The Juice Lady's Big Book of Juices and Green Smoothies by Cherie Calbom FWCT Book Review

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Cherie Calbom

and the book:

The Juice Lady's Big Book of Juices and Green Smoothies

Siloam (January 8, 2013)

***Special thanks to Althea Thompson for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Cherie Calbom, MS, is the author of The Juice Lady’s Turbo Diet, The Juice Lady’s Living Foods Revolution, and Juicing for Life, which has nearly two million books in print in the United States. Known as “The Juice Lady” for her work with juicing and health, Cherie has taped HealthWatch for CNN and scores of TV and radio shows and has appeared in Shape, First for Women, Women’s World, Men’s Journal,Vogue, Quick & Simple, Marie Claire, and Elle Canada. Cherie earned a master’s degree in nutrition from Bastyr University, where she now serves on the Board of Regents, and has practiced as a clinical nutritionist at St. Luke Medical Center in Bellevue, Washington.

Visit the author's website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Juice and smoothies are sweeping the nation! Why? They’re fruity, delicious, easy to make, and packed with powerful nutrition. It’s no wonder everyone is enjoying the convenience and great taste of these healthy meal and snack alternatives. Bring your blender or juicing machine into the twenty-first century with the most updated versions of Cherie’s recipes to be found anywhere—more than just refreshment, these recipes enhance your energy and boost your mental and physical health.

Product Details:
List Price: $17.99
Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: Siloam (January 8, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 162136030X
ISBN-13: 978-1621360308

AND NOW...THE INTRODUCTION AND A FEW GREAT RECIPES! CLICK ON RECIPE PICTURES TO SEE THEM LARGER:

The Juice Lady’s Big Book of Juices and Green Smoothies

Introduction

MORE AND MORE celebrities, athletes, and people of all ages and walks of life are turning to juicing and green smoothies to lose weight and to improve their overall health. Why? Because they have found that juicing is changing their lives—giving them more energy, better sleep, stronger immune systems, brighter skin, and a younger appearance. It’s even helping their bodies heal from a variety of ailments. Below is a testimony I received recently from someone who has read my books and come to me for counseling.

It’s been about a month since you last spoke with me. You may not remember me because you talk with so many people. But I will never forget you. I told you about the more than fifty pounds of fluid I had retained. Using both natural and medical prescriptions, I had not been able to get rid of that fluid. I have also not been absorbing my food. You told me not to worry about my diet because I already had a healthy one but to add a green juice drink with every meal. About three weeks before I spoke with you I started drinking pure cranberry juice every day, and that was helping with the fluid. Over the three weeks I lost fifteen pounds, but I would bounce back and forth with my weight. When I added the green juice drinks, it put my body in high gear. I have lost thirty pounds. The water weight is literally just falling off of me.

You have no idea how much better I am feeling. I have energy and can physically work. I have not had energy or felt good since my last baby was born twenty-five years ago. I have not been able to push my body to work for the last five years. Now I am splitting firewood and stacking it. I shoveled rock for our drainage system in our yard. I can clean my own house again. Yesterday I cleaned house and stacked two cords of firewood. If you haven’t stacked firewood, let me tell you, that’s a lot of wood. And I can walk again. For the last two years I have been fighting just to walk up and down my short driveway, feeling totally exhausted and in pain afterward. Now I am easily walking a mile and have energy to burn. I feel great and have no pain when I’m finished. And my fibromyalgia pain is almost gone.
For the last five years I have been fighting to stay alive.

Now for the first time in years I feel alive. I am no longer on Lasix and have cut back most of my nutritional supplements. I was taking over $500 worth of supplements a month, and it was bankrupting us. Last year my doctor told me to apply for disability because my body was dying. I could no longer function. The naturopathic physician I used to work for told me that my husband and I needed to accept the fact that my body was dying. He told us to purchase better health insurance and prepare for the worst. I wish he could see me now.

Long story short, Cherie, I am so grateful to you for taking the time to talk with me. I know you probably hear stories like mine all the time, but for me it’s new and life saving. Thanks for pointing me to the path of life. You have been one of God’s blessings and a lifesaver in the most literal sense of the word.

I hope her story encourages you to juice every day. With more than four hundred delicious recipes, The Big Book of Juices and Green Smoothies can help you change your life, just as juicing has changed the lives of thousands of people who have adopted this plan for themselves—people just like me. My life changed years ago when I discovered the healing, vitality-producing power of freshly made juices and raw and whole foods.

Sick, Tired, and Completely Toxic

I sat by the window in my father’s home in Colorado staring at the snow-topped mountains in the distance, imagining that people were enjoying the hiking trails; perhaps someone was climbing the mountain that day. It was early June and a beautiful, sunny Colorado day. I wished I had the strength to just walk around the block. But I was too sick and tired—I could barely walk around the house. I had been sick for a couple of years and just kept getting worse. “Would I ever be well again?” I wondered.

I had to quit my job when I turned thirty. I had chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia that made me so sick I couldn’t work. I felt as though I had a flu that just wouldn’t go away. I was lethargic and constantly feverish with swollen glands. I was also in nonstop pain. My body ached as though I’d been bounced around in a washing machine.

I had moved back to my father’s home in Colorado to try and recover, but not one doctor could tell me what I should do to improve my health. So I browsed around some health food stores, talked with employees, and read a few books. I decided that everything I’d been doing was tearing down my health rather than healing my body. When I read about juicing and whole foods, it made sense. So I bought a juicer and designed a program I could follow.

I began my health program with a five-day vegetable juice fast. On the fifth day my body expelled a tumor the size of a golf ball. I was totally surprised that in five days this amazing result could take place. I never did have the tumor tested because I was too taken back and overwhelmed by the event. I just flushed it away.

