Santa Cruz Organic Agua Fresca Review #momsmeet #KeepOnCruzin

Agua Fresca juices from Santa Cruz Organic come in three refreshing flavors: Pomegranate, Grapefruit or Mango Passionfruit. These beverages are all gluten-free and Non-GMO Project Certified. Lightly sweetened with organic sugar and a hint of organic lemon juice, these fruit drinks are similar to popular aqua fresca drinks in Central America and the Caribbean. They are made with USDA Organic certified ingredients, with organic juice/fruit puree as the first ingredient after water and will help keep you hydrated all summer long.

Santa Cruz Organic is famous for their wide range of 100% juices and blends, but they have other organic products as well. Santa Cruz Organic currently offers more than fifty organic products that range from organic fruit juices and sparkling beverages to organic fruit sauces, chocolate syrups, peanut butters, and fruit spreads. All their items are Non-GMO Project Certified. They are also a Green-e certified company, meaning they recycle more than 95% of their waste and buy enough renewable energy credits each year to cover their production needs.

We received a set of different products from Santa Cruz and Moms Meet to try out. First my daughters and I tried out their juices. They sent us three different kinds: 2 from the Agua Fresca line (their pomegranate and mango passionfruit flavor) and one of their lemonades (regular lemonade flavor). Make sure you shake these juices up gently before pouring because the fruit puree tends to settle to the bottom.

These were all very good and wonderfully refreshing. My daughter Teela and I loved the mango mango passionfruit flavor the best and my daughter Zari told me the lemonade was her favorite. I loved the sweet and tangy flavors of the fruit against the lemon juice in each Agua Fresca. The lemonade was so good too not too sweet or sour like others I've tried. They have other flavors of lemonade besides original: cherry, mango, peach, raspberry, and strawberry lemonades. I love that their juices are better for you than other juices because they are organic and GMO free as well! I also love the pretty glass jars they come in.
 

Santa Cruz Organic Applesauce

We then tried the organic applesauce that was also in the pack we received. The applesauce was really good and I love that no sugar or high fructose corn syrup is added to sweeten it. It also has no added colors and gives 100% daily value of Vitamin C. This applesauce is perfect on its own and only has three ingredients: organic apples, water, and ascorbic acid (vitamin C). Their applesauce comes in convenient pouches to take on-the-go, cups for packing in lunches, or in a jar. Besides regular applesauce they have apple apricot, apple peach, apple strawberry, and cinnamon apple sauces. These are also gluten-free as well as GMO free and certified USDA organic.

SOCIAL • CORNER
Website - santacruzorganic.com
Facebook - facebook.com/santacruzorganic
Twitter - twitter.com/santacruzjuice
Pinterest - pinterest.com/santacruzjuice

BUY IT
A 32 oz. bottle of Santa Cruz Organic Agua Fresca retails for $3.20 - $3.49, depending on the location.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received these products for free from the sponsor of the Moms Meet program (greenmomsmeet.com), May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agree to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of this product.

Wordless Wednesday #BODYARMORMom #contest

Teela re-hydrating after a run with BodyArmor SuperDrink we got free from @DrinkBODYARMOR @Influenster.

Mighty Mug With Smartgrip Review

I received this product free from Mighty Mug to facilitate this review.

Mighty Mug is an innovative travel mug that grips the flat surface it was placed on when it is bumped into. This mugs Smartgrip technology helps avoid spills by air-locking the mug to your desk so that it won't go flying when accidents happen. It lifts naturally off the surface too. It is also BPA free, cup holder friendly, and comes in a variety of colors and sizes.

I received a Mighty Mug Go SS in blue. This particular Mighty Mug is awesome because it is stainless steel. It also is double walled vacuum-insulated to keep beverages warm for 6 hours and cold for 12 hours! This mug needs to be hand washed so the stainless steel vacuum insulation isn't reduced. The stainless variety also comes in silver and red and all three holds 18 ounces of liquid.

I love my new Mighty Mug. There are times when I feel a little out of sorts and on the clumsy side. If I knock into the Mighty Mug there will be no spills or stains. This is also great for those of us with rambunctious kids or pets. Its stability on flat surfaces reassures me that I can use this mug safely around my appliances, electronics, clothing, upholstery, and carpet.

Thank you Mighty Mug!

