All Natural Katie: March 2015

Friday, March 27, 2015

DIY Event Flowers to Save Money [ad]

Are you looking to save money on your wedding? Is your goal to have an eco-friendly wedding? Do you have a creative side that you want to utilize to plan and design your wedding? Bloominous can be a great option for you! Bloominous is a provides easy, DIY floral arrangement kits for weddings and events. Bloominous DIY flowers save you money and come with step-by-step arrangement instructions.

Bloominous currently offers 5 collections and are in the process of adding more. The collections are beautiful and are easy to put together with the step-by-step instructions that come with every order. I really like that the expert designed collections are fitting for just about any type of event or wedding theme.

The flowers are real, come straight from the farm, and are cut-to-order. Flowers are dethorned and pre-portioned. The flowers are shipped by air to ensure freshness. Once you receive the flowers, you follow the pictorial instructions to create each piece in under 15 minutes.

There are three advantages to using Bloominous:

Cost Savings - brides can save from 30-50% off their original floral budget.
Easy DIY Flowers - flowers are cut-to-order, pre-prepped, dethorned, and trimmed. Instructions assist in quick arrangements.
High Quality, Professional Design - all collections contain specialty flowers.

Take the guesswork out of DIY and save time and money with Bloominous. The step-by-step instructions are easy for any experience level. The high quality, professionally designed collections will impress your guests! Bloominous also offers trial kits that would be perfect for a small gathering.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. I received small compensation to provide you with this content. Regardless, I recommend products and services that I would personally use and believe would be good for my readers.

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Dot & Dot Silicone Travel Bottles [Review]

I love to make my own body and beauty products. However, I always have a challenge with how to store the homemade beauty products. I have been using small glass jars, but have struggled finding a container suitable for keeping in my purse. Dot & Dot 100% food-grade silicone travel bottles are plastic-free, durable, and easy to use for just about anything.

Dot & Dot Travel Bottles

Rating: total green check marks out of 5.

The Good	The Not So Good
100% food-grade silicone	Plastic top
Easy to clean
Easy to refill
Leak-proof design

Dot & Dot 1.25 oz silicone travel bottles are made from 100% food-grade silicone (with a plastic top). Not only can you store cosmetic and body products in them, but they can also be used for foods and liquids, like sauces, salad dressings, baby food, etc. They are easy to clean because the top unscrews to reveal a large opening. The top itself has a silicone, drip-free dispenser built in. The contents release when the body of the bottle is squeezed, forcing the contents out. That means that even if the top is flipped out, the contents (liquids for example) will not flow out unless you squeeze the bottle. I love this feature! The lid has 3 leak proof walls to ensure that the contents will not spill out in your purse or travel bag.

I really like the design of Dot & Dot silicone travel bottles. I love that the top unscrews to easy fill the bottle and I love the drip-free dispenser. The bottle also has a silicone suction cup that attached to a shower or glass wall. The silicone body really makes the design user-friendly.

The lid has a white collar that indicates the contents of the bottle. The collar pops right off to reveal a number of selections.

Usage: I filled the first bottle with a store-bought natural hand sanitizer. The wide opening of the travel bottle made it really easy to pour the goopy hand sanitizer without worrying that it would spill all over the bottle. After I screwed the lid back on, I popped open the top part and turned the bottle over. Nothing poured out! These bottles are truly drip-free. I gave the body of the bottle a slight squeeze and the hand sanitizer started to come out.

Results: I like that I can control the amount that comes out. The hand sanitizer does have a strong smell to it from the oils that are used and the smell permeates through the silicone bottle. I would not consider this is a disadvantage, just an FYI. This bottle has stayed in my purse for the last couple of weeks without any spills. I feel confident that the bottle will not leak.

The bottles were easy to clean. You can soak them in soapy water or wash in top rack of dishwasher. Since I avoid washing anything plastic (including silicone) in the dishwasher, I hand washed with soap and my fingers.

I plan on filling the remaining bottles with homemade toothpaste, an all natural body wash for travel and Argan Oil that I use to moisturize my face. I would highly recommend Dot & Dot 100% food-grade silicone bottles and plan on purchasing the bottles in bigger sizes.

Disclosure: I received the product to facilitate this review. No other compensation was received. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

LED Headlamp For Handsfree Lighting [Review]

One of my goals for 2015 is to build emergency preparedness supplies and a short term food storage. Although we live in the part of the country that does not experience too many natural disaster, we never know what will happen. Weather patterns change. Electricity can go out at any point in time. Or maybe we just need to have some basic tools on hand. Flashlights are great for providing portable hand-held electric light, but sometimes you need hands-free lighting. Aennon multi-function LED headlamp is perfect for everyday practical purposes and also provides safety and security hands-free!

Multi-Function LED Headlamp

Rating: total green check marks out of 5.

The Good	The Not So Good
4 light modes, including red LED light
Portable and lightweight
Headlamp body tilts

Aennon multi-function LED headlamp is a necessary tool for any tool kit and emergency kit. At such as affordable price ($17.95), the ability to use it for so many different purposes is well worth the investment. The headlamp can be used indoors and outdoors. It has a strap that wraps around the head and one that goes over the top of the head for a secure fit; no bobbing around. The headband is easy to adjust. The headlamp has one button on it to control the 4 light modes (2 LED, 4 LED, 8 LED, 2 Red LED) and tilts 90 degrees to adjust where the light shines.