I then continued to juice every day and ate a nearly perfect diet of live and whole foods for three months. There were ups and downs throughout. On some days I felt encouraged that I was making some progress, but on other days I felt worse. Those days made me wonder if good health was an elusive dream. I didn’t realize I was experiencing detox reactions—no one had told me about them. I was very toxic, and my body was cleansing away all the stuff that had made me sick.

But one morning I woke up around 8:00 a.m., which was early for me, without an alarm sounding off. I felt like someone had given me a new body in the night. I had so much energy I actually wanted to
exercise. What had happened? This new feeling of good health and vitality had just appeared with the morning sun. Actually, my body had been healing all along; it just had not manifested fully until that day. I felt such a wonderful sense of being alive! I looked and felt completely renewed.

With my juicer in tow and a new lifestyle fully embraced, I returned to Southern California and my friends a couple weeks later to finish writing my first book. For nearly a year it was “ten steps forward” with great health and more energy and stamina than I’d ever remembered. Then all of a sudden I took a giant step back.


The Night I’ll Never Forget

The Fourth of July was a beautiful day like so many others in Southern California. I celebrated the holiday with friends at a backyard barbecue. That evening we put on jackets to insulate against the cool evening air and watched fireworks light up the night sky. I returned just before midnight to the house I was sitting for vacationing friends, who lived in a lovely neighborhood not far from some of my family members. After such a full day I was in bed shortly after I arrived at the house.

I woke up shivering some time later wondering why it was so cold. I rolled over to see the clock. It was 3:00 a.m. That’s when I noticed that the door was open to the backyard. “How did that happen?” I thought as I was about to get up to close and lock the door. That’s when I saw him. Crouched in the shadows of the corner of the room was a shirtless young man in shorts. I blinked twice, trying to deny what I was seeing.

Instead of running out the open door, he leaped off the floor and ran toward me. He pulled a pipe from his shorts and began beating me repeatedly over the head and yelling, “Now you are dead!” We fought, or I should say, I tried to defend myself and grab the pipe.

Finally it flew out of his hands. That’s when he choked me to unconsciousness. I felt all life leaving my body. In those last few seconds I knew I was dying. “This is it, the end of my life,” I thought. I felt sad for the people who loved me. Then I felt my spirit leave. It felt as though it just popped out of my body and floated upward. Suddenly everything was peaceful and still. I sensed I was traveling through black space at what seemed like the speed of light. I saw what looked like lights twinkling in the distance.

But all of a sudden I was back in my body, outside the house, clinging to a fence at the end of the dog run. I don’t know how I got there. I screamed for help with all the energy I had. It was my third scream that took all my strength. I felt it would be my last breath. Each time I screamed, I passed out and landed on the cement. I then had to pull myself up again. But this time a neighbor heard me and sent her husband to help. Before long I was on my way to the hospital.

Lying on a cold gurney at 4:30 a.m., chilled to the bone, in and out of consciousness, I tried to assess my injuries, which was virtually impossible. When I looked at my right hand, I almost passed out again. My ring finger was hanging on by a small piece of skin. My hand was split open, and I could see deep inside. The next thing I knew I was being wheeled off to surgery. Later I learned that I had suffered serious injuries to my head, neck, back, and right hand, with multiple head wounds and part of my scalp torn from my head. I also incurred numerous cracked teeth, which led to several root canals and crowns months later.

My right hand sustained the most severe injuries. Two of my knuckles were crushed to mere bone fragments and had to be held together with three metal pins. Several months after the attack I still couldn’t use my hand. The cast I wore, which had bands holding up the ring finger that had almost been torn from my hand and various odd-shaped molded parts, looked like something from a science fiction movie. I felt and looked worse than hopeless. The top of my head was shaved, and my eyes were totally red and swollen. I had a gash on my face, a weird-looking right hand, terrorizing fear, and barely enough energy to get dressed in the morning.

I was an emotional wreck. I couldn’t sleep at night—not even a minute. It was torturous. I was staying with a cousin and his family, so there was no need to worry about safety from a practical point of view, but that made no difference to me emotionally. I’d lie in bed all night and stare at the ceiling or the bedroom door. I had five lights that I kept on all night. I’d try to read, but my eyes would sting. I could sleep only for a little while during the day.

But the worst part was the pain in my soul that nearly took my breath away. All the emotional pain of the attack joined with the pain and trauma of my past to create an emotional tsunami. My past had been riddled with loss, trauma, and anxiety. My brother died when I was two. My mother died of cancer when I was six. I couldn’t remember much about her death—the memories seemed blocked. But my cousin said I fainted at her funeral. That told me a lot.

I lived for the next three years with my maternal grandparents and father. But Grandpa John, the love of my life, died when I was nine. That loss was very hard. Four years later my father was involved in a very tragic situation that would take far too long to discuss here, but to sum it up—it was horrific. He was no longer in my daily life. I felt terrified about my future. My grandmother was eighty-six. I had no idea how much longer she would live. The next year I moved to Oregon to live with an aunt and uncle until I graduated from high school.

As you can probably imagine, wrapped in my soul was a huge amount of anguish and pain—it felt like gaping holes in my heart. It took every ounce of my will, faith, and trust in God; deep spiritual work; alternative medical help; extra vitamins and minerals; vegetable juicing; emotional release; healing prayer; and numerous detox programs to heal physically, mentally, and emotionally. I met a nutritionally minded physician who had healed his own slow-mending broken bones with lots of vitamin-mineral IVs. He gave me similar IVs. Juicing, cleansing, nutritional supplements, a nearly perfect diet, prayer, and physical therapy helped my bones and other injuries heal.



