Blogger Opp: Holiday Mighty Leaf Tea [Giveaway]

Here is a free blogger opportunity for you from Crafty Spices. Blogger opportunities are a great way to grow your blog and increase your follower counts for free, while helping to promote the giveaway. Mighty Leaf Tea is the sponsor for this giveaway. The prize package includes Mighty Leaf Tea Holiday Collection Tea Chest and Tea Top Brew Mug.  

You get a free Twitter link with announcement. Read on to find out about the prize. 

This giveaway will begin December 8th and will end December 22nd. Two winners will be selected: first one will win the Mighty Leaf Tea Prize Pack (Mighty Leaf Holiday Collection Tea Chest and a Tea Top Brew Mug); second winner will receive a $50 Amazon Gift Card (Code will be sent via email).

To get HTML Code for this announcement Click Here.

Details:

• With announcement each blogger receives 1 free link (Twitter or Facebook)
• Additional Links can be purchased at $2 each. These links can be Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or any link as long as you provide (Social network name, user name and your direct link). 
• Co-host spots are available for $5 each. This includes 3 links for the giveaway event, and a back link to your blog on the giveaway page. It also gives you the privilege to purchase additional links for just $1 each
• The giveaway html will be sent out at least 2 days before the giveaway goes live and you should post before midnight the day the giveaway starts. We will not be sending out reminder emails to bloggers who forget to post and report link, we will just remove from the giveaway. 

Payments 

• Payments should be made as Gift via Paypal to cj [at] craftyspices [dot] com 

If you post and Follow @CraftySpices you get 5 additional entries into the giveaway.

Click Here to Sign Up!

Please tell Jay @CraftySpices that All Natural Katie sent you.

If you have any questions or comments, contact Jay @Craftyspices

Eco-Friendly Winter Clothing [Sponsor Highlights]

All Natural Katie would like to introduce the series of eco-friendly winter clothing. Clothing and accessories that keep your child warm during the cold winter months can be natural and eco-friendly! This series is focused on handmade products sold on Etsy. Etsy is a great marketplace for finding eco-friendly, natural, handmade products that are going to last a long time. Without further adieu, the sponsors are listed below.

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Belly Bear Baby Gear

Belly Bear Baby Gear focuses on using what is available to make what is needed. Most of the products are made from repurposed/upcycled materials, including wool, cotton, fleece, leather, etc. I will be reviewing a pair of upcycled wool longies and wool soft soled shoes.

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Passport Baby

Passport Baby can be called the expert on sleep sacks, or kindersacks as they like to call them. Kindersack is the original European baby sleeping sack. Passport baby offers year-round sleep sacks as well as warmer sleep sacks for those who live in colder climates or prefer to keep their nursery cooler.
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Snug as a Doodlebug

Snug as a Doodlebug sells high quality, functional accessories for every baby. From adorable designs on the sleep sacks to hats, scarves, and mitten clips, this Etsy shop has your child covered for the cold weather months. I will be reviewing an all-season sleep sack. The all season sleep sack can made with leg openings or a closed bottom.

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Snug Organics

Snug Organics is one of the few business that sells 100% organic cotton pajamas. Snug Organics was inspired by the simplicity and longevity of clothing from generations past. I will be reviewing the 100% organic cotton sherpa sleeper is the best seller. Cotton sherpa is similar to fleece and keeps a child warm.
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All Natural Katie would like to extend a huge thank you to all of the sponsors! Reviews of the items mentions will be coming soon. In the mean time, I encourage you to check out their shops and like your favorite items.

>> What is your favorite winter accessory??

Immunity Boosting Bomb [Recipe]

I have been dabbling in essential oils for several years. This year, I have gotten more serious about building my essential oil collection. Along with essential oils, I am also researching and buying natural immunity boosters like elderberry, raw local honey, herbal teas, etc. Having an arsenal of a variety of immunity boosting products helps to keep our immune systems strong and healthy, so that when we are exposed to germs, bacteria, and viruses, we minimize the impact on our family. My favorite recipe for naturally boosting immunity is the Immunity Boosting Bomb. Containing plant extracts, essential oils, and raw local honey, this drink is easy to take and tastes great.