Follow Them:
Facebook - Facebook.com/mightymug
Twitter - Twitter.com/mightymugs
YouTube - Youtube.com/mightymugs39
Pinterest - Pinterest.com/mightymug

BUY IT
You can purchase a Mighty Mug for $16.99-$24.99 depending upon the model. 

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to Mighty Mug for sending me this 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.

Steaz Natural Beverages Review

I received these products for free to facilitate this review.

Steaz are thirst-quenching beverages that are all made with green tea and other all natural, USDA organic and fair trade certified ingredients. These are a healthier alternative to regular soda and make the perfect summer time refreshment! Great for: filling a ice cooler with at a BBQ, taking to a relaxing outdoor pool, going to the beach, bringing on a family bike ride, etc. Steaz has many drink flavors to choose from so everyone in your household can find their favorites.

I received 4 of the flavors free to try out myself and share with my family: Iced Green Tea with Coconut Water, Super Fruit Energy & Zero Calorie Sparkling Green Tea in Root Beer and Steazy Cola. I also received some lip balm free as an added bonus that I do not have to review.

• Iced Green Tea with Coconut Water - A hydrating alternative to water that satisfies your taste buds, and your body! Packed with 120mg of antioxidants and enhanced with electrolytes and potassium. The perfect addition to your summer beach bag! http://www.steaz.com/green-tea-coconut-water-iced-tea/

• Super Fruit Energy - A clean energy supply of sustainably sourced guarana berries, and rainforest grown yerba mate - some of nature's most balanced stimulants - fortified with acai and a boost of B vitamins for that extra special kick providing an all natural "buzz" you can feel good about. Just the thing for those long summer days! http://www.steaz.com/energy-super-fruit/

• Zero Calorie Sparkling Green Tea - A guilt-free alternative to sugary, carbonated soft drinks; great for summer BBQs! The healthy zero calorie flavor lineup includes, Blueberry Pomegranate; Black Cherry; Raspberry; Blood Orange; and two new flavors: Root Beer and Steazy Cola. http://www.steaz.com/steazy-cola-zero-calorie-sparkling-green-tea/

Steaz Beverage Facts:

• All use all-natural, USDA Organic, Certified Vegan, and Fair Trade Certified ingredients.
• The Iced Tea, Sparkling Tea and Energy drinks are lightly sweetened with all-natural, organic, evaporated cane juice.
• The Zero Calorie beverages are sweetened with Stevia, a natural herb that contains no calories and no carbohydrates.
• The Energy drinks provide beneficial levels of naturally occurring caffeine sourced from all-natural green tea, guarana, and yerba mate.

Steaz has launched the Steaz Summer Tour Instagram Contest - offering eight changes to win $500!  To enter, simply register at Steaz.com, snap a shot of a Steaz drink in action this summer, and post it on Instagram @SteazSocial #SteazSummerTour. Winners will be randomly drawn to win $500 all summer long (through August)!

My Thoughts

The Steaz Iced Green Tea with Coconut Water was delicious! I love coconut water and this had all the hydrating benefits of it and the wonderful antioxidant properties of green tea! This was refreshing and one I am definitely going to get again! Steaz has other flavors of their iced green tea beverages to choose from as well.

The Steaz Super Fruit Energy drink was carbonated with sparkling filtered water and very good with a nice fruity taste to it. Along with the green tea, guarana, and yerba mate it had Acai, pomegranate, Mangosteen, blueberry and Goji. It has a total of 100mg caffeine per12fl. oz can and has added B Vitamins. They also have their energy drinks in berry and orange flavors. I sipped some of this one to try the flavor and gave this one to my husband (that is the handsome guy in the picture above) because he likes energy drinks more than I do.

The Steaz Zero Calorie Sparkling Green Tea in Root Beer wasn't my favorite. It kinda reminded me of mouthwash. My kids loved it though and drank it without batting an eye. The Steaz Zero Calorie Sparkling Green Tea in Steazy Cola was better than the Root Beer flavor, but didn't taste much like cola to me and had caramel color (which to my understanding is not good for you) to make it a darker coloring. These both have B Vitamins added and 120mg of antioxidants. Both of these my son Delbin could drink without a shot of insulin because they both had 0 carbohydrates and they are better for you than any diet sodas out there.