After following this regimen for about six months, what my hand surgeon said would be impossible became real. My hand was fully restored and fully functional. He had told me I’d never use my right hand again, and that it wasn’t even possible to implant plastic knuckles because of its poor condition. But my knuckles did indeed re-form primarily through prayer, and my hand function returned. A day came when the surgeon told me I was completely healed, and though he admitted he didn’t believe in miracles, he said, “You’re the closest thing I’ve seen to one.”

It was a miracle! I had a useful right hand again, and my career in writing was not over as I thought it would be. In the end it seemed my inner wounds were the most severe and the hardest to heal. Nevertheless, they mended too. I experienced healing from the painful memories and trauma of the attack and the wounds from the past through prayer, laying-on of hands, and deep emotional healing work.

I call them the kitchen angels—the ladies who prayed for me around their kitchen tables week after week until my soul was restored. It seemed I cried endless buckets of tears that had been pent up in my soul. It all needed release. Forgiveness and letting go came in stages and was an integral part of my total healing. I had to be honest about what I really felt and be willing to face the pain and toxic emotions confined inside, and then let them go. Finally, one day after a long, long journey—I felt free. A time came when I could celebrate the Fourth of July without fear.


A New Beginning

When I look back to that first day in the hospital after many hours of surgery, it’s amazing to me that I made it. My hand was resting in a sling hanging above my head. It was wrapped with so much stuff it looked like George Foreman’s boxing glove. My face had a big cut running down the left side, and my eyes were red—very little whites. A maintenance man came into my room for a repair and did a double take. He asked if I’d been hit by a truck! He was serious. I felt like I had. As I lay there alone with tears streaming down my face, I asked God if He could bring something good out of this horror. I needed something to hang on to.

My prayer was answered. Eventually I knew my purpose was to love people to life through my writing, juicing, and nutritional information— to help them find their way to health and healing. If I could recover from all that had happened to me, they could too. No matter what anyone faced, there was hope.


Juice Recipes for Health and Healing

In the pages that follow, you’ll discover a wide variety of juices for every possible need and occasion. I have basic juice recipes for those who are getting started and want something simple. There are yummy fruit juice recipes for those with picky palates who want the sweet taste of fruit. Green juices are my favorite and offer the most nutrition; you’ll find a big selection of green juice recipes to choose from.

Check out the chapter on juice remedies and rejuvenators for juice combos that address what ails you. And I think you’ll really like the gourmet juice chapter that has a lot of unique combinations and delicious drinks. There’s also the green smoothie chapter with one hundred smoothie recipes and great combinations. And I also included my old favorites from The Juice Lady’s Turbo Diet and The Juice Lady’s Living Foods Revolution. Have fun trying some new and unusual combinations. There’s a lot to choose from with more than four hundred recipes.

And if you’re struggling with your health, there is hope for you, no matter what health challenges you face. Never, ever give up. There’s a purpose for your life, just as there was for mine. You need to be healthy and strong to complete your purpose. To that end, The Juice Lady’s Big Book of Juices and Green Smoothies can help you live your life to the fullest. My hope is that this book of delicious recipes will truly inspire you to juice each and every day and that you will experience firsthand the healing, rejuvenating power of fresh juice and green smoothies.

SpiritHoods Sale and Coupon Code

I am sitting at my computer enjoying a Starbucks hot Apple Chai Tea with my Foxgloves PDX fingerless gloves warming my hands and my new SpiritHoods Red Fox hood on my head :) It is a bit chilly in my house this morning, but I am feeling too lazy to go to the thermostat.

My husband just recently bought me the SpiritHoods Red Fox hood for an early Valentine's gift. I love having whimsy in my life. My favorite forest critters are foxes and deer. I think the hood suits me.

SpiritHoods carries hoods, jackets, capes and shawls; plus accessories you can wear with them. They have stuff for women, men and children. They even have something for the sports fanatic with their Team SpiritHoods line. My other favorites are the Jack Rabbit, Snow Arctic Fox, Husky and Leopard.

The Red Fox is my absolute favorite; however and that is why we couldn't pass up the deal that they have going on now for one. SpiritHoods is having a 2013 Price Drop sale on most of their product line right now! My hood was just $99! Plus we used the coupon code MAGIC and got 15% off of that!! The hood retails for $129 normally.

The hood is gorgeous and made of soft faux fur that looks pretty authentic to me. It sure fools a lot of people in to thinking that it is real. I am glad SpiritHoods is not endangering animals, but instead for protecting them. They have a program on their website where if you purchase the products with the PROBLUE label they will donate 10% of net profits to a non-profit dedicated to the conservation of that particular animal. They are also made in the USA in Los Angeles, California.

My hood is lined with 100% acrylic, lining: 50% Linen 50% Rayon and is one size fits all. It has a scarf part to wrap around you with pockets for your hands to go into to keep warm. On the other side of the fur pockets are emblems of paw prints with the SpiritHoods logo. Below the neck the hood can be buttoned to keep the hood in place. It sure does keep my head and hands nice and toasty.

Take advantage of the sale before it is gone! Use the coupon code MAGIC and get 15% off current sale prices! Valentine's Day is coming up and you can't beat this deal!

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I wrote this blog post because I thought you might be interested in knowing this information and taking part of this deal because I have also taken part in it. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any compensation for doing this post.

Treat Valentine's Day Review and Giveaway

My special someone, my husband, deserves a special thank you card from me this Valentine's Day...actually he deserves more than that, but a card is a good start :) He has been trying so hard to get our farmhouse remodeled so that we can move in, but he has been so busy with helping others and giving overtime at his job that he has had little time for it. I love him so much for his efforts. Maybe he will get a break to get some of it done soon. We have a lot to do still on it because we are gutting the whole thing to make it our very own.

