Wordless Wednesday - Snow Peas

...are blooming!

Nourish Your Skin With Bare Body Soaps [Review]

Since switching to natural and organic skin care, I have been obsessed with soap. There are so many different scents available. I want to try all of them! Just Google organic soap and you will discover so many different companies making all natural and organic soaps with essential oils. Nothing beats the scent of essential oils! I especially love when the soap is handcrafted by people who truly care about sustainable, fair-trade ingredients and eco-friendly packaging. This is one of the primary things I love about Bare Body Soaps and what I believe sets them apart from the rest. The handcrafted, affordable and luxurious soaps are made with certified organic oils, essential oils, and botanicals and are vegan and cruelty-free.

Green Tea and Lemongrass Soap                    $5.00
Rosemary Mint Soap                                          $5.00

Rating: total green check marks out of 5.

The Good	The Not So Good
Delicious scents from organic ingredients
Moisturizing (does not dry skin)
Long lasting

One of the first things I noticed was the scent of the Green Tea and Lemongrass Soap. In the morning, I took the bar of soap out of the recyclable box and put it in the soap dish in the shower. The rest of the day, I kept smelling something good whenever I walked into the bathroom. I could not place my finger on it. Then, I remembered that it was the new soap. I smiled! Not only does the soap smell good when you are using it in the shower, but it makes your whole bathroom smell good.

For me, the distinguishing factor among natural and organic soaps is the lather and the length of time the soap lasts. Bare Body Soaps have a great lather so you feel that you are effectively cleaning your body. Despite the great lather, my skin was not dry. My skin felt moisturized and soft. I was also grateful that the soap lasted for a good time. My husband uses a lot of soap, so we usually go through soap pretty fast. The Bare Body Soap bar lasted longer than usual for us.

I look forward to trying the other scents that Bare Body Soaps offers. Although, I would have to buy all of them because choosing out of the 10+ delicious scents will be hard. I would highly recommend Bare Body Soaps to any of my friends or family members because of the organic and 100% natural ingredients, the delicious scents, and the high quality of the soap.

Disclosure: I received the sample from the company in order to facilitate my review. No other compensation was received. I am under no pressure to return the product to the company. This product review is based on my personal experiences. This review is objective and completely honest.

ECOLunchboxes [Giveaway]

Beauty Brite, Jenn's Review Blog, Sweet Silly Sara, Scattered Musings, Saving For My Family, All Natural Katie, and It Keeps Getting Better have teamed up to give away an awesome ECO Lunchbox prize pack to one lucky winner!

The winner will receive:

• An Oval ECO Lunch Box
• A Yogurt Container
• A Furoshiki ECO Snack Sack 

Info about the company and the products can be found on their website at http://www.ecolunchboxes.com/.

Enter this giveaway using the Rafflecopter form below.

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When Was the Last Time You Ate Meat?

This week, a friend of mine (who knows that I am eating a vegetarian/vegan diet now) asked me when was the last time I ate meat. What an interesting question! I have not even thought about how long it has been. I recall having one bite of a grilled piece of local flank steak on Wednesday because my husband said it was  delicious and I had to try just one bite. But aside from that bite and maybe a few other small bites over the past month or two, I have not eaten meat. Surprisingly, I do not miss eating meat at all. The piece of meat that my husband said was delicious did not really taste like anything to me (but do not tell him that!).

During the conversation with my friend, I mentioned that I used to be a big chicken and fish eater. Wow, I cannot believe that I am actually saying I "used to be" a big chicken eater. I never planned on becoming a vegetarian/vegan. I stumbled upon it. A series of events, bloggers, friends, and maybe a little Divine intervention, and I am now a vegetarian/vegan.

I call myself both a vegetarian and a vegan because quite honestly, I mostly eat a vegan diet. The only dairy I consume is cheese and butter. I discovered that a vegetarian/vegan diet is easy on my digestive system. I have also found that I feel better overall.

>> If you are a vegetarian, vegan, or even a carnivore, when was the last time you ate meat?

Wordless Wednesday - Free Plants

I am so grateful that the dill, radishes, and cilantro all reseeded themselves. Aside from the radishes, the dill and cilantro are clustered together.

I Found My Library Card!

I was looking for paper to write a Thank You note and I found my library card! I do not know why I am so excited about finding my library card. The last time I used the library was in middle school, in a different state. I recall several years ago, I ordered the library card online. The card arrived in the mail, but I have never used it. I am sure that the library has tons of books on eco-friendly and green living, so I will have to pay a visit this summer.

The library is an eco-friendly, reusable, and frugal resource. When you are finished reading a book, you return it to the library, and let someone else read the book. Using the library is free! Additionally, you are saving the cost of the book and reducing clutter in your home. You will also help to reduce the amount of paper needed to create new books. Public libraries are a great way for your family to live an eco-friendly lifestyle.

Love the Moment at Virginia Beach

One of my most favorite times of the year is when I can enjoy a beach vacation. There is something magical about going to the beach. The water. The sand. And most importantly, the sun. I love being a beach bum, spending my days laying in the sun (or the shade), taking beach walks, and swimming in the ocean.

I can remember the first time that my husband and I visited Virginia Beach. We were still dating and it was our second vacation together. Between the boardwalk and the amazing restaurants, we had a blast! Virginia Beach is a great vacation spot for families because of the many activities for adults and for children. Here are the three ways that you and your family can Love the Moment in Virginia Beach this summer.

Enjoy the Virginia Beach Boardwalk
We really enjoyed talking walks, running, and rollerblading on the Virginia Beach Boardwalk. Did you know that the Virginia Beach Boardwalk received national acclaim as one of America's Best Beach Boardwalks? Of course it would! The Boardwalk spans 3 miles and has many fun restaurants and vendors to visit. We enjoyed the Boardwalk in the morning and especially at night as the sun was setting.

Eat at the Local Restaurants
One of the favorite things my husband and I ate while in Virginia Beach were fish tacos. We tried them at 3 different restaurants. One of the things I would love to do the next time we are in Virginia Beach is to take part in the Coastal Food Tours of Virginia to discover local farm and ocean foot. You can also do a Boardwalk Tour and go by food. Talk about being eco-friendly and green while you are on vacation!

Play on the Beach
Let me not discount the beach at Virginia Beach. The Virginia Beach Boardwalk is three miles long, so you know the beach itself is even longer! Like I mentioned before, I love being a beach bum. One of the attributes I really enjoyed is that the beach is wide and long. There is plenty of space to sprawl out and play in the sand.

Now that I have shared the three things that I enjoyed most about Virginia Beach, I hope that you check out this great vacation spot. Visit the Virginia Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau for more information. I am confident that you and your family will enjoy Virginia Beach just as much as my husband and I have.









I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Virginia Beach blogging program. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Winner Announcement

The giveaway for a bottle of Krill Oil has concluded! Thank you to all those that entered! Winner is listed below.

Sunday Stream of Consciousness

I realized that I need to set aside time every weekend to write posts and schedule them. I am working more hours than ever and although I am loving the projects that I am working on, I have neglected my blog. I do not want to neglect my blog because I love my readers. I love writing. This is a creative outlet for me. I love writing about my successes and challenges with living green. I love reading your comments. I also have not been able to participate in Change the World Wednesdays (#CTWW). I miss these challenges. Please bear with me as I figure out my new schedule and get back into the grove of blogging regularly.

Happy Sunday!