Whilst browsing a couple weeks ago I stumbled across Nellie's All Natural, a company with remarkable branding (I do like good branding) that sells unscented dryer balls that reduce the drying time by 25 percent, decrease the amount of lint while separating the cloths and are guaranteed to last up to 2 years! While looking about their website I became very interest in all of the products that they had to offer. So I contact them about reviewing on of their products. They graciously sent me a 50 load bag of Nellie's Laundry Soap and offered one to my readers! I must say I am very excited to offer this to you.
The package (and company branding) is filled with vintage housewife inspiration. Nellie is housewife extraordinaire and she is filled with Eco Savvy knowledge that she bestows willing upon her friends in need. This cute comic was on the back of the package of Laundry Soap.
This has got to be the best Natural Laundry Soap I have used ever. It is unscented so you have the option of adding a drop or two of essential oils to the wash if you choose. Even though it is unscented, it still smells clean and not chemically whatsoever. I put in a full load of cloths and a spoonful of the powder, we use cold water for our wash cycle and the powder dissolved perfectly. The cloths came out looking and smelling clean and fresh with no overbearing scents.
The real test for me washing the accidental bedtime happenings of the youngest child. They also came out smelling fresh and amazing.
Wanna try it? Head on over to Nellie's All Natural and pick some up for yourself or you can try to win one below!
Every hear of Spirulina? If not it is worth investigating.
Spirulina is a microscopic spiral shaped plant without leaves, seeds or flowers, growing by the hundreds in a single drop of water.
Heavily nutritious, this fresh water plant derives energy from the bright desert sunshine. Since Spirulina is a complete food our bodies are able to absorb all of the plants nutrition naturally, unlike many vitamins and supplements that only truly contribute to our bodies a percentage of the original compound because of our bodies inability to absorb the vitamin or mineral once extracted or synthesized. In other words, our bodies need to recognize it as a food to process it.
I received a bottle of Spirulina tablets and a bottle of Spirulina powder. I must say, I really enjoyed the convenience of being able to take this in tablet form. The downside is that I like to practice awareness of the things I eat and sometimes I find that a little more difficult when I can appreciate the taste and other sensations involved with the experience. This is where the powder comes into play, if you have a juicer (or access to a fresh juice source) add a spoonful of the powder to the juice (or to a smoothie) and enjoy. It looks far worse than it tastes... it looks both disgusting and beautiful simultaneously. It is a dark, almost grotesque green but the spiral shapes are so lovely and wondrous. They are so tiny and plenty and that is when the appreciation for what it is really begins to sink in. The powdered form has its downside as well, it takes more preparation and if you are not feeling too hot it just isn't going to look appetizing.
Spirulina has 10x more calcium than milk, 20x more beta carotene than carrots, 50x more iron than spinach and 5x more protein then eggs. This is simply a dietary staple but like anything else, everything in moderation. Too much of anything isn't good for you so make sure you don't go over the recommended daily intake or else you may end up orange from to much beta carotene.
Find out more information about the Earthrise Farm and their growing conditions.
The kind people at Rishi Tea have generously donated this Green Tea Gift set to readers of Music and Mommies. They have a large selection of premium and specialty teas that are not available anywhere else. I encourage you all to check out their gift section. They have many beautiful gift sets that would be perfect for any tea drinker in your life!
The gift set comes with a lovely tea pot as well as 1 tin of Sencha Green Tea and 1 tin of Dragon Well Green Tea. Just looking at the photo takes me away to a beautiful mid-summer day in the gardens.
This giveaway is open to my US and Canadian readers and ends at 12:01 am February 13th ! Good luck everyone.
Earlier this week, I reviewed the Cocoa Butter and Shea Butter Sun Protection Body Lotion from Ayu Natural Beauty Care. Today I am going to review their Jojoba and Aloe Vera Cleanser and the Three Flowers Healing Moisturizer.
As I have previously stated, the quality of these products could not have impressed me more. I love how this cleanser makes my skin feel. Because of my skin even with this cleanser I still occasionally have to switch it up with another cleanser so my face doesn't adapt because otherwise I breakout. Having said that, I can actually use the Jojoba and Aloe Vera Cleanser for a longer duration before having to switch. One pump will clean your whole face and there are many pumps in a bottle. A little of this product goes a long way, it will last for months. It truly is a great value!