Since a card is in order first before anything else. I think Treat.com is a great place to get them! Greeting cards can be more personalized and customized with Treat.com. You can make these one-of-a-kind cards online in the comfort of your own home...even in your pajamas if you like :) Add your own photos and words to make something truly unique and perfect for your special someone. You can't really do that with a boring drugstore greeting card.

Plus Treat.com has some other great services to help you out in the whole process. First they have a reminder service that will make sure that you never miss a birthday, anniversary, or other special date. They also have a Message Library that can help if you are at a loss of words. They even have cards that can integrate gift cards in them if you want to add a certain something more to it. Treat Valentine's Day cards are a wonderful way to say exactly what you want to. Their services are so fun and easy to use and so much more personal. Go on and make an amazing card today!

Treat Valentine’s Day cards are available on the Treat iPhone app. There will also be a #SweetTreats Twitter party on 1/29 at 2PM EST.

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DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I am receiving 10 free cards from Treat, which will be credited to my Treat.com account for posting and 5 free cards to giveaway for free. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

Emmy Rossum Sentimental Journey CD Review #SentimentalJourney

Emmy Rossum Sentimental Journey is available January 29th. On this album the multi-talented actress and singer brings her outstanding voice to songs made popular by some of the most beloved artists from 1920s - 1960s. To capture the authentic sound of that era it was recorded with a live band using vintage mics and mastered to tape. This 12 song 'passion project' is an emotional musical journey, with each song representing a month in the year.

"Each song needed to either lyrically or emotionally reflect the corresponding month," Emmy explained. "Some songs were obvious fits, like Summer Wind for June, and Pretty Paper for December. Others songs were less literal fits. I chose Nobody Knows You (When You're Down and Out) for September because, to me, the plaintive melody and lyric emotionally reflect the cold weather creeping in and the sense of melancholy we can get in the fall months."

The album's highlights include its title track, which was a No. 1 hit for Les Brown and His Band of Renown with Doris Day as the vocalist in 1945; These Foolish Things, a '30s standard that has been recorded by everyone from Nat King Cole and Bing Crosby to Rod Stewart and Michael Buble, and Summer Wind, which was popularized by Frank Sinatra in 1966.

I love the gorgeous cover picture of Emmy Rossum and the butterflies surrounding her. She is so glamorous. The songs on Sentimental Journey remind me of my time in college when I was in swing dance club. We dressed up in 1920's-1950's fashion, went to a hanger and danced to Big Band Music and Jazzy numbers. It was a lot of fun and I loved the music. Listening to this made me nostalgic. These songs are reminiscent of an older time that I really never knew myself. Listening to the album was like going back in time. I could picture Emmy singing some of these while sitting on top of a piano in a jazz lounge or on stage facing troops in the war being entertained. She doesn't try to change the songs to much, but she brings her own golden voice to the mix. The reinterpretation of these 12 songs is wonderful and very era authentic.

I never knew she was so multi-talented. Rossum is also an acclaimed actress who currently stars in the Showtime series Shameless with William H. Macy. She also stars alongside Emma Thompson and Viola Davis in the upcoming feature film Beautiful Creatures, which hits theaters on February 13th. She also has an amazing voice.

Sentimental Journey Track Listing and my thoughts:

1. Sentimental Journey (Les Brown, Ben Homer, Arthur Green): This is one of the songs I could see Emmy sitting on top of the piano singing. It is a slow dance number with great piano, bass and band accompaniment.
2. The Object Of My Affection (Pinky Tomlin): Love this upbeat number. It reminds me of something that might be sang to troops headed off to war to cheer them up. I love the interlude.
3. I’m Looking Over A Four Leaf Clover (Mort Dixon, Harry M. Woods): I love this song! Great for the month of March; in honor of St. Patrick's Day. Upbeat with a great interlude also. At the end it has a chorus of people join in singing with her.
4. These Foolish Things (Remind Me Of You) (Eric Maschwitz, Jack Strachey): Slow and romantic number that has Emmy singing sweetly about longing for a lover who has gone and reminiscing about him.
5. (I’ll Be With You) In Apple Blossom Time (Albert Von Tilzer, Neville Fleeson): There is some gorgeous harmony in this slow dance number that reminds me of The Andrews Sisters.
6. Summer Wind (Heinz Meier, Johnny Mercer): Love the big band sound to this one.
7. Many Tears Ago (Winfield Scott): In this one it is amazing how different her voice sounds...more a mix of country and 1960's I think.
8. All I Do Is Dream Of You (Nacio Herb Brown, Arthur Freed): Love her voice in this one and the saxophone at the end.
9. Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out (Jimmy Cox): This is a great soulful remake.
10. Autumn Leaves (Joseph Kosma, Jacques Prévert): This I think is one of my favorite songs on the album. It is slow and has a french flare and Emmy's voice is beautiful in French.
11. Things (Bobby Darin): Upbeat and another of my favorites. This song is really fun.
12. Pretty Paper (Willie Nelson): Country Christmas classic from Willie Nelson. Emmy's version is lovely.
13. Keep Young And Beautiful (Bonus Track): This song is sung by Rossum with humorous overtones. I really don't subscribe to the point of view that you have to be beautiful to be loved, and this song sounds like something that would have been on the radio advertizing makeup or something, but Rossum sings it well.

This album spans a lot of different music eras. It has a nostalgic feel that sometimes I long for. I love music that takes me back to a different time. Emmy has mastered this and I believe this album is a happy addition to my collection. 

“These Foolish Things (Remind Me Of You)” Music Video:


TV Performances:

• Emmy will performing a track from Sentimental Journey on Access Hollywood Live on January 25th
• Emmy will also be appearing as a guest on Conan on January 28th
• Chelsea Lately on January 29th
• The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on February 6th.

Follow Emmy on Twitter and on Facebook.

