Sun Eleuthero Tea - A Review and a #Giveaway!

Growing up in the South, one of the things I crave in the summer is iced tea.  There is no better way to beat the heat then with a cool, cold glass full of iced tea, the more ice the better!  I used to drink the full of sugar Milos, but for the past few years I try to make my own.  That way I can get more control over what goes into my tea.

I don’t want too much sugar in my tea, and I also don’t want to consume too much caffeine in the evening.  Otherwise I won’t get any sleep at night!   Sun Eleuthero Tea is a great tea that you can enjoy any time of day.  Sun Eleuthero is an herb that not only gives you an extra energy boost, it also reduces stress!   I’ve really enjoyed it in the afternoons.  I make some before I pick Little Miss up, then let it cool while I go get her.  By the time we’re back and she’s fed, it’s cool enough to dump over some ice.  I’ve discovered just a small amount of sugar (I do a scant 1/2 teaspoon per 8 ounces) is just the right amount of sweetness for me. 

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so much pretty - A Book Review

 "I think I have fallen through the hole in all the logic in the entire world and I can see now that nothing holds up and I am going to keep falling." 

This quote, taken from a letter one of the characters of So Much Pretty wrote, is a good indicator of the entire book.

Wendy White was a sweet, pretty girl who lived in the small town of Haeden until she mysteriously disappeared one day.  Stacy Flynn, a reporter from Cleveland who is looking for her big break thinks there is more to the story than people are admitting.  When Wendy’s body shows up five months later, the town still refuses to believe that someone in their town could be the killer, insisting that it must have been an outsider.

It turns out that what happened was much worse than what anyone could have imagined.  The one person in town who is able to piece the entire thing together decides to take justice into their own hands, which brings up even more questions. 

Although this book by Cara Hoffman was hard for me to get into – it switches back and forth in time and between characters, by the time I got halfway in I was hooked.  This book will force you to rethink so many ideas about justice, the line between right and wrong, and the horror that can exist right next to you.

As a Mom, I found this book extremely disturbing, and even had some nightmares because of it.  If you like books that force you to take a good hard look at everything you believe and possibly turn it upside down, then this book is for you!

**I received a copy of this book for review purposes.  All opinions expressed are 100% my own.    

Peeled Snacks are Healthy Snacks!

Little Miss is a snacker.  She come by it honestly, I’d rather have 5 small meals a day than just three.  Because of this, I’m always looking for healthy snacks for her.  The more portable they are the better!  Peeled Snacks are organic, gluten free, and all natural with no sugar or oil added.  They are also very portable – they come in three sizes:  single size for when you’re on the go, a resealable pouch that holds 2-4 servings, and the family packs, which hold around 9 servings – perfect for using to add fruit to a lunch box!

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E-Cloth - A Review and Giveaway

We all know how important it is to keep toxic chemicals out of our home as much as possible.  What if you could do most of your cleaning with just water?  Just think, you'd rid your home of chemicals making it more healthy, and you'd save money by not having to buy all of those cleaning products!

When I first heard about E-cloths, I admit that I was skeptical.  How can a cloth get things clean with just water?  Well seeing is definitely believing!  

Our embarrassingly dirty window

I tested the window pack out on the most difficult thing in our house – our back door.  We have an inside/outside cat and he’s always managing to get the back door incredibly dirty.  Normally I use Method window cleaner and a lot of newspapers to get it clean, but the E-cloth cleaned it up with just water! 

After E-cloth, water, and a touch of elbow grease

How does it work?  Each fiber is 1/100^th the width of a human hair and is split into 16 fiber strands.  This gives it a huge surface area to pick up dirt.  As someone who used to manufacture carpet fiber, I’m well aware of how maximizing the surface area draws in the dirt – that is how we hid the dirt in our carpet.  Not only does the cloth pick up dirt, but it picks up any bacteria as well!

For big messes, you can wet the cloth if you’d like, but I have found the squirt bottle always does the trick for us.  You may use the clothes with cleaners, but I would recommend trying them without them at first – I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised! 

Little Miss loves to help out around the house, so this is perfect for us!  I don’t have to worry about her being exposed to chemicals, and she can clean as much as she likes.  The only thing I have to worry about is her getting too crazy with the squirt bottle!  

After the cloth gets dirty, simply throw it in your laundry.  I've found since I have the E-clothes I tend to use them for minor cleaning until I am about to do a load of laundry.  I then find a nice dirty spot to clean and toss the cloth in with the laundry.  My back window hasn't gotten that disgusting again since having the cloth - it's now easy to give it a quick swipe every day or so!  


