Natural Organic Network #BigGreenGiveaway [Giveaway]

I recently posted about the new Natural Organic Network for eco-friendly and green bloggers. The Natural Organic Network is kicking off by hosting a giveaway of prizes that add to more than $6000! There are a variety of eco-friendly and green businesses and lots of fun products for you and your family. The #BigGreenGiveaway is comprised of companies that focus on living green, healthy and organic.

This event is being sponsored by:

Naturepedic, Molly’s Suds, Nordic Naturals, Oxylent , Better Beans, Earth Mama Angel Baby, Traditional Cooking School, Preserve Products, Bluapple, PicMonkey, Boiron, Chosen Foods, KeriCure, $5 Dinners, Joyce Harrell Wellness, BEarth Institute, BEarth Master Herbalist course, Healthy Hoohoo, Branch Basics, UES, Joyful Gifts by Julie

Hosts: Honey’s Life Something 2 Offer Simply Sherryl

Co-hosts: Coupons and Freebies Mom SimplifyLiveLove The Homesteading Hippy The Creative Recycler Willy B Mum

Excited? Me too! $6000 worth of prizes! Just look at the 20 Prize Packages that are up for grabs! We have gathered some of the best natural, organic, and cottage based items for this launching of the Natural Organic Network. We hope that you will sign up for our newsletters in order to receive the latest posts on homesteading, living green, whole foods and helpful tips on making better choices when possible. We are all at different stages and on different paths in this journey. The Natural Organic Network is a safe place to learn, grow and discover ways to reduce, recycle and reuse our resources.

Big Green Organic Giveaway

Giveaway Details

 

  Prize Package # 1 {ARV} $1,257, is the BEarth Institute’s Master Herbalist Course and the Gluten Free Meal Plan and Freezer Meals by $5 Dinners.

 

  Prize Package # 2 {ARV} $1,007, is the Joyce Harrell’s Wellness Package and the Gluten Free Meal Plan and Freezer Meals by $5 Dinners.

   

  Prize Package # 3 {ARV} $1,007, is a year supply of Nordic Naturals Kids DHA , a Family Membership to Earthschooling and the Gluten Free Meal Plan and Freezer Meals by $5 Dinners.

   

  Prize Package # 4 {ARV} $ 787, is a year supply of Nordic Natural Omegas, a year supply of Oxylent and the Gluten Free Meal Plan and Freezer Meals by $5 Dinners.

   

  Prize Package # 5 {ARV} $ 612, is an organic cotton Crib or Toddler mattress from Naturepedic, Molly’s Suds Cloth Diaper Powder, Mother of All Mama and Baby Gift Bundle from Earth Mama Angel Baby, a Royale year membership to PicMonkey, a one year Fridge pack with refills to Bluapple and the Gluten Free Meal Plan and Freezer Meals by $5 Dinners.

   

  Prize Package # 6 {ARV} $ 455, is a year supply of Healthy Hoohoo feminine cleaners, a Chosen Foods Organic Food Pack, and the Gluten Free Meal Plan and Freezer Meals by $5 Dinners.

   

  Prize Package # 7 {ARV} $ 406, is a Premium year long membership to Traditional Cooking School, a Chosen Foods Organic Food Pack, a one year Fridge pack with refills to Bluapple,and the Gluten Free Meal Plan and Freezer Meals by $5 Dinners.

 

  Prize Package # 8 {ARV} $ 265, is a Big Berkey with 2 Black Berkey Elements and the Gluten Free Meal Plan and Freezer Meals by $5 Dinners.

   

  Prize Package # 9 {ARV} $ 233, is the Boiron Health Pack, (2) 1 oz bottles of Kericure Natural Seal and the Gluten Free Meal Plan and Freezer Meals by $5 Dinners.

 

  Prize Package # 10 {ARV} $ 193, is a $100 gift certificate to Preserve, a Large Starter Kit from Branch Basics, a Fridge pack with a one year supply of refills to Bluapple, and the Gluten Free Meal Plan and Freezer Meals by $5 Dinners.

 

  Prize Package # 11 {ARV} $ 141, is a Large Starter Kit from Branch Basics, a Fridge pack with a one year supply of refills to Bluapple, a Chosen Foods Organic Food Pack, and the Gluten Free Meal Plan and Freezer Meals by $5 Dinners.