BUY IT
Amazon for $9.99 or iTunes for $11.99.


DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I participated in this campaign for One2One Network. I received a free copy of the CD to facilitate my review. By posting, I am eligible for incentives. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

Borax - Fresh Year, Fresher Laundry Facebook Sweepstakes

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Enter to win the $1,500 Grand Prize, or one of 171 coupons for FREE BORAX! Why 171 coupons you ask? The TOTAL prize value is $2013!, which is very appropriate for the new year ;-) So make sure you sign up once a day until February 22nd, 2013 to try and win!

Enter to win here... http://insiders.purex.com/Borax-fresh-year?id=1254

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: If you sign up by clicking my unique link (provided above), I'll automatically be entered to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card. Thanks to Purex and 20 Mule Team Borax for sending me this promotion information.

Oransi Ionic Fridge Air Purifier Review and Giveaway

My refrigerator gets a lot of use and abuse. It is an older model that we got second hand when we moved here over 6 years ago. The handle of the door has completely fallen off and the bottom shelf has broken. My husband tried to fashion a front piece for it out of wood so that things wouldn't slide off the shelf because the lip of the original was splitting and breaking off, but now the tabs at the sides that hold the shelf into position have broken and so now my fridge drawers are the only thing holding the shelf up. So getting into my fridge drawers is difficult at best. The temperature inside isn't evenly distributed either as the top of the fridge is colder because it is closer to the small freezer above. This wear and tear is also from it being used by 6 people, not just its age. My fridge gets things spilled on it constantly from little hands not properly closing containers of things to things being dropped there. I clean it when I can, but frankly it probably isn't often enough. Even when I do it still seems to have lingering smells.

Oransi Ionic Air Purifier for Refrigerator is a little device that creates a odor free environment in your fridge or other small enclosed space. It is great for Refrigerators, Cloakroom/Coat Closet, and Shoe Cabinet. It is silent with no fan and does not require a filter to replace or clean. It also kills bacteria, prevents mildew and mold and reduces food from spoiling. The air purifier uses 2 AA batteries that require replacement approximately every 45-90 days. Built-in intuitive micro processor operates the air purifier so it will cycle on and off to save battery life. It sterilizes the fridge or other small enclosed area every 2 hours. The patented Piezo-electric technology allows for a high negative ion output to freshen your refrigerator without the harmful side effects of ozone that is found in standard ionizers.

My thoughts: When I received this I was surprised at how small this air purifier actually was. I took it out of the box and literally could hold it in the palm of my hand. I read the instructions and placed 2 AA batteries in it and pushed the on button. It immediately made a very soft whirring sound...if you don't listen for it you won't really be able to hear it. It has a nice LED indicator light that shows you the product is working. It lights up when initially turned on for the first 30 minutes continuously and then for 5 minutes every 2 hours. For when ever the air purifier cycles on again in those 5 minute intervals after being dormant, it lights up blinking briefly every 2-3 seconds. When indicating low voltage the light will blink constantly and tell you to replace the batteries soon. I liked how easy it was to install the batteries and turn it on.

It was not too hard to find a nice spot to place the air purifier in my fridge as it is very small and can fit a bunch of different places. I did find that I liked to have it up front on the shelf or in the door. Since it is so small I could see it getting lost in the back of my fridge somewhere so I try not to have anything in front of it. Also, I found that if I had something in front that the button on the front of the air purifier could be easily bumped, turning the whole unit off.

My fridge initially smelled of onions and roasted garlic from the leftovers we also had in containers overnight in the refrigerator. After a couple of hours with the Oransi Fridge Air Purifier inside my fridge with the door shut I opened it to check the status. All I could smell was very pleasant fresh air. I was thoroughly impressed that this tiny air purifier could work so well.

Not only does it get rid of the odor, but it also is supposed to keep your produce fresher longer. I am going to love saving money on my grocery bill by not having to throw away food that would have spoiled without this awesome little device. I am so very glad I have it and overall it is very cost effective. The unit is initially $39 (on sale right now for $29!!), the batteries for this only costs an average of $1 a month and it comes with a year warranty.

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I am trying out Rafflecopter on my blog. Please click on this post link if you do not see the script for it below. Also, if there is anything that is wrong with it let me know by emailing me: finamoon AT gmail DOT com I will try my best at fixing it. Thanks for being awesome readers!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received product to review and one to giveaway for free. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

“Cook Once, Eat Twice” Winter Facebook Sweepstakes from Real Food Moms

“Cook Once, Eat Twice” Winter Sweepstakes is live. Enter your chance to get a personal nutrition consultation with Real Food Mom Tracee as well as other great prizes. Go here to enter: http://on.fb.me/VslvWd

With kids these days constantly on the go, and us parents shuffling around right with them, wouldn’t it be nice to have some help getting a healthy meal or two on the table?  Their Winter “Cook Once, Eat Twice” ebook is designed just for that.

To celebrate the launch, they want to help a few moms out there kick start the new year with an awesome Winter Sweepstakes!  They’ve gathered up some really cool prizes from a few of their favorite partners, and all you need to do to enter is “like” their Facebook page (if you haven’t already) and enter your name and email address.  That simple! 