BUY IT:  You can buy E-Cloths here - they have great packages for all of your cleaning needs.  Also, each cloth is labeled so if you forget what it's best to use for, just take a look at the tag.  They offer free shipping to the United States, and their prices are great!  


CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNER - Comment 129!

Alicia C. said...129

I like you on FB

Don't forget to check out my other giveaways here!

**I received a kitchen kit and window kit from E-cloth for review purposes. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.  The winning comment will be chosen by random.org.**

Cisco Valet Wireless Router Review

Our history with computer routers has been shaky at best.  They all claim to be easy to install and use, but we always seem to run into problems.  With our last router, we had no troubles installing it on our main computer, but it took forever to get the laptops connected.  Additionally, I couldn’t use the automatic connect because it would “fight” with my aircard program each time. 

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Skoy Clothes - A Review and A Giveaway!

We try not to use too many paper towels in our kitchen. I think it’s a huge waste. Did you know that 2.5 million tons of paper towels are used annually? However, with some things rags don’t work exactly how I like. I want something more absorbent. I’ve tried sponges, but they don’t seem to last very long either, and it’s so hard to get them dry! I can’t tell you how many times my husband has used a sponge and I find it soaking wet in the bottom of the sink. Of course it gets yucky and smelly quickly!

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Do You Have Your St. Patty's Day Shirt Yet?

I recently got mine from Crazy Dog T-shirts.

They have a great selection of shirts to choose from (although I do wish they had more in the women's fit).

Here is the one I got.

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Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil - A Review and a Giveaway!

Congratulations to the winner - Angie Lilly!  Comment #109!


When I got my amazingly well packaged Gold Label Coconut Oil from Tropical Traditions, I wasn’t sure what to expect.  I’ve heard a lot of good things about it, but I couldn’t help but wonder if it would affect the taste of my food.  When I opened the container, it was solid – coconut oil is a solid up to 76 degrees, so depending on the temperature in your house it might be a solid or a liquid.  It had a coconut smell, but not a whole lot of coconut flavor when I tasted it, which was good!   

I started easy, with a red coconut curry.  Because of the high fat content of the coconut oil, I decided not to use quite as much as I normally do.  I simply scooped it out as a solid and it quickly melted in the pan.  It turned out great!  A few days later it got its real test – Mexican food.  I used it to make a Mexican casserole and didn’t notice any coconut flavor in the food at all!  Mission:  It Doesn’t Make Your Food Taste Funny a success!  It also handles high heat well.  I love that it is resistant to mutations of fatty acid chains even under high heat, unlike most vegetable oils.  This makes it an excellent choice for frying.  You can find a great assortment of reader submitted recipes here. 

Red Curry made with Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil

Coconut oil can also be used to condition your hair and skin (it makes a wonderful all-natural chapstick) in addition to being eaten.  I know my Aunt who suffers from multiple chemical sensitivity disorder uses coconut oil all of the time for conditioning of her skin and lips. 

BUY IT:  You can buy Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil here.  Use referral code 6967300 to get a free Virgin Coconut Oil book with over 85 recipes!  

WIN IT: Tropical Traditions has graciously offered to give one lucky reader a free quart of coconut oil!  

  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 Mar 11, 2011 at midnight and the winner will be announced by Mar 13th. Open U.S and Canada only.

1.            Mandatory - Sign up for Tropical Traditions newsletter and leave a comment below.  They are always having great sales!  

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

3.      Follow Tropical Traditions on Facebook or twitter.  (1 entry - leave a comment below for each entry).  

4.            Tweet about this contest (up to 1 entry per day) 

          I entered the @Troptraditions  #giveaway @FrugalGreenMom1 http://nblo.gs/eKRiT

5.       Comment on any of my non-giveaway posts (1 extra entry limit).  Leave a comment below telling me which post you commented on.  

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

Don't forget to check out my other giveaways here!

**Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose.  Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.  All opinions expressed are 100% my own. 

Billy Kelly's The Family Garden - A Review and Giveaway

If you’re a fan of fun, upbeat, and silly music, you’ll really enjoy Billy Kelly’s newest children’s CD – The Family Garden with guest artist Molly Ledfod of Lunch Money .  This witty album uses a lot of fun wordplay, which will get your children thinking and keep you entertained!  This CD was recorded live in the studio with minimal overdubs, so it really captures the personality of the band. 

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Immunet - A Review and a Contest!