   

  Prize Package # 12 {ARV} $ 137, is a 28 container pack of Better Beans, a Fridge pack with a one year supply of refills to Bluapple, and the Gluten Free Meal Plan and Freezer Meals by $5 Dinners.

   

  Prize Package # 13 {ARV} $119, is a 28 container pack of Better Beans and the Gluten Free Meal Plan and Freezer Meals by $5 Dinners.

 

  Prize Package # 14 {ARV} $ 63, is (2) 2oz bottles of Kericure Tough Seal for Pets, a bottle of Molly’s Suds Dog Shampoo, a container of Molly’s Suds Sports Laundry Powder and the Gluten Free Meal Plan and Freezer Meals by $5 Dinners.

 

  Prize Package # 15 {ARV} $ 58, is a Molly’s Suds Laundry Powder, Oxygen Whitener & 100% Wool Dryer Balls and the Gluten Free Meal Plan and Freezer Meals by $5 Dinners.

 

  Prize Package # 16 {ARV} $ 40, is a year membership to Royale PicMonkey and the Gluten Free Meal Plan and Freezer Meals by $5 Dinners.

 

  Prize Packages #17 {ARV} $27, is a pack of the Plantable Cards from Joyful Gifts by Julie, and the Gluten Free Meal Plan and Freezer Meals by $5 Dinners.

 

  Prize Package # 18 {ARV} $ 7, is a Gluten Free Meal Plan and Freezer Meals by $5 Dinners.

   

  Prize Package # 19 {ARV} $ 7, is a Gluten Free Meal Plan and Freezer Meals by $5 Dinners.

   

  Prize Package # 20 {ARV} $ 7, is a Gluten Free Meal Plan and Freezer Meals by $5 Dinners.

Giveaway Terms and Conditions

This event runs from 2/16/15 starting at 7:00am EST This event ends on 2/23/15 at 11:59pm EST Participants must have a Continental USA mailing address for prize fulfillment. Winner(s) have 24 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen. All entries are optional but will be verified if claimed. Winner(s) will be chosen in the order of prize packages listed on the Giveaway Form. One prize per person, email, mailing address, or household. All winners will be listed on the BIG GREEN GIVEAWAY WINNER page at the end of this event. Good luck on your entries!

Big Green Organic Giveaway

Disclaimer: We are not associated with any of the companies named above. No purchase is necessary to enter. Void where prohibited by law. The odds of winning are based on the number of entries received. Open to the US 18+ only. Confirmed Winner(s) (by Random.org) will be contacted by email. Winner(s) have 24 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen. The sponsor(s) will be responsible for product shipment to winner(s) of this giveaway. Only 1 prize per household. This event is in no way administered, sponsored, endorsed by, or associated with; Facebook, Twitter, Google, and/or Pinterest. This disclosure is done in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 10 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements. Entrants must only enter with either one email address, IP address and/or Facebook account, anyone found violating these rules will be disqualified. It is at the sole discretion of the admins of the giveaway if the winner(s) have met the rules or not. None of the participating bloggers received any form of compensation for this event and are not responsible for prize packages. All prize packages are the responsibility of the stated sponsor. The Natural Organic Network is a network of bloggers that are very motivated in promoting all natural, organic and homesteading products be it food, clothing, or household items. Interested in working with our amazing team of bloggers? Sign up to be a NON Blogger or Contact Us (email NaturalOrganicNetwork@gmail.com) for information on how we can create a campaign for your product line.

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Sun'n'Fun SPF30 Mineral Sunscreen [Review]

Sunscreen is a necessity for our family during the summer months. While it is recommended that sunscreen be worn every single day, I tend to wear sunscreen during the summer and during the middle of the day when the sun is the strongest. I try to limit the amount of products that I put on my body. The products that I do put on my skin and my toddler's skin are scrutinized for natural ingredients. Children's skin is even more sensitive and permeable than adult skin, so choosing natural body products is very important. Sun'n'Fun Broad Spectrum SPF30 Sunscreen provide broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection with mostly natural ingredients

Sun'n'Fun SPF30 Sunscreen    

Rating: total green check marks out of 5.

