Oliver's Labels - Cute and Functional!

It never fails.  Every once in a while when I go in to pick up Little Miss from preschool she is wearing something that belongs to someone else.  It’s usually shoes or a coat.  I always catch it, but I imagine there are plenty of parents who are in a rush or had someone else dropping the child off that morning, so they don’t notice.  With Oliver’s Labels, that’s a little less likely to happen now.  Additionally, when it does happen you are more likely to get your items back! 

Debbie designed Oliver’s labels for her nephew (you guessed, it Oliver!).  She wanted something fun and cute, but also durable to hold up to normal toddler wear and tear.  Her amazing Found-it Tracking System allows parents and stuff to be reunited without disclosing personal information.  This option is totally free with any of the labels!  From the website:

"If you ever lose an item with a Found-it™ tracking system code, have no fear! When someone finds it they will be prompted to go to a special page on our website with instructions to enter the code on the label. We then match you to your Found-it™ tracking system code and send you a notification email right away. Oliver’s Labels acts as an intermediary between you and the finder so you never have to share any of your personal information!"

There are a ton of styles to choose from as well!  We went with the ocean theme, and Little Miss just loves them.  She immediately got a pair of shoes to try them out on, and was ready to label everything she owned!!  I especially liked the clothing labels, since it is jacket weather these days, and jackets seem to be the easiest things to misplace.  There are tons of design choices - from plain and simple to sophisticated.  

As someone who knows a lot of people whose children have food allergies, I like that line a lot as well.  This is an item that can save lives!  They even make a safety wristband so if your child is going to be around people who aren’t used to the allergies they can wear this band as a safety measure. 

I think Oliver’s Labels is a great product – one that we will probably be getting more of in the future! 

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. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

Review and Giveaway - My Lip Stuff Natural Lip Balm

Many years ago I made the switch to organic, all-natural chapstick, and my lips have been grateful ever since.  For those of you that don’t know, most chapsticks that aren’t natural contain petroleum.  Although they feel great when you first put them on, you’ll need to reapply after just a couple of hours because the petroleum and other chemicals will actually dry out your lips.  Plus, who wants to eat that stuff?

Chapsticks using all natural ingredients, on the other hand, last all day.  You may have to reapply after eating, but that’s about it.  I often don’t even have to do that since they are doing their job and moisturizing my lips – I usually only need a second coat during those long, dry, and cold winter days. 

Speaking of which, we’ve had plenty of those lately that really let me put my samples of My Lip Stuff to the test!  They sent me three yummy flavors out of the 100’s that they have to choose from.  I received Apple Gingerbread, Maple Walnut Cheesecake, and Snowflakes.  The smell was so intense you could actually smell it through the package!  They all go on nice and smooth, and left my lips feeling soft even in this horribly cold weather we’ve been having lately. 

My Lip Stuff is made from natural butters and oils so that you actually know what you’re putting on your lips.  The ingredients are Sunflower Oil, Beeswax, Cocoa Butter, Sweet Almond Oil, Aloe Vera, and Essential and/or Flavor Oil.  Those oils that they use are pretty amazing – the only downside is that they may make you hungry they smell so good!  Additionally they are a skin-earth-animal friendly company.  So when you buy from them you aren’t only supporting small business, you’re supporting a very green business as well. 

My Lip Stuff also can do custom labels – I think these would be great for wedding favors.  Who couldn’t use an extra tube of chapstick? 

BUY IT – You can buy My Lip Stuff chapstick here – prices start at a reasonable $2.50.  They also sell body butters, bath salts, and other items!

WIN IT – My Lip Stuff has graciously offered to give one lucky reader a 6 pack of randomly selected chapsticks ($13 value)

  Entry Methods:

*Please leave one comment for each entry method.  On at least one of those comments leave an e-mail address so I can contact you if it is not available via your blogger profile.  Contest ends Jan 23, 2011 at midnight and the winner will be announced Jan 24th. Open worldwide.

1.            Mandatory - Leave a comment telling me your favorite flavor that they offer.

2.            Follow me on GFC, twitter or like me on facebook. (1 entry each - leave a comment below for each entry)

3.            Tweet about this contest (up to 1 entry per day) - I entered @FrugalGreenMom1 to #win #MyLipStuff http://bit.ly/hIyehm 

4.            Grab my button and post it on your blog – 2 entries.  (Leave 2 comments)

**I received a sample of My Lip Stuff chapstick for review purposes. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.  The winning comment will be chosen by random.org**

Amy's Burritos - A Review (Giveaway Closed)

Recently, I was selected to host a Mom’s Group featuring Amy’s burritos.  I was thrilled to have this opportunity - I am a huge fan of all of Amy’s products.  It is truly a family business, and you can tell they put a lot of love into their products.  When you buy Amy’s products you are not only getting great tasting food, you are supporting many green practices as well. They support local, organic farmers, and all of the food is made by hand.