We all know and fear them – the dreaded internet computer virus.  I would imagine most of us have even been affected by them once or twice!  However, many virus scan programs can slow down your computer tremendously.  That’s what I really like about Immunet, founded by a former Symantec and McAfee security veteran and entrepreneur.   I’ve only tested it for a couple of days, but I haven’t noticed it slowing anything down.  This is because it resides in the cloud instead of on your computer.  You can read CNet’s review on it here. 

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Little One Books - A Review and Giveaway!

As you all know, we LOVE books at our house!  Bookstores can be overwhelming at times – so many books to choose from!  That’s what I love about Little One Books.  It’s easy to search by age to find a great book for your child.  I also love the personal reviews they post for each book.  Here is a little information about their company.

Joan McCoy and Barney Cohen have five grandchildren under the age of six. They started a web-based store because they saw an unmet need in the area of children’s media. Little One Books only carries quality books, music, and video, for children birth through age five. As they looked for books, music and videos for their own grandchildren, they were overwhelmed by the number of products.  The search would have been so much easier had someone been able to guide them. That's why they created Little One Books - to help others make informed choices among the vast amount of material available for young children today.

Barney and Joan have personally selected and reviewed each and every item that Little One Books carries. The Little One Books staff tells our customers why we have selected these products in the “Why we chose” section of our individual product pages. The Little One Books site is organized by age, and each product is matched to what we believe is the youngest appropriate age.

I was allowed to pick a book from their website to review.  There were so many great choices!  They have the Llama Llama series, which is a favorite at our house, and many other great books.  I finally decided to go with ALL ABOARD!  A Travelling Alphabet by Bill Mayer.  This book is great!  It’s definitely coffee table worthy, which isn’t usual for children’s books.  The book travels through the alphabet, with each page highlighting a different letter.  The letters are slightly hidden in the pictures – The letter A is formed by the loading ramp of a cruise ship (All Aboard), the letter B is formed by the arches of a bridge.  The last page of the book “reveals” the letters on each page.  Because of the search factor, I think this book has the ability to grow with your child.  I know it will be one of the books we keep simply because of the great artwork! 

Little One Books has an amazing selection of quality books!  They also have a great promotion going on right now.  If you buy any two books from Little One Books, you can get the Good Night CD for free!  Use code goodnight at checkout to receive your free CD.  

BUY IT:  You can visit Little One Books here to  shop for your own books.

WIN IT:  Little One Books has graciously offered to let one lucky reader win a $15 gift certificate to spend on their site!

  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 Mar 4, 2011 at midnight and the winner will be announced by Mar 6th. Open U.S only.

1.            Mandatory - Follow Little One Books on Facebook - don't forget to tell them I sent you!  

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

3.      Follow Little One Books on twitter.  (1 entry - leave a comment below for each entry).  Please tell them I sent you!

4.            Tweet about this contest (up to 1 entry per day) 

          I entered the @littleonebooks #giveaway @FrugalGreenMom1 http://bit.ly/eZs4mg

5.       Comment on any of my non-giveaway posts (1 extra entry limit).  Leave a comment below telling me which post you commented on.  

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

Don't forget to check out my other giveaways here!

**I received a book from Little One Books for review purposes. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.  The winning comment will be chosen by random.org.**

SilverSport Silver Towel Review

There is nothing worse than getting all hot and sweaty when you’re doing yoga (or any other sport for that matter), and not having a way to wipe the sweat off.  Fortunately, SilverSport has a great solution!  Their new line of Silver Towels are absorbent enough to wipe the sweat off, but small enough to easily carry with you and not get in the way.  These towels are super-soft because they’re made of viscose bamboo.  Another great thing about bamboo is that it dries really quickly, perfect for using throughout your workout. 

The logo is actually a non-skid surface

Little Miss loved how soft the towel was; she immediately took it from me as soon as she felt it!  I loved that it had a great non-skid surface on the other side.  I can think of plenty of times when this will come in handy.  For instance, it would be great for when your yoga mat gets sweaty and your hands or feet were sliding. 

The TerraSilver cloth utilizes nanosilver particles to act as a natural antimicrobial agent, delivering superior protection against odor-causing bacteria.  They particles are activated by moisture, so sweat or water causes the release of the ions, which immediately start eliminating odor causing bacteria on contact.  We’ve used silver ion solutions here for years to treat cuts and ear infections, so I know it does a great job with killing all of those bad bacteria! 