Immunity Boosting Bomb

Yield: 1-2 ounces

Vegan (leave out honey or sub)
Vegetarian
Dairy Free
Nut Free

Ingredients
1 tbsp elderberry syrup or elderberry extract
1 tsp honey (can sub maple syrup or agave syrup)
30-40 drops echinacea extract
3 drops Immunity Strength essential oil
3 drops lemon essential oil
1 ounce of water (warm or cold, depending on your preference)

Optional Additions
5-10 drops ginger extract
5-10 drops licorice extract

Directions

1. Mix ingredients in a cup.
2. Drink 2-3 times a day when exposed to illnesses or when sick.

Norm's Farms offers high quality elderberry products . Their Elderberry Syrup and Elderberry Extract are great additions to my natural medicine cabinet. The Elderberry Syrup is sweetened with a bit of honey and flavored with cinnamon. It is not overpowering, but just enough sweetness that my 1.5 year old son loved to take this syrup when he was sick. The Elderberry Extract is just elderberries and water. The flavor is not bitter, but is not sweet. I have been taking the Elderberry Syrup straight and my son has also take some of it, though he prefers the Elderberry Syrup.

The bottles are sealed for protection. Once opened, the bottles should be kept in the refrigerator and consumed within 30 days. I was a little bit worried about the 30 day use by recommendation at first. Since we are in flu season right now and I am exposed to germs on a daily basis when we go to play dates and story times with other kids, I have been taking the Elderberry Extract every day. I can see going through one bottle of this in 30 days. My bottle has been in the fridge for more than 30 days and it has not started to go bad.

The Elderberry Extract does have a little bit of Malic Acid in it to prevent fermentation. My label on the bottle I received did not disclose this information. I did read this on the Amazon product page and learned about it from the company representative.

I would purchase Norm's Farms Elderberry Syrup and Elderberry Extract again. If you are looking for a way to easily and quickly boost your immunity, look to elderberries.

Disclosure: I received one or more of the products mentioned above to facilitate this review. No other compensation was received. This post may contain Affiliate links. You will NOT pay more by using these links. I will receive a small kick back to support this blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. All opinions are my own. I am not a medical professional. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. Please consult with your doctor regarding taking any supplements.

Eco-Friendly Holiday Gift Ideas 2014

As we get into November, my mind turns to the upcoming holiday season. Now that I have a toddler in the house, I am even more careful about selecting eco-friendly and non-toxic gifts. I hope this list will give you some good ideas for your own children, significant others, friends, family, etc. Some of the items we own and use. I would recommend these products. Other items we would like to receive as gifts this year (denoted with WANT). I will continue to add to this list as ideas pop up.


Holiday Gifts Under $25

Tropical Traditions - non-toxic body and beauty products would make a great basket or great bonus gifts. We use Tropical Traditions natural soap on a daily basis. They also started carrying a great selection of pure essential oils.

Halo Organic Sleep Sack - we have been using organic cotton Halo SleepSack Wearable Blankets for almost 1.5 years. These sleep sacks are perfect for all seasons to keep baby warm and comfortable. Cotton provides breathability and reduces the possibility of babies overheating.

Stainless Steel Straws - Eco at Heart makes wide straws that are perfect for any drink or smoothie. The straws come with a cleaning brush.

Eco-Kids Eco-Finger Paint (WANT) - powder based paint made with natural ingredients and natural colors. Mix powder with water to create paint. No need to worry about the baby or the toddler putting it in their mouth.

Epicurean Eco Plastic Cutting Board (WANT) - I have a regular Epicurean cutting board and would love to have a bigger one in the eco plastic.

Mason Jar Pour Caps (WANT) - this is a perfect gift for any Mason jar lover. Transform canning jars into containers for drinks, snacks, and more. Sizes available for regular mouth jars and wide mouth jars.


Holiday Gifts Over $25

Swell Stainless Steel Water Bottle (WANT) - I need to replace my old stainless steel water bottle and need something that can withstand dropping by a toddler. I love the shape of this bottle. Insulation helps to keep drinks cold.

Organic Cotton Half Apron (WANT) - I have never used an apron, but have found myself always searching for a towel. This organic cotton half apron from A Green Kitchen is adorable and functional.

ERGObaby - 19 months later, we are still using the ERGObaby carrier on a regular basis. The baby carrier was especially useful during the recent 18 month sleep regression. My 19 month old son weights about 24 pounds. Wearing him in the ERGObaby is still comfortable.

Envirosax Shopping Bags - I have a couple of these and I absolutely love them! The handles are big enough that I can easily sling them over my shoulder, even when I am carrying a toddler with the other arm. Strong as can be! Easy to stuff in any bag. Purchase a set or just one reusable shopping bag.

Excalibur Dehydrator (WANT) - I have a cheaper dehydrator that works very well, but I have always had my eye on this one. I love the polyscreen tray inserts and large capacity.