                 

Everyone at our group loved the Amy’s burritos - they are perfect for an afternoon snack or light meal.  They have a lot more depth of flavor than your ordinary burritos out of the frozen food aisle, thanks to their yummy mexican sauce.  Almost all of the ingredients are organic, and there are a lot more vegetables in these than in your typical burrito.  Although somewhat harder to find, there are gluten free versions available for those who have gluten allergies.  There are several dairy free options, which are so flavorful that you will not miss the dairy!  They also have a breakfast burrito that sounds really good - unfortunately they don’t have it where we live.   

Our only complaint was that they are somewhat high in fat - most are around 10 g of fat per burrito, but this is nowhere near the fat content of many convenience foods.


Pros:  Great tasting, organic ingredients, amazing company practices, convenient
Cons:  Somewhat high in fat, certain varieties hard to find


Want to try out Amy’s Burritos for yourself?  I have 2 coupons that I did not use during my Mom’s Group to give away to one lucky reader.  Each coupon is good for one free burrito, and expires 12/31/10.  

Entry Methods:

*Please leave one comment for each entry method.  On at least one of those comments leave an e-mail address so I can contact you.  Contest ends Nov 7, 2010 at midnight and the winner will be announced Nov 8th. Residents of the US and Canada only.

1. Mandatory - Visit Amy’s Kitchen and tell me which product you would like to try the most (1 entry)
2. Add me on Google Friend Connect (1 entry)
3. Sign up for my newsletter (1 entry)
4. Like me on Facebook (1 entry)
5. Follow me on twitter (1 entry)
6. Tweet about this contest (up to 1 entry per day)

**I received coupons for free Amy's Burritos as part as a Moms Meet program. I was not required to blog about the experience or give away coupons in my blog. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.**

Steep and Chill - A Review

Steep and Chill, freezer core, and infuser

Living in the South, I’m a huge fan of iced tea.  However, there are a lot of times when I don’t think about the tea until I want it!  As you know, this can prove to be a huge problem for iced tea lovers.  You can brew really strong tea and add ice (which never manages to taste quite right), add ice and end up with really weak tea, or be patient and wait for the tea to cool (which is no fun!).

That’s why I was thrilled when Jasmere offered vouchers for a Steep & Chill.  I had never heard of the tea spot, or a Steep & Chill, but it sounded like it was just what I needed.  The Steep & Chill consists of three parts:  the pitcher, the infuser, and a freezer core.



The freezer core  is fairly small, so it’s easy to store in your freezer until needed.  It’s a BPA-free plastic cylinder.  Just fill it up with water, screw on the lid, and throw in the freezer until you’re craving some iced tea.  You can also use it any time you’re serving any type of cold liquid at a party.  Just put the drink in the pitcher and let the freezer core keep your drink cold.  I love the idea of being able to have cool beverages out and available for guests without worrying about them getting watered down!

Infuser with tea leaves

The infuser is BPA free as well.  Simply add your loose-leaf tea into the infuser, screw the infuser into the pitcher lid, and put the whole thing into the pitcher after you’ve added your water.  Once the tea has steeped for the proper amount of time, take the lid off and remove the infuser.

If you’re frugal like me, at this point instead of removing the infuser you can pour the water into another pitcher and fill again to make a second batch of tea.  Many of the tea spot’s high quality teas can be resteeped without affecting the quality of the tea.

I had a few tea leaves escape the infuser during steeping, but they all sank to the bottom and none of them got in my glass until I was at the very bottom of the pitcher.

Steep & Chill with infuser inserted

Now that you have your tea steeped, it’s time to add the freezer core!  The core screws into the lid, where you had the infuser earlier.

Technically, you can have both in at the same time, which could be really nice if you wanted to make some infused water or vodka or something.  I can see adding sliced limes to the infuser and leaving the freezer core in the pitcher filled with water for a refreshing summer drink.

The pitcher is nice enough to look good while serving guests, and holds 32 ounces.  It is made of borosilicate glass with a plastic base, handle, and lid.Unfortunately, my husband accidently knocked my pitcher onto the floor when he was remodeling the kitchen and it broke before I got much use out of it.  However, I think it’s an amazing product and hope to buy another one in the near future!

PROS: Steeps and cools tea quickly without diluting it, stylish, keeps drinks cool for a long time.

CONS: Pitcher is made of glass, so it can be broken, although I would not classify it as fragile.

Overall a great product!

**The opinions expressed are 100% my own.  I paid for this product and received no compensation of any sort for this review.

Brewing Chart