I love that the headlamp has so many different uses, from using while doing house maintenance and projects, to running/walking outside in the dark, to emergency. I also really like the ability to turn on how many lights you really need. If I want to check on my sleeping toddler, I can use 2 LEDs or the Red LED.

Usage: I used the head lamp while cleaning out a deep, dark laundry room closet. Since the shelves are very deep, I needed more light to see what boxes and items were in the back. I adjusted the headlamp to fit my head and went about my cleaning. I used the full 8 LED lights and found the brightness to be plenty for what I needed to see.

Results: The headlamp fit snug around my head. I like that the lamp itself is mostly in the front so that I avoid hitting it on the shelf as I reach toward the back of the shelf. I had no issues with the head lamp bobbing around. Less LEDs would have completely sufficed for seeing in the back of the dark closet.

The hands-free head lamp can also be used during exercise, like running or biking in the dark. While I could see myself using the head lamp if I took a bike ride in the dark, I probably would not use it while running. The fit of the straps can be tightened, but I fear that the lamp would start to shift during the repetitive up and down motion. I did find that while walking around the house, the head lamp stayed on without budgeting.

Aennon hands-free LED headlamp is a great addition to your toolbox or emergency kit. It's lightweight and compact. I would recommend this product.

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Rumiano Organic Cheese [Giveaway]

Rumiano Family Organic Cheeses are an affordable and healthy way to feed dairy to your family. This family owned company is focused on organic, grass-fed, non-GMO cheeses. The taste is delicious! Enter below for a chance to win!

Sponsored By ~ Rumiano Cheese

Hosted By ~ Deliciously Savvy

Co-Hosted By

Heartbeats~ Soul Stains

God's Growing Garden

Kaisy Daisy's Corner

Michigan Saving and More

Deliciously Savvy is Hosting a Giveaway for 1 LUCKY winner To Receive 3 FREE Product Coupons From Rumiano Famly Organic Cheese.

Rumiano Family Organic Cheese can be found at select Whole Food Markets and natural food stores nationwide. Visit our store locator to find a store near you: http://rumianocheese.com/store-locator

A Little Bit About Rumiano Family Organic Cheese

Rumiano Cheese Company is the oldest family-owned cheese company in California dating back four generations. Rumiano Cheese Company is committed to the organic, grass-fed and Non-GMO movement and continuing to produce the highest quality cheese inspired by their founding fathers' recipes and cheese making techniques. In 2011, Rumiano launched their Rumiano Family Organic line, which is the first cheese in the US market to receive Non-GMO Project Verification.

********************************************************************************************

Giveaway Dates ~ 3/24 12PM EST until 4/14 12PM EST

Open To Us Residents and must be 18+ to enter

This giveaway is in no way endorsed, affiliated or associated with Facebook,

Twitter or any other Social Media Networking Site. This giveaway is valid only

in the United States. Entrants must be 18+ years of age to enter.

This giveaway will end at 12:00 PM (EST) on 4/14/15!

Garden Big Bag Bed [Giveaway]

Enter below for a chance to win a fabric raised bed, a Big Bag Bed, to help kick off gardening efforts for 2015! Though I missed the opportunity for winter sewing indoors, I am making up for it by starting early on the garden plans! And this year, my 2 year old son will be helping me in the garden. Last year, he enjoyed picking tomatoes and peppers. Now, it's time to teach him how fruits and vegetables grow. If you don't have the space for a huge garden, the Big Bag Bed could be a great option for you.

***6 Winners***

Big Bag Bed Size of Winner's Choice

Hosted by:
A Lucky Ladybug
and

Co-Hosted by:
Michigan Saving and More
and
Monica's Rants, Raves, and Reviews

The World's Strongest Coffee [Review]

Enjoying a cup of hot coffee is one of the highlights of my mornings. Not only do I drink coffee for the energy boost, but also for the flavor. I love a strong, bold cup of coffee. Black! With a curious toddler running around the house, I need coffee to keep up with him. Honestly, on some days, I need more than coffee! On those days, I pull out a bag of organic and Fair Trade Death Wish Coffee. Death Wish Coffee is the world's strongest coffee, having approximately twice the caffeine of typical store bought coffee blends.

Death Wish Coffee

Rating: total green check marks out of 5.

The Good	The Not So Good
Fair Trade and USDA Certified Organic	Slight headache/energy crash a few hours later
Comes in whole beans and ground
Smooth and bold
High caffeine content

Let's talk a little about the world's strongest coffee, Death Wish Coffee. The name had me and my husband intrigued. The company's goal was to develop an extremely strong coffee that was dark, highly caffeinated and very flavorful. Death Wish Coffee Company sources high grade beans to ensure that the blend is strong and delicious. The coffee comes in a 16 ounce bag and sells for $19.99. The price is a little higher than most high end coffees, but is justified because of the Fair Trade and USDA Organic certification, plus the higher caffeine content.