The Three Flowers Healing Moisturizer is honestly the best moisturizer I have ever used. It contains Juniper extract which is quite effective in removing toxins and excess oil. I just love the smell of it and my skin feels terrific every time I use it. Ayu recommends that you use it each your face is washed and a little goes a long way. Like the Jojoba and Aloe Vera Cleanser above this little jar will last a long time.
I can't wait to try the Magic Lavender Toner and the Intensive Juniper Treatment. I have been eying them both up!
I received this tin of Four Peppercorn Blend from Joy's Teaspoon to review. You can't even tell how vibrant the spices are based upon this photo. I placed this in my pepper grinder and have added it to various meats and even creamy mashed potatoes. My husband loved it so much he discreetly went shopping for some at the grocery store. He was outraged at the cost and came home empty handed. I was outraged that he went to the grocery store instead of shopping organic. Welcome to our relationship... *smirks*
I am glad he felt inspired. I will say though, that he isn't going to find quality like the Four Peppercorn Blend that Joy's Teaspoon carries in a grocery store. This quality of Peppercorn is sought after and as you can see the blend is very pure.
Joy's Teaspoon is Green Office Certified. What does that mean? It means that this company is environmentally savvy, use energy wisely, recycle, use recycled goods and use energy efficient products! You can connect with Joy's Teaspoon on Facebook, Twitter, Google + and Pinterest.
I recently won a jar of Tropical Traditions Canadian Raw Honey and let me tell you I am super impressed with this product. First of all I had no idea what the requirements are for a honey to be considered organic and it is a little more strict than one might have thought.
From the Tropical Traditions Website: "In order for honey to be certified organic, the beehives must be placed
in isolated areas miles from the dense population, industry, traffic
congestion, and farm fields treated with chemicals and landfills.
Second, a bee’s flying range is determined by their natural instinct
which tells them to stay within their natural four mile range from the
hive location. Finding area which can be certified organic is extremely
difficult, which is why there are so few certified organic honeys on the
market. Tropical Traditions sources its honey from hives in the wild
frontier areas of Canada."
Now I understand why it is made in Canada, we have the land to
accommodate such a venture. This honey is incredible. Because it is raw
and has never been heated it is solid unlike grocery store honey. So it
is filled with nutrients and beneficial enzymes. The resulting flavor
is so pure and delicious it is like tasting honey for the very first time. I encourage you all to
try it at least once, the benefits to the immune system are extraordinary.
For the last few weeks I have been posting reviews of various GoGo Quinoa products. While this was delicious, I must say I did not enjoy the Mushroom and Quinoa soup nearly as much as the Minestrone. It is blander then the tomato based products that I have sampled so far. So for those of you who prefer bland foods or are required to follow a bland diet due to digestive issues, this soup might be right up your alley. My oldest son actually enjoyed this soup a great deal and he is a lover of spice. This soup is gluten-free, vegan and 70% Organic.You can make it with any unsweetened milk of your choosing. I didn't get to add the optional coriander or parsley to garnish the soup as it suggested on the back of the package, I do think that either would have complimented the soup quite nicely.
Ingredients: Organic amaranth flour,
organic quinoa flakes, organic white and/or red and/or black quinoa
royal grains, chopped mushrooms, mushroom powder, organic quinoa flour,
carrots, organic onion, parsley, salt, organic garlic, organic turmeric.
Ayu Natural Beauty Care blends Aromatherapy and Ayuveda to develop 100% natural products. The actual meaning of the name Ayu is "Life". It is a very suiting name for the company because the products really do breathe life into your skin. The products are made with wholesome and real ingredients like Shea butter, grapefruit seed extract, cosmetic grade vitamin E, Distilled Water... etc
The products from Ayu Natural Beauty Care are not tested on animals and were made in Canada. The company operates out of Ontario. Each bottle and jar I received has the following quote on the label: "Looking back to nature's gifts for healthy skin. Our philosophy is to nourish the skin using the ancient sciences of ayuveda."
I received three different products from Ayu Natural Beauty Care and today I am going to review the Cocoa Butter and Shea Butter Sun Protection Body Lotion. First of all I must say that overall I am completely thrilled with all of these products. These are some very high quality natural products.