If you’re a real go-getter, they’ll give you another entry if you choose to follow them on Twitter @RealFoodMoms and tweet the following:  “I just entered to win a #CookOnceEatTwice prize package from @RealFoodMoms, and you can too http://on.fb.me/VslvWd”

GRAND PRIZE: “COOK ONCE, EAT TWICE” PRIZE PACKAGE

Selection of eco-friendly kitchen utensils from Island Bamboo

Personal nutrition coaching session from Real Food Mom, Tracee

Free copy of the “Cook Once, Eat Twice” ebook

FIRST PRIZE:

8 boxes of Cook Simple meal kits from Healthy Pantry

Personal nutrition coaching session from Real Food Mom, Tracee

Free copy of the “Cook Once, Eat Twice” ebook

SECOND PRIZE:

Personal nutrition coaching session from Real Food Mom, Tracee

Free copy of the “Cook Once, Eat Twice” ebook

See official rules here:

http://www.realfoodmoms.com/real-food-moms-sweepstakes-legal-documentation-official-rules/

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to Real Food Moms for sending me this promotion information  to post on my blog. The above information was given to me by their outreach coordinator and was basically just cut and pasted into this post. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any compensation for doing this post, although I did enter the sweepstakes myself.

Burgerville Specials All Week!

If you love Burgerville like I do then you will be happy to know there will be specials running all this week! Click on the image above to view it larger. Available at all 39 locations (SW Washington and Oregon). Find a Burgerville location near you.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I wrote this blog post because I thought you might be interested in knowing this information and taking part of this deal because I will also be taking part in it. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any compensation for doing this post. The above graphics are Burgerville's.

The Wiggles Celebration! DVD Review

The Wiggles are one of the world’s #1 preschool entertainers. They have performed over 350 shows to more than 1.5 million fans since 2005 in the United States alone. The Wiggles perform over 200 shows annually across four continents. The Wiggles are seen on TV in over 120 countries worldwide. Fans can catch The Wiggles on television exclusively in the U.S. on 24-hour preschool network Sprout as hosts of Sprout’s Wiggly Waffle, which airs every weekday morning from 6:00 – 9:00 a.m. ET. Beginning July 7, 2012, fans can also watch The Wiggles on NBC’s new Saturday morning preschool block, NBC Kids. The Wiggles have sold more than 23 million DVDs and videos, 7 million CDs and 8 million books in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. You can also follow the gang on Twitter via Twitter.com/ItsWiggleTime or become a fan of their official Facebook page Facebook.com/TheWiggles.

The Wiggles' Celebration! DVD features the original Wiggles: Anthony, Greg, Jeff and Murray in their last Celebration concert tour together which honored the last 21 years they spent entertaining and educating young children around the globe. At the end of 2012 Murray Cook, Jeff Fatt and Greg Page retired to take on behind the scenes roles in content development and songwriting. The three new Wiggles: Simon Pryce, Lachlan Gillespie, and the first ever female Wiggle, Emma Watkins, will join Blue Wiggle Anthony Field as they don the band’s signature Red, Purple and Yellow jerseys.

"The last 21 years have been a wonderful adventure and I'm going to miss performing on stage with my dear friends Greg, Jeff and Murray," said co-founder and Blue Wiggle Anthony Field. "We've had the best time celebrating the last two decades with our fans all over the world, and I'm looking forward to starting this next chapter with Emma, Lachy and Simon."

Own a piece of Wiggles history captured on DVD this New Year.

My thoughts: This DVD is filled with favorite songs, dancing, acrobatics and fun. It is definitely great for getting your little one's wiggles out. My girls enjoyed bopping, twirling, tumbling, jumping, swaying, etc. to the music and seeing their favorite characters on stage. I love that The Wiggles help get rid of the couch potato syndrome. They make exercise fun.  I thought Anthony's splits were impressive and we liked the part where Captain Feathersword got up on the PVC pipe cube to do some acrobatics while balancing up there. My youngest daughter Zari loved it when Dorothy the Dinosaur, Wags the Dog, and Henry the Octopus came on stage. When they exited stage she kept asking when they would be back again. She hadn't seen The Wiggles before and she loved them. My 4 year old daughter was the more active of the two while we watched the show. They both seemed like they were enjoying themselves a lot. We will miss the original Wiggles that have left the cast, but welcome the new ones for the New Year. I'm glad we have this DVD as a reminder of the original cast.

"The Wiggles' Celebration" includes the following tracks:
*    Wiggly Circus Jubilee
*    Here Comes a Bear
*    Rock-a-Bye Your Bear
*    Ooh It's Captain Feathersword
*    Occi Tocci Onga
*    Here Comes Our Friends
*    Getting Strong!
*    We're Dancing with Wags the Dog
*    Henry's Dance
*    Romp Bomp a Stomp
*    Dr Knickerbocker
*    Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, Turn Around
*    Up, Down, Turn Around
*    Ooey, Ooey, Ooey Allergies!
*    The Monkey Dance
*    Wiggle 2012 Medley
*    Let's Have a Party (Instrumental)

Special Features:

• Goodbye Message from Greg, Jeff and Murray
• Song Clips Featuring the New Wiggles: Propeller, Everybody's Here
• Photo Gallery

Running time approx. 60 minutes with bonus material.

BUY IT:
You can purchase this through NCircle Entertainment for $11.99.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received product for free to review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

Rosemary Gladstar's Honey Onion Cough Syrup with Added Garlic

Homemade Rosemary Gladstar's Honey Onion Cough Syrup with added Garlic:
I made a natural remedy for cough, colds and flu. Organic honey is best used for this recipe. The beauty of this recipe is that it is made with ingredients you probably already have sitting around your kitchen. Rosemary Gladstar is a wonderful herbalist that I would love to meet in person someday soon. Here is her recipe with an addition of garlic...



Slice 1 large onion into half moons and place the slices into a sauce pan. You can also add a few minced cloves of chopped garlic at this point.

Barely cover the onion slices with honey. Warm on low heat until the onions are soft and mushy and the honey tastes strongly of onion and garlic. Store in a jar in the refrigerator. Isn't it a gorgeous color!