The whole beans are dark in color. They have quite a bit of oil on them, but ground up quite nicely. The oil on them is from the longer roasting process.

Usage: I brewed Death Wish Coffee using my 3 cup glass Chemex. I usually brew 2 spoonfuls of ground coffee per 1 cup of water. I like coffee strong. Death Wish Coffee recommends 2.5 spoonfuls of ground coffee per 1 cup of water. If you make the coffee and it's too strong, you can dilute by adding a little bit of hot water at a time until you reach your preferred strength. I started off with one small cup of coffee to see what kind of effect it would have on me. I can tolerate a moderate amount of caffeine. I prefer a smaller cup of stronger coffee.

Coincidentally, my husband also brewed Death Wish Coffee at work that day. I sent him with a small jar of grounds for "emergency purposes."

I have also been adding grass-fed butter to my coffee to reduce the spikes and drops in the way my body receives and processes the caffeine. I have definitely had less caffeine crashes.

Results: My first reaction was that the coffee had a really good, bold flavor. It tasted strong, but smooth. No bitterness at all. The caffeine kicked in immediately and I felt more alive after just getting up at 5:30 am with a toddler. I sipped on the coffee for a couple of hours. I was impressed with the results. The caffeine woke me up without giving me a "caffeine buzz," which is most of the time not preferred because it results in a huge caffeine crash.

In the early afternoon, a couple of hours after finishing my cup of Death Wish Coffee, I noticed that I had a headache. In general, I do not get headaches, especially from coffee. I also felt a little off. I had a small cup of coffee in the afternoon and it seemed to help. When I talked to my husband that evening, he had a similar reaction. We concluded that it could have been a caffeine crash after the high amount of caffeine in Death Wish Coffee. Aside from this potential caffeine crash, I did not experience any other side effects.

Note: Since this coffee has a higher caffeine content, please do a small sample taste before drinking a cup of coffee. If you have a low tolerance for coffee, cannot handle high amounts of caffeine, are pregnant or nursing, or have an underlying medical condition, it is recommended to avoid drinking Death Wish Coffee.

I decided that we are going to keep a bag of Death Wish Coffee in the pantry for "emergency purposes." The cost per pound of coffee is a little high for us to drink this coffee on a regular basis, but I do want to keep a bag just in case we are having one of those days where our regular coffee is just not doing it.

If you are looking for more caffeinated and stronger coffee, I recommend that you try a bag of Death Wish Coffee. You won't be disappointed (and they have a 60 day money back guarantee!).

Saturday, March 21, 2015

Huntsman Organic Beard Oil [Review]

Oils are becoming a big part of my natural beauty routine. Oils range from heavy to light depending on skin type needs and time of the year. On my legs, I prefer heavier oils. On my face, I prefer lighter oils. They contain simple ingredients and most of the time, are available as 100% organic. I am even introducing my husband to oils to moisturize his face and facial hair. Huntsman Beard Co. Organic Beard Oil is the perfect blend of oils to soften and moisturize men's facial hair.

Huntsman Beard Oil

Rating: total green check marks out of 5.

The Good	The Not So Good
100% organic oils
Comes in dark amber glass bottle with dropper
Absorbs quickly and works immediately

There are a lot of oils in the natural beauty market these days. I love the purity of these oils and their ability to moisture the skin so well. Huntsman Beard Oil and Conditioner is made from 100% pure oils. I love that there are not fillers, synthetic ingredients, preservatives or other unnecessary ingredients. I have used Argan Oil and Jojoba Oil separately for skin moisturizing, so I know that they work very well. The Argan Oil is a light and dry oil, meaning that it absorbs quickly and does not leave you with a greasy feeling. Jojoba Oil is very similar, but stays on the skin, kind of like paraffin wax. The combination of these two ingredients is perfect for conditioning a man's beard.

Ingredients: Organic Jojoba Oil, Organic Argan Oil

The beard oil comes in a dark amber glass bottle. Oils should always be stored in dark colored containers to preserve the qualities of the oil and extend the shelf life. Oils that are not stored in dark bottles will oxidize, lose potency and become ineffective.

Uses: This oil is easy to use. Just a couple of drops is all my husband needs for his facial hair. The dropper is easy for him to use and allow him to control how much Beard Oil he uses. He also likes that the label is very manly.

Results: My husband has full facial hair, which he keeps short. His hair is pretty thick and can get stubbly. Many times, I tell him his facial hair is too rough on my face when he is kissing me. He has been using the Beard Oil for several days now. We have both noticed that his hair has softened up some. I would not say that it softened remarkably (the results depend on the type of hair that the man has), but I did notice that the hair is not as rough when it touches my face. Any improvement is a plus in my book.

I would recommend Huntsman Organic Beard Oil and Conditioner for any man looking to soften facial hair.

Friday, March 20, 2015

Kitchen Gadgets [Giveaway]

The kitchen is my favorite room in the house. I look cooking and baking, so I know the important of having useful kitchen gadgets and accessories. I partnered with Deliciously Savvy to bring you a giveaway of kitchen gadgets.