The Good	The Not So Good
Mineral-based	Potentially hazardous ingredients
Easily application
Non-greasy, non-NANO ingredients

My sunscreen collection contains a few different brands. While I prefer the most natural and organic ingredients, my husband does not like to have a white tint to his skin from the thick zinc-oxide sunscreen and rubbing thick sunscreen on a mobile toddler's skin just does not happen sometimes. Therefore, I look for sunscreens with the most natural ingredients and non-nano minerals. Nano minerals and particles are absorbed through the skin and enter the the blood stream, while non-nano particles stay on top of the skin and provide protection from the sun.

Let's start off with the ingredients list.

Sun'n'Fun Broad Spectrum SPF30 Sunscreen Ingredients
Active ingredients: Zinc Oxide, non-nano (20%)
Inactive ingredients: Purified Water, Organic Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe) Leaf Juice, Caprylic/Capric Triglycerides, Sorbitan Stearate, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Hexyl Laurate, Hydrogenated Methyl Abietate (Pine Wood Resin), Cetyl Dimethicone, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom Salt), Organic Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Oil, Organic Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Oil, Organic Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Organic Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Tocopherol (from Soy), Hyaluronic Acid, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate (Vitamin C), Laminaria Ochroleuca (Kelp) Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn) Fruit Extract, Organic Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Seed Oil, Organic Rosa Canina (Dog Rose) Hips Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil,, Cannabis Sativa (Hemp) Seed Oil, Calophylium Tacamahaca (Tamanu) Seed Oil, Organic Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Seed Oil, Organic Brassica Oleracea Italica (Broccoli) Seed Oil, Macadamia Integrifolia (Macadamia) Nut Oil, Coenzyme Q10, Organic Althaea Officinalis (Marshmallow) Extract, Organic Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit Extract, Myrciaria Dubia (Camu Camu), Polyaminopropyl Biguanide (Cosmocil CQ), Theobroma Cacao (Cacao) Extract, Vanilla Planifolia (Vanilla) Fruit Extract.

EWG Score: 1 (low hazard)

EWG Skin Deep Database rates most of the ingredients from 0 to 1, with a couple of the ingredients rated as 2. Out of all of the sunscreens that are available for purchase, this ingredients is low hazard and poses little toxicity to the human body. Let's talk about some ingredients.

Zinc Oxide is a mineral that is used in a lot of sunscreens, especially natural and organic sunscreens. This mineral is what protects the sun's rays from causing damage to the skin. I like that the Zinc Oxide is of the non-nano form.

Tocopherol is a common ingredient skin products, even in natural and organic ones. The Tocopherol in this sunscreen is from soy, so there is some potential for GMO ingredients.

There are several chemical ingredients. Although EWG's Skin Deep Database rates them anywhere from 0 - 1 toxicity, the data for some of them in not available. Therefore, I would take the 0-1 rating with a "grain of salt." Furthermore, there are a lot of extracts in the ingredients. I would like to get a better understanding of what types of solvents and chemicals these are extracted with. Extraction chemicals can sometimes be very toxic.

The chocolate smell comes from the Theobroma Cacao (Cacao) Extract. The sunscreen does have a tint of chocolate color to it, not the usual white color you find with mineral sunscreens. The chocolate smell is not overpowering. It is very unique and I like it. Perfect for kids!

I like that a lot of the ingredients are organic. That is very important to me in any product that I put on my body or in my body. I would like to see Sweetsation Therapy move toward reducing the chemical ingredients and increasing the number of organic ingredients.

How did it work? The sunscreen went on easily and absorbed quickly into the skin. The skin did not have a greasy feeling nor did it have the white tint is common with some natural sunscreens.

I cannot comment on how well the sunscreens work to prevent sunburn since we are in the middle of winter. Based on the ingredients list, I am confident that Sun'n'Fun SPF30 Sunscreen will do the job.

Disclosure: Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. All opinions are my own.

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FREE Blogger Opp: Big Green Organic [Giveaway]

I just joined a new network for eco-friendly and green bloggers - Natural Organic Network. I look toward being able to bring you more natural and organic giveaways. As a kick off, Natural Organic Network created a giveaway of natural and organic products that add up to more than $5000!