The towel is super-thin and easy to transport

I know my towel will not only be accompanying me to yoga, but will also be going on our neighborhood walks as well.  It will be a great way to wipe off when it gets hot, and until then I can wipe down the slides and such when needed.  The towel can be washed and dried with your other linens, and the Terra Silver protection will not fade over time, so you don’t have to be stingy with using it!  I think this is a great towel!

**I received a Silver Towel for review purposes.  All opinions expressed are 100% my own!  

Costume Supercenter Review

One of my favorite things about Mardi Gras is having the chance to wear things out of the ordinary.  Whether it’s a ball or a parade, the only rule around Mardi Gras is that there are no rules.  I love the mystery that comes with wearing a mask to a Mardi Gras Ball.  We probably aren’t going to one this year, but if we were, I would definitely wear this Mardi Gras mask from Costume Supercenter.  

The mask is not only pretty and elegant, but comfortable to wear as well.  This is because it stays on with a headband as opposed to having to hold it or tie it on.  The great thing about the headband is that it also makes it easy to push back on top of your head if you get tired of wearing it.  The inside of the mask is covered with a velvet-like fabric, making it comfortable on your face.  The construction is pretty good – there are some glue spots that are visible upon close inspection, but nothing that most people would notice.  I love the detailing – the gold ribbon around the edges has bright colors woven into it. 

Little Miss loved her Mardi Gras headband from the Costume Supercenter.  It jingles when she wears it, and it will be the perfect fun accessory for the Mardi Gras parades.  The headband is covered with a soft cloth, so it’s comfortable to wear.  She really enjoyed modeling it for the camera, and the sparkles are a cute touch!  I imagine she’ll be getting a lot of beads when she wears this to the parades this year!

The Costume Supercenter is currently offering 20% off all Mardi Gras costumes and other items!

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 - Sassy Stay-Clean Silly Squirts

Here in Florida, it’s hard to keep things from molding.  That’s especially true in the bathtub.  All of that dampness and humidity is a haven for mold to grow.  That’s why I was thrilled to have the chance to review Stay-Clean Silly Squirts.  

Little Miss loves squirt toys in the tub, but we end up having to frequently throw them away because of mold.  It’s impossible to get all of the water out of them after bath time, leading to yucky squirt toys eventually.  That’s a lot of waste!

Sassy’s new innovation prevents this.  The squirters pop apart, allowing the toys to be cleaned and dried out.  You can even put them in the dishwasher!  Additionally, they are BPA free, so you don’t have to worry when your child is chewing on it while in the tub.  

I received two squirters to review - a cat and a fish.  They are both adorable, and you can even change it up by mixing and matching the characters.  They are a little hard to snap together - I’m pretty sure that children wouldn’t be able to do it on their own, but that seems to be getting easier over time.  I haven’t run mine through the dishwasher yet - we just take them apart after bathtime so all of the water can drain out and they can dry.  No problems so far!
I highly recommend these products to make bath time more fun!

**I received two squirters for review purposes.  All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

SWAGG - Or how to keep up with all of those gift cards

If you're like me, you can sometimes get overloaded with gift cards and loyalty cards these days.  At our house, we keep all of our gift cards in a stack so we won't lose them, but then we constantly forget about them, leaving them at home.  Additionally, we often forget how much $ is on them!

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Win a Piece of Christmas Magic!

I think one of the things everyone loves about Christmas is the magic associated with it.  The lights, the sparkle, and of course - Santa!  

I Caught Santa gives you an inexpensive way to add some Christmas magic to your child's life.  Use their site to upload a picture of Santa into any picture that you take.  Catch him coming down the chimney, putting presents under the tree, even sneaking a snack of milk and cookies!

With 20 images to choose from you're sure to find something you'll like.  It's easy to move him around on the photo, change his size, or rotate him as needed.  Then add a holiday border if you wish and you're set!  

Download your photo - you can print it, e-mail it, or share it on facebook.  What a great thing for your child to find on Christmas morning!
I Caught Santa also has the Easter Bunny, Cupid, and Tooth Fairy for photo opportunities.


Buy it!  Use code FRUGALLY-GREEN-MOM to get 25% off any puchase.


Win it!  FIVE lucky readers will win a code to make their own Christmas photo!  

Contest Rules:

Tell me what you would like to catch Santa doing. Leave your email address in the first comment so I can contact you!

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

A winner will be chosen by random.org on December 22nd, noon CST, 2010. I will email the winners who will be given 48 hours to send me their information. I will also place the winner's random org #, and their name at the bottom of the winning post.
Contest is open worldwide.


I received a code for one photo for the purposes of this review.  I received no other compensation, and all opinions are 100% my own.