Le Creuset Dutch Oven - I use my Le Creuset Dutch Oven (in Cobalt) for just about anything. I feel comfortable that toxic chemicals, like those in non-stick pans, are not leaching into my food.


If you have any questions about these products or our experiences with them, please contact me. I am always willing to share eco-friendly and green products for your baby and your family. Happy holiday shopping!


Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links to where I usually shop. Your purchases support this blog at no additional cost to you. Regardless, I feature and recommend only brands and products that I myself would use.

Easy Home Repairs and Renovations [Sponsored]

Many homeowners today, especially new homeowners, are often buying homes that need some immediate repairs. Or, they find out that closet space is not adequate, the bathroom does not fit their needs, or they really can't tolerate that strange ceiling in the dining room. But, if they are living in a new town, or don't have familiarity with a home contractor, it is hard to know where to start.

 To meet this need, many homeowners have discovered the online based service, renovationexperts. Our company accepts input on any size project and lets the customer receive at least three contacts to choose from. These contractors will negotiate with you for price, specifications and other aspects of your project. All contractors have the required licenses for their state and location and are anxious to contact new customers. The website is easy to use, and a visitor to the website will see that any type of service is available from air conditioning to windows. Our site has contractors for the outside of the home as well; services for the yard, garden and exterior of your home are well represented. All our contractors will contact you within 24 hours with a free estimate. Our service only accepts experienced contractors with excellent customer service. Best, there is no charge for this service, unlike some websites.

So, when you need to select a contractor for your home, go to renovationexperts.com and click today to easily obtain solutions for your home projects.

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. I received a small amount of compensation that helps to offset the costs of providing eco-friendly and natural content to you.

Pouch2Go Reusable Food Pouches [Review]

We started our transition to solid foods with the Baby Led Weaning strategy, with a little bit of spoon feeding mixed in. There were some foods, like yogurt, applesauce and soups, which I wanted to offer to my son. While he was still learning the fine motor skills required to pick up food and get it to his mouth, he had not quite mastered the skill of holding a spoon with liquid/puree in it steady enough to get it to his mouth. Then, he got to a certain point where he did not want to be spoon fed. He wanted to be independent and feed himself. Reusable food pouches are a great way to offer foods to your baby and toddler while promoting independence and enabling on-the-go snacks.

Reusable Food Pouches            

Rating: total green check marks out of 5.

The Good	The Not So Good
Easy to clean	Made from plastic
Convenient for on-the-go snacking
Opening big enough for chunky purees

I held off giving any type of food pouch for a little while. Let's be honest. Those little food pouches are expensive. I did not want my son to get hooked on them and be a slave to purchasing them every week and throwing them away. I know there are ways to reuse the lids, but the single serve pouches produce a lot of waste. I started to see reusable food pouches on the market, but was hesitant. Some were hard to clean, others were hard to use.

When my son decided that he no longer wanted to be spoon fed yogurt, I had to try something new. Though he can get food to his mouth fairly well with a spoon, I wanted him to eat a bit more yogurt than 1/8 cup. Plus, I wanted to offer snacks on-the-go that were contained and convenient.

Pouch2Go pouches are exactly what I was looking for. I cleaned the pouches before use, as recommended. Yogurt was the first food to go into the pouch. As soon as my 19 month old son saw the pouch, he became excited. He took the pouch and started eating the yogurt. Success! He finished the whole pouch of yogurt! Maybe it was a little bit of the novelty of the pouch or maybe he really missed yogurt. Either way, I am pleased that he did so well with the pouch. Our previous experiences involved him turning the pouch over and squeezing everything out.

Each pouch holds 4 oz. This is the perfect size for a toddler or a baby. The reusable food pouch is also a good size for throwing in the diaper bag or your purse to have snacks on hand.

The pouch was easy to clean. The plastic is firm, so the pouch is easy hold open while I get the scrubbing brush inside. The pouch closes like a zip lock bag. The zippers are designed to stay closed. I experienced no issues with leaks. Though, I did store the pouches in a big Ziploc bag just in case.

I try to avoid plastic when possible, so that is one of the negatives of the product. However, for this type of product, plastic is going to be the best material.

Overall, I really liked the pouches. They were easy and quick to fill. I can quickly spoon food into the pouch right before leaving the house. The foods I have tried so far include yogurt and mashed butternut squash that was leftover from dinner. The pouch opening is big enough that even chunkier purees would still fit through. Pouch2Go Reusable Food Pouches are good to have on hand for on-the-go snacking and for toddlers who would like to eat independently.

Disclosure: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. All opinions are my own.