The giveaway starts Monday, February, 16th at 7 am est till Tuesday, the 24th at 12:00 am est.

The Natural Organic Network has something special JUST for my readers! They are providing you with the chance to obtain additional entries by subscribing to their email list! They will not sell your info and you'll only receive one email a day at the most.

Each day an email with information leading to a free entry will be sent out to you. This is ONLY for those who subscribe between now and the giveaway! You will want to open the emails and follow the directions each day to receive your additional codes for February 16th. Click here to sign up as a subscriber and get those additional entries!

If you're a blogger and would like to join in the giveaway visit their National Organic Network for additional information.
 

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ERGObaby FREE Infant Insert

Ergobaby.com is blowing out the last of this FREE Infant Insert and will be offering it free with any purchase of the following eligible carriers.

Eligible Carriers ($140 carriers):

• Organic Dandelion
• Organic Zen
• Organic Quartz
• Organic Navy
• Performance Ventus Graphite
• Performance Ventus Purple
• Performance Charcoal Black
• Designer Chai Mandala
• Designer Blue Lotus

Purchase one of the Organic, Performance or Designer carriers mentioned above (excluding Bundle of Joy) from ERGObaby and receive the FREE organic infant insert!

The instant rebate that triggers the free insert is stackable with any of their coupon codes, so you can get a great ERGObaby bundle (carrier and infant insert) for a discounted price!  Purchase an eligible carrier and places the organic insert (II010410NL) into your shopping cart to receive the insert for free. 

If you have any questions about ERGObaby carriers, message me for my experience. I would highly recommend an ERGObaby carrier to any current or expecting mother.

Disclaimer: This post contains 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 currently use or would use.

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Garden Pump Sprayer [Review]

Even though we are in the midst of cold winter months, I have already begun thinking about my garden and my strategy for taking care of the yard and the plants. After years of not weeding (by hand or with weed killers), our front yard became overrun with weeds. Last summer, I focused my efforts on pulling weeds out by hand. Yes, there are all natural and homemade weed killer recipes that I could make, but there is just something about pulling a dandelion with the whole root out of the ground. This year, I need to make sure the weeds do not take over more of the yard. I plan on making homemade weed killer recipes and using my new garden pump sprayer for quick and easy weed removal.


2 Gallon Garder Sprayer      

Rating: total green check marks out of 5.

The Good	The Not So Good
Pre-assembled, easy to use	Container made out of plastic
Builds pressure fast
Adjustable tip for broad/focused spray

One of the first things I noticed is that the garden pump sprayer comes pre-assembled. This means that I can take the sprayer out of the box and immediately use it. My husband was able to pump the handle a few times and the pressure was already starting to build. This garden sprayer pump is easy and quick to use.



The container is made from a thick plastic. The whole garden sprayer is made from plastic, which I do not prefer, but it does make the sprayer lighter to carry around. The 2 gallon size would be perfect to cover the weeds in our 1/2 acre yard. I like that I can mix up a batch of natural weed killer, pour it into the 2 gallon pump sprayer and get right to work. The 2 gallon capacity is just right for me. Anything more would be too heavy for me to carry around.

Although I have not been able to go outside to use the garden pump sprayer since we are in the middle of the winter, I think it will be very easy and portable to use in the yard. The extender wand will be perfect for targeting just the weed or the specific spot I need to treat. I really like that the tip adjusts for a broad spray or a focused spray.

I see myself using the garden pump sprayer primarily for killing weeds with homemade weed killer and homemade natural insecticides/pesticides for the garden. Here is my favorite weed killer recipe.

Non-Toxic Weed Killer Recipe
Fill garden pump sprayer with 1 gallon of vinegar (can purchase conventional). Spray weeds or grass growing where you do not want it to grow. Be careful about spraying what you want to keep as vinegar will kill what it touches.

--> Salt is another powerful weed killer. Dissolve one cup of salt in a gallon of water and add to the vinegar.

--> For a more powerful weed killer, let the pump sprayer sit in the sunlight for at least one hour to get hot. Hot vinegar = dead weeds!


The 2 gallon garden pump sprayer will be my favorite garden accessory this summer. The ability to make my own eco-friendly weed killer and spray it exactly where I need to is invaluable.

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. All opinions are my own.

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