said to find a spot early, but they didn't tell us that the better locations are closer to the other side of World Showcase; Mexico and Norway. It was almost showtime, as pre-recorded announcements started to play, advising guests to find a seat. Huge gas torches started to light, all around the lagoon. We did find a decent spot in Germany, but it was near a torch that wasn't lit, and was spilling out natural gas. People were sitting all around this, breathing in the gas. Nobody could smell this?? I kept my eyes open for a Cast Member, to advise them of the gas, but at this point in the day, it appeared they were all gone somewhere, getting ready for the park's closing. So, we decided to sit elsewhere, and headed back over by China. We found some bench seating, but our line of sight was obscured a little bit by some trees. No big deal. It's a BIG show, and it is absolutely phenomenal. Don't miss this one!!

By the end of it, we were tired, and ready to go back to the hotel. We followed the crowds toward the main entrance, only to be waved into one of the giant gift shops by store staff. Okay, I guess the gift shops stay open later than the rest of the park. That was probably a good idea, as everybody was heading out at this time, and we would have had a long wait for a shuttle. So, this was when we did our big souvenir run, and took advantage of the 10% off a $50 or more purchase by using our Disney Chase Visa card.

This was our last night at our resort at Old Key West, so we boarded the shuttle, and headed back to rest up. Tomorrow would be full of packing, and then off to the Animal Kingdom, before heading home. Did we really have to go home? Couldn't we just stay a little longer? We were having so much fun :)

To be continued in Part 6.

Product Review: Newman's Own Organics Adult Cat Formula Premium Cat Food

2009-10-08T22:34:00.009-04:00

Meet Angel and Bella; the fur babies of the Green Organic Family. Our adopted babies came to us when they were fully grown, and had been surrendered to the local SPCA, and another non-profit rescue group. They are very much loved additions to our family, and also enjoy organic food.

Bella is probably the pickiest dog I have ever met (she won't even eat dog treats... not even Greenie bones! Now that is picky!). What she does like, however, is cat food. LOL! Our vet said not to worry, as lots of dogs prefer cat food, over dog food. So both of them had been sharing the same brand of all-natural Wellness Indoor Formula dry cat food.

We firmly believe that staying healthy starts with eating right, and that philosophy extends to our beloved pets. When it comes to choosing pet food, we adamantly refuse to feed our natural-born carnivores cheap grocery-store-brands, as they're packed with fillers, like wheat and corn meal. When was the last time you watched a documentary of wolves, descending upon a field of corn? Just like their wild cousins, cats and dogs need good sources of protein. No feathers, beaks, or feet either, please (aka "chicken by-product meal"). If your 5-pound bag of pet food costs the same as one pound of your favorite cut of steak, consider the quantity and quality of protein you're actually getting in that bag of dry food. That's why we've been going out of our way to shop at our local pet store. That is, until very recently...

About a week ago, our local pet store (which normally charges higher prices anyway, due to our remote island location and their lack of competition) hiked the price of our Wellness cat food 31% Yes, you read that right. THIRTY-ONE PERCENT. We try to do our part by supporting the local businesses of our island community; even if that meant paying a little more. But 31%? That is robbery!! While one of the owners was running my purchase through, I very politely inquired about this price increase. Instead, I was met with the biggest, coldest brush-off. So they think they can monopolize the local market, raise their prices even more, be rude about it, and expect repeat patronage? Not from this former customer. We're taking our business elsewhere.

As we are island dwellers, "elsewhere" meant "online". If you haven't tried shopping online for dry pet food, the shipping costs alone make it almost not worth it. However, my friends and family know that I am an Amazon.com addict. We buy everything from books to toys, to coffee and organic lip balm. Amazon.com's range of products is phenomenal, the prices are competitive, and there's no tax, and free shipping for purchases over $25 (and no, I was not paid to say any of this... LOL!). Amazon has been expanding their all-natural and organic offerings, including many of the products from the very popular Newman's Own brand. For breakfast every day, Angel gets a can of cat food, as I've read that older cats need that little bit of extra moisture in their diets to stay healthy. Our local pet store didn't carry any organic canned cat food at all, so Angel has been enjoying the Newman's Own Organics Chicken and Salmon variety of canned cat food, which we have on automatic reorder, with free shipping to our door, under Amazon's Subscribe and Save program. Since he loves the canned food so much, I figured to try out Newman's dry cat food, as an alternative to Wellness (as Amazon doesn't stock that particular brand).