At the first sign of a cold, take 1/2 to 1 teaspoon every hour or two. If you already have a cold, take 1 teaspoon 3 or 4 times/day to speed up your recovery.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: The medical information provided on this blog is, at best, of a general nature and cannot substitute for the advice of a medical professional (for instance, a qualified doctor/physician, nurse, pharmacist/chemist, and so on). I am not a medical professional, just a mom with a opinion. Even if a statement made about the natural remedy is accurate, it may not apply to you or your symptoms. I am only suggesting that you should try it for yourself and see if helps you. People are all different and outcomes could vary drastically.

Tropical Traditions Organic Canadian Raw Honey Review and Giveaway

Tropical Traditions Organic Raw Honey comes from the remote, wild frontier areas of Canada, and is only harvested during a 6-week period in the summer. These areas are rich in wild vegetation that produce some of the finest honey in the world. Tropical Traditions is the exclusive source of this premium organic honey in the U.S. Tropical Traditions Organic Raw Honey has not been subjected to the heat of processing, only warmed enough to flow (same temperatures the honey would see inside the hive). They select only premium honey that is pure, smooth and creamy, with the consistency of soft margarine at harvest. The honey contains live yeast and enzymes, because it has not been processed. It also contains pollen because it has not been filtered—merely screened.

• 100% organic by strict USDA & Canadian Organic Certification standards 
• raw
• wild
• unprocessed

My thoughts: I love the creamy soft texture of this delicious honey. This is all pure natural crystallized honey, not that liquid runny stuff you can buy at the store. When I opened up the glass jar and seal there was a crystallized white glaze over the top of the honey. I scooped a bit out by spoon and it was like soft peanut butter consistency. The flavor was amazing. It was rich and had a slight flowery taste to it. I love this honey! I love that since it is raw, organic and unprocessed it is also healthier for me.

Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil!

Tropical Traditions is America’s source for coconut oil. Their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is hand crafted in small batches by family producers, and it is the highest quality coconut oil they offer. You can read more about how virgin coconut oil is different from other coconut oils on their website: What is Virgin Coconut Oil?

You can also watch the video they produced about Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil:

Tropical Traditions also carries other varieties of affordable high quality coconut oil. Visit their website to check on current sales, to learn about the many uses of coconut oil, and to read about all the advantages of buying coconut oil online. Since the FDA does not want us to discuss the health benefits of coconut oil on a page where it is being sold or given away, here is the best website to read about the health benefits of coconut oil.

WIN IT
Prize: Win One 17.6 oz Jar of Tropical Traditions Organic Canadian Raw Honey

I am trying out Rafflecopter on my blog. Please click on this post link if you do not see the script for it below. Also, if there is anything that is wrong with it let me know by emailing me: finamoon AT gmail DOT com I will try my best at fixing it. Thanks for being awesome readers!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


DISCLOSURE/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. This post has referral links in it. By clicking on my referral link that I am potentially benefiting from your purchase. If you order by clicking on any of my referral links and have never ordered from Tropical Traditions in the past, you will receive a free book on Virgin Coconut Oil, and I will receive a discount coupon for referring you.

20 Mule Team Borax Review and Giveaway

Borax is the common name for sodium tetraborate: a naturally occurring substance produced by the repeated evaporation of seasonal lakes. 20 Mule Team Borax comes from California where one of the world’s largest deposits was discovered in 1913. Absolutely nothing is added. No phosphates, per-oxside, chlorine, or other additive chemicals.

20 Mule Team Borax is a laundry booster and multi-purpose household cleaner. It removes stains and neutralizes odors. Borax naturally softens hard water and improves your detergent’s cleaning power. It also helps keep stains from being re-deposited back onto clothes. It is also a wonderful all natural alternative to color safe bleach. To boost your detergent, simply add 1/2 cup of 20 Mule Team Borax to every load, along with your regular detergent. You can also use 20 Mule Team Borax to pre-soak tough stains.

Over 85% of homes have what most people call “hard water.” Hard water is defined as water that contains calcium and magnesium (ions). Since I live in Oregon I am one of the lucky ones that has soft to only slightly hard water. Even though I do not have that hard of water here, I have found many other ways of using Borax besides keeping my laundry smelling fresh and looking clean too.

Handy Uses for 20 Mule Team Borax:

Cleaning

• Laundry: Add 1/2 cup of 20 Mule Team Borax to every full load, along with your regular detergent.
• Dishes: Dishwasher detergent - put 1 cup washing soda or 1 cup baking soda, 1 cup 20 Mule Team Borax (additionally you could add these optional ingredients: 1/2 cup of table salt and 1/2 cup of citric acid) in a glass jar. Secure tightly with lid. Shake to combine. Add 1 tbsp. of dishwasher detergent to each load. Add distilled white vinegar to the rinsing compartment to give the dishes a sparkling shine (plastic dishes will need sprayed with additional vinegar and rinsed by hand to get the sediment off). Handwashing Dish detergent - fill kitchen sink halfway with hot water and add a quarter of a cup of Borax, and a quarter of a cup of washing soda or baking soda. Mix well until dissolved, then add dishes. Clean dishes normally and rinse thoroughly. You can also use a little Borax on a dish cloth or scouring pad on dishes, pots, and pans that need extra scrubbing power.
• Deodorizer: Add 1/2 cup of Borax to a 12 ounce spray bottle of water and shake until dissolved. Spray on area needing deodorized. Example: Mattresses, Upholstery, clothing.
• Carpet and Upholstery Stains and Deodorizer: Stains - Pre-treat tough stains in carpet and upholstery. Make a paste of Borax and water and rub into stain. Let dry and vacuum. You can also place 1/2 cup of Borax per gallon of water in carpet steam cleaning machines (Warning: You are doing this at your own risk...the risk of possibly breaking your cleaner. The manufacture guidelines and specifics in the manual are usually put there for good reason.). Deodorizer - Sprinkle Borax on carpet, let stand overnight and vacuum.
• Tile and Grout Cleaner: make a paste and use a toothbrush for cleaning.
• Garbage Disposal and Unclog a Drain: Disposal - dump 1/4 cup into disposal and splash in a bit of water. Wait an hour and rinse with hot water. Clogged Drain - dump 1/2 cup into clogged drain and wait 15 minutes. Rinse with hot water.
• Surface Cleaner: Borax is safe to use on most surfaces including tile, ceramic, porcelain, slate, marble, granite and stainless steel. Great for toilets: put 1/4th cup into bowl, wait a bit then swish with toilet brush. It is great for removing soap scum, hard water deposits, and dirt!