The Cocoa Butter and Shea Butter Sun Protection Body Lotion is lovely. Distilled water is the primary ingredient and although you can tell it is water based on account of how it absorbs, it isn't thin in consistency. Lavender extract is the final ingredient and it is so well blended with the scent of the Shea butter, Coconut oil and Almond oil.
I am very interested in trying out more of their product line!
Naomi Rosen and I have two things in common: We both love tea and our mothers were both given the name Joy. Formed in 2010, Joy's teaspoon features a variety of teas and spices, many of which are organic and/or Fair Trade. The company that hosts their website is powered by carbon neutral and wind powered company. All of her products come in reusable tins or glass bottles. These are just a few of many of their Earth loving actions.
I received 3 different teas to review and 3 different spices. Today I will review the Mahalo Green Tea. Made with green tea leaves, pineapple cubes, mango cubes, flavoring, safflower and sunflower blossoms 1 oz of this tea can be brewed multiple times. All you need to do is increase the brewing time by 1-2 minutes. 1 oz of tea from Joy's teaspoon can provide 12 -15 single cup servings.
The tea is very sweet and really doesn't require sweetener, although if you must I recommend some raw honey. I'll let it slide this time! *winks* You can taste the fruity hints of pineapple and mango cubes throughout the tea. The tea leaves themselves are flavorful. I'll have you know I plan on spending the rest of the evening indulging in this never ending cup of tea. I made a whole pot, nothing like a hot cup of comfort.
This book was written by Judith A. Belmont, MS who is a national speaker
and corporate wellness trainer with over 30 years experience as a
psychotherapist and Lora Shor, MSW. Lora is a national health and
wellness speaker, an international corporate work/life consultant to
Fortune 500 companies and a therapist.
Instantly upon opening this book I was thrust into a world where at any moment I was behaving like one of three characters: The Swiss Wiz, The Swiss Cheese Fairy of Life, or the Negative Stinky Cheese. At first this whole notion while cute and fun, upon first glance seemed a little childish. I was concerned that some people might not take it seriously on account of such a playful analogy. It was my husband who shed light on this for me. He said that given the moods a person might be encountering while reaching out to a book like this, if it weren't written in such childish way a person might be too confused and flustered. As a result, they might find the average book with a similar theme of behavioral therapy a little overwhelming. I love him.
About 5 years ago we went to couples therapy, we had within 3 months of one another experienced the death of very dear family members. In my case, a grandfather who was a fatherly figure and huge musical influence in my life and in his case the passing of his father that resulted in us adopted his then 4 year old brother. Much of the topics that were covered in this book were golden tools that were taught by our therapist that really helped us through our difficulties. Both my husband and I recommend this book to anyone who finds themselves thinking stinky.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own and based upon my experience with the book.
So the hubby drove up to the city in a snow storm to go shopping for a new Tube amp and ended up getting snowed in so he is staying the night. In the meantime, I have once again been... more than a little active on Facebook today.
Earlier today Mega Uploads was taken down and 6 of its members were arrested. It was cited that they over the years had "stolen" millions of dollars in revenue from the Entertainment industry. Within a matter of hours SOPA had pulled the bill from consideration. Leaving the people feeling victorious but in actuality they had done what had been in their power to do all along, shut down a website and throw people in jail. Remember that next time this happens, because it will... it has been happening for decades. It was within their realm of capabilities the entire time.
Sometimes we contribute more to the storm itself, forgetting how beautiful it is at the eye of the storm.
So as a response to this, in an effort to find a common ground between the people on both sides who have real feelings... not the people at the top of the chain, but the day to day people within all industries who are effected by all causes within this ordeal. Inspired, I wrote:
"All art regardless of the medium or source of inspiration is expressed,
observed and experienced. When you add in other factors like
circumstance, position, money (especially money)... each of those
previously noted events are now bonded... for example: Money bonded with
expression can modify what we observe and in turn what we experience.
This is why some people feel that money and art should be separate, and
others feel that belongs pair bonded. Choose what you experience."
I did manage to find an inspirational video about a girl with autism and a video of a very talented older lady named Carol to share with you folks who haven't seen it on Facebook. I hope all of you enjoy. Oh, and in case you haven't seen the page circulating about what Beavis and Butthead look like in real life, take a peak... but be careful, it might just keep you awake tonight.