Our shipment from Amazon arrived today. I guess Angel could already smell it through the plastic bag, as he watched me with such intensity as I cut the top open. Once I had the top off, I held the open bag to his nose for another sniff. Angel's eyes just lit up. LOL!

"Meow... meow... meow!"

Translation: "Okay, pour the food in the bowl already, lady!"

The Newman's dry food is a hit! And unlike Wellness, Newman's Own is certified organic. There are no artificial colors or flavors, no "4D" chicken meat (dead, dying, disabled, diseased -- otherwise, not fit for human consumption), and Newman's Own is famous for donating after-tax profits to charity, including animal-related ones from the sales of its pet products. We're very happy to have found this healthy, organic, much-loved alternative for our furry family members :o-)

Newman's Own Organics Cat Food image courtesy of Amazon.com.
No promotional consideration was paid for this post.

Less Texting, More Driving - Pledge to "Keep Your Mind On The Wheel"

2009-10-07T19:00:00.006-04:00

Recently, I blogged about my book review of "The Blackberry Diaries" by Kathy Buckworth; a year-long account via blog of one completely distracted, disengaged, and out-of-touch mother of four, and her escape from daily life via a Blackberry.

When the author started talking about wanting a larger screen in her car, on her dashboard, so she could keep up with her Blackberry while driving, that was the final straw. This book took a trip out the door to the recycle bin.

I'm a techie at heart, and an Internet addict, but even I know when it's time to "unplug". Having information at our fingertips "24/7" does not mean that we can jeopardize the safety of others!

How many distracted drivers do you pass on your drives around town, to school, to work, to the store? You know the tell-tale signs: the slowing down for no reason, the veering into other lanes, the car at the intersection, waiting for a specific shade of green before moving forward.

We all need to take the "Keep Your Mind On The Wheel" pledge, to ensure the safety of each other. We're all "somebody"; a mom, a dad, a brother, a sister, a son, a daughter, a grandparent, a friend. Nobody deserves to be hurt (or worse) at the hands of a distracted driver.

Please do your part and click on the badge. You can read all about the statistics of distracted driving, and then pledge your support by leaving a comment, and displaying your own badge to help spread the word.

*** UPDATE ***

October 8, 2009

Thank you to Cooper, co-founder of TheMotherhood.com and "Moms on Board" for inviting me to join their team of ambassadors, spreading the word about keeping your mind on the road! Let's all make a difference, together!

A Friend in Need

2009-10-06T20:58:00.007-04:00

One of my dearest friends, Rachelle, was just informed that her husband is being laid off. She is the owner of the amazing Mommy? I'm Hungry! blog. Rachelle is a mommy to three awesome kids, and has been a wonderful, supportive friend for the past five years. She's been an amazing mentor, helping me with my early transition into the blogosphere (which, incidentally, happened while I was in between jobs -- it's not an easy thing trying to find a job in this economy).

With her husband being laid off, Rachelle is being forced to give back several company-owned items, like the laptop that she's been using for the past several months, to update her blog. Her own personal computer just refuses to let anyone figure out what's causing its problems, and is unusable. Rachelle has poured countless hours into her blog, amassing over 300 Google Friend Connect followers, and over 900 Twitter followers. We love her blog, and the tons and tons of recipes, and personal touch that she puts into her reviews. We can't let this wonderful blogger (and friend) disappear.

I'd like to reach out to all of you, and please ask for your help. If anyone has a functioning laptop they would be willing to donate to Rachelle, please contact me.

Also, if there's anyone in the San Diego area who would love to have this amazing chef/baker create mouthwatering delights for you, please let me know, and I will get you in touch with Rachelle! She is a former professional baker, and check out the drool-worthy food photographs on her blog (which she also snapped herself!). Her passion for food and photography truly shine through on her blog.

Thank you everyone!