Insecticide

• Ants: Mix equal amounts of Borax and powdered sugar, place near ant problem area (especially around anthills) - keep away from pets and small children. Others have said this also works for other bugs too including: silverfish, bedbugs, water bugs and roaches.
• Fleas: Sprinkle Borax on carpet and upholstery, let stand overnight and vacuum. 

Gardening

• Weed Control: Dissolve 10 ounces of Borax in 1/2 cup warm water and place it in a 5 gallon bucket. Dilute with 2 1/2 gallons of water. Fill empty spray bottles or a garden sprayer with solution and spray over problem area evenly and quickly. The borax solution will treat 1,000 square feet. You can cut the recipe in half if you need to cover as smaller area. Don't spray it on other plants you do not wish to kill. Remove weeds by hand around plants that you are planning on eating.
• Boron Supplement/Soil Fertilizer: Depending upon the amount of boron in your soil your garden crops and flowers might be suffering from boron deficiency. Hollow stalks in broccoli or celery, black spots on leaves, rot and fruit-pitting might be indicators of this. Test your soil to make sure and if it is lacking, make a borax solution. Add 2.5 oz. of borax into 5 gallons of water. Spray the solution evenly on plant foliage. Do not concentrate the solution in one area.

Crafts

• Crystal Snowflakes: Twist three 5-inch pieces (one pipe cleaner cut into 3 equal sections will do nicely) of white pipe cleaner together in the middle to form a 6 sided snowflake, then add a 1 1/2-inch piece to each point. Tie the flake with 4" string to a pencil on the opposite side. Find a big enough jar so the suspended flake won't touch the sides or bottom. Fill with 3 tablespoons borax and 1 drop food coloring of choice per 1 cup of boiling water. Hang the snowflake in the jar and make sure snowflake is completely submerged in the solution. Let sit overnight without interruption; remove and hang where you want to display. Science behind it: as the water cools, borax forms crystals that cling to the pipe cleaners.
• Goop: Goop has many names including: flubber, glurch, glorax and GAK. Pour 1 1/2 cups of warm water into a container and then add in 2 cups of white glue. In another container, mix 1 1/3 cups warm water and 3 tsp. of borax. Mix both containers well. Then empty the second container into the first and mix again. You can put in a few drops of food coloring at this point if you like. Stir or knead the mixture by hand until all the liquid has been soaked up and the material looks thick. Some people find that borax irritates their skin, so you should wash your hands after working with it and, of course, never eat it. Be careful as it might stain if you put in the food coloring.
• Dried Flowers: Mix 1 part borax and 2 parts of cornmeal with one tablespoon of uniodized salt. The Uniodized salt helps retain the color of the flower while drying. Spread half of the dry mix across the bottom of an airtight container. Prune back stems and leaves of picked flowers and place the blooms into the container. Carefully sprinkle the rest of the borax mix over the flowers (avoid crushing them). Cover and dry for a week to 10 days.

WIN IT
Prize: Win 1 coupon for a FREE box of 20 Mule Team Borax (3 Winners!)

I am trying out Rafflecopter on my blog. Please click on this post link if you do not see the script for it below. Also, if there is anything that is wrong with it let me know by emailing me: finamoon AT gmail DOT com I will try my best at fixing it. Thanks for being awesome readers!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to 20 Mule Team Borax for sending me product for free and promotion information to facilitate my review and free coupons for this giveaway. This opportunity was provided to me because I am a Purex Insider. By posting I will be entered to win rewards. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for posting this promo.

Green Toys Airplane Review

Green Toys make eco-friendly toys and tableware that are made from recycled plastic milk containers. This plastic is high-density polyethylene (or HDPE) and considered one of the safest, cleanest plastics around. Their products have no Phthalates, BPA, PVC, melamine or external coatings with lead paint. Green Toys are made in the USA in California where they have very strict toy safety and environmental laws. They are packaged in recycled corrugated boxes with no plastics, cellophane or twist-ties, and are 100% recyclable. This packaging is easy to open without having wrap rage.

They have play vehicles, outdoor toys, kitchen play, building toys, and tableware. I received a Green Toys Airplane free to review on my blog. My 10 year old son took to this plane right away. He loved it the moment he laid eyes on it. This airplane has a single seat for a small pilot. My son could fit a single Lego man, Playmobil person, Fisher Price Imaginext person or something similar in size in the cockpit. This made it even more fun for him as he could have fun taking his little toy people for rides in his new eco-friendly flyer all around the house. The plane's propeller spins manually and it has two-wheels that also spin for landing gear. The wings and tail are rounded to make it more safe. My girls love the plane too and can grasp it easily for a great take off even with their small hands.

Dimensions: 9"L x 9"W x 4"H.
Recommended for ages 1 and up.

"Like" Green Toys on Facebook HERE. Follow Green Toys on Twitter HERE.

BUY IT
You can buy the Green Toys Airplane on the Green Toys Website for $14.99. Comes in two colors: Blue and Red. (We received the blue version.)

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to Green Toys for sending me product for free to review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.