On February 29th, the rarest day of the calender year, join the 1 Million for RARE Movement and help raise awareness of the various rare diseases that affect the lives of 1 in 10 individuals, that is over 350 million people worldwide. Currently only 5% of rare diseases have any sort of treatment at all. There are no cures. 75% of rare diseases effect children and 30% of those children die before their 5th birthday. I can't imagine how terrible those parents must feel. It is difficult to lose a child at any age let alone so young.
Help raise awareness by following the Global Genes Project via Facebook and Twitter and help spread the word about rare diseases. Remember to use the hash tag #1Mil4RARE when you Tweet.
The Lavender Bath Bomb was pretty impressive. I washed my hair prior to placing the bath bomb in the water and then just put it in an up-do to keep it out of the water. I knew that the bath bomb must contain a lot of oil if they thought it important to enclose a note making sure that I washed my hair first. Sure enough as the bath bomb dissolved in the water I noticed tiny little lavender oil globules all around the tub. The bath water felt soft and exquisite and my skin felt as moisturized as it does with the best of lavender scrubs.
The Pina Colada Lip Balm wasn't thick like many lip balms on the market. It is very slick and non-greasy. It turns out the very first listed ingredient is Sweet Almond oil which is known for those attributes. This is probably hands down the best lip balm I have ever tried. It is more oily, less waxy and the oil is non greasy. It shines and it feels nice on my lips.
The Sweet Orange Un-Petroleum Jelly is great for any application that calls for Petroleum Jelly, except this Un-Petroleum Jelly is Petroleum free! I have been putting a tiny dab on my lips at bedtime and also using a small amount on my elbows which have been dryer than usual this year. It has been pretty windy around these parts as of late and my lips can use the extra protection. The sweet orange scent is quite invigorating.
You can find Xenessence Bath and Beauty on their website.
I've been a little post happy today on Facebook, both on my personal timeline and on the Music and Mommies page. It hasn't been my intention to spam everyone but sometimes information comes through rapidly and information needs to be redirected immediately. In the case of SOPA/PIPA awareness, directing people to the heart of the issue has been an absolute necessity. It is time to raise our voices and this very internet that we are fighting for is what has granted us a voice that is much more unifiable.
For those of you connected to me via other social networks besides Facebook, here is a summery of some of the things I
posted this morning:
The first one is a talk by Clay Shirky: Why SOPA is a bad idea. This is an extremely interesting video and if you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it.
I also posted a link to a list of US Senators that I discovered on Google. It shows which senators are for or against the bill and which remain on the fence. If you are a US citizen and have not contacted your US senator yet, please do. If you are Canadian like me, please urge your American friends to contact their US senators... this really does effect people globally and would be a complete set back on a multitude of levels.
There is also good news afloat in regards to the US Senators, according to this article, 18 US Senators have announced their opposition to the Bills in question.
This is absolutely amazing! We are indeed in the midst of a revolution. According to gismodo.com: "US Senate pages are being hammered so hard that they are crashing."
Now, I realize many of you have had an ear full of SOPA/PIPA perspectives over the last few days as awareness over the issue has heightened. So, I have stumbled across some videos in my news feed to help induce healing bouts of laughter!
The first is a video from some friends of mine at a new production company called Lady Parts Production. It is called "Shit Girls Never Say". Not really for kids but awesome none the less. The second video is just plain adorable and called "Hat Cat"
I wanted to turn everyone's attention toward this video I found on Facebook regarding SOPA/PIPA. It is important to generate awareness as there is much more to this issue than piracy. As I stated on my personal Facebook page today, moments before I discovered this video in my feed:
"We have the right to an open tunnel exchange of information. We were
born with the ability to make choices and by sitting idly by whilst a
small group of people change the system according to their own liking in
the name of money and control of
information.... this has happened before. Let's wake up! Pick up the
momentum. How many of you are still sleeping? This isn't just about
piracy... that is the surface issue designed to turn heads away from the
heart of the issue... limitation on the information we can receive
limits each individuals potential for growth... this ultimately limits
our own conscious evolution as a whole and further divides the social
class. I don't think we can afford to be set back at such a critical
point in humanities development."
For those of you who haven't entered the "Win a Ipad2/Kindle Fire Giveaway" what have you got to lose? Enter below! Don't forget to put "Crystal Marie Porter" as your referrer. If you win, I win too and momma could use a Kindle Fire.