I'd love to try other flavors Steaz has to offer. The Steaz Zero Calorie Sparkling Green Tea Black Cherry and Blood Orange flavors sound good, as well as the Steaz Zero Calorie Peach Mango Iced Tea. I'll have to go searching for them.

BUY IT
You can purchase Steaz Beverages online on their website or find a retailer near you.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received product for free to facilitate my 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.

Zing Anything Citrus Zinger Review and Giveaway

I received a green Citrus Zinger for free to facilitate this review and the opportunity to also give one (in the color of winner's choice: green, orange or *pink) away.

When summer roles around, especially when the weather gets hot, we all need to remember to stay hydrated. I admit that I don't really like drinking plain water. Unless it is super cold with lots of ice I don't drink water as much as I should. I do love flavored water a lot though. I flavor my water all kinds of ways, but my favorites usually are with citrus fruits.

The Citrus Zinger from Zing Anything has become my new favorite water bottle. It makes delicious refreshing cold beverages with a citrus zing to them. It is very portable and great to take anywhere. I love it when I am on the go. I have definitely been drinking a lot more water since I got it.

The Citrus Zinger has a very unique design that basically puts a water bottle and a citrus reamer/juicer/press together into one very sweet little gadget. This water bottle works especially well for juicing small citrus fruits like: lemons, limes & bergamot, mandarin, tangerine and clementine oranges. Also, the citrus reamer/juicer/press works as a strainer too so any seeds and rind from the citrus fruit stays put in the bottom cup. The liquid that you place in the bottle will continually mix with the juice and a small amount of the pulp through the strainer while drinking.

The Citrus Zinger is made with America-Made BPA/EA-free Tritan plastics from Eastman. It fits perfectly in a cup holder and the cap has a finger hole for easy carrying. This water bottle is earth friendly because it is reusable. The bottle holds 28 ounces of fluid.

Tips:

1. Before adding liquid you can also load ice into the bottle easily by turning the citrus reamer/juicer/press counter-clockwise then pulling it out from the wide end after first unscrewing the bottom cup. 
2. The liquid is always best when served cold so refrigerate it if you are not drinking it right away. 
3. I have also seen the Citrus Zinger used for juicing cucumbers (just thinly slice crosswise and place as many slices will fit in the cup with the fleshy part through the reamer) and kiwis (cut in half, then place half on the reamer, press for juicing and compost fuzzy peel). For a more intense flavor you can even press more than one citrus fruit into your bottle. You can even add a combination of the citrus with an herb such as mint leaves and/or a fruit such as berries to the cup to get a new flavor. Get creative. (I have more ideas on this post on flavoring water and ZingAnything.com has more recipes too.)
4. You can Zing cold: water, sparkling/carbonated beverages, iced tea, etc.
5. You don't have to add any refined sugar or artificial ingredients to make the perfect refreshing limeades, lemonades and orangeades. If you do find the mix a little sour try adding a little honey.
6. The Citrus Zinger produces one-two drinks per Zing if you leave the rind in the bottom cup to help further infuse.

 Instructions:

1. First unscrew the bottom cup of the Zinger. Then flip the bottle over onto its top cap.
2. Wash and then cut the citrus fruit you are using in half crosswise. Take one of the halves and place the point of the reamer/juicer/press into the center of the flesh. Give it a good press and turn to extract the juice with the reamer/juicer/press.
3. Once you think all the juice has been extracted from the citrus half you may leave the half over the reamer/juicer/press or you can discard compost the juiced citrus half.
4. Replace the bottom cup onto the bottle and make sure it is sealed.
5. Then add whatever liquid you would like to Zing through the small opening at the top after unscrewing the cap.
6. Replace cap tightly and give it a good shake to infuse and blend the flavor and juice into the beverage.
7. Remove cap and enjoy! (recommended shelf life if refrigerated is 3 days
8. To clean: just discard compost the juiced citrus half after unscrewing the base cup. Remove citrus reamer/juicer/press by rotating counter-clockwise then pulling it out from the wide end. Remove the cap and give each piece a good rinsing with hot soapy water and then dry. It is also top rack dishwasher friendly.

BUY IT
You can purchase the Citrus Zinger from Zing Anything for $16.99. They come in green, orange and now pink! Zing Anything also has some other awesome products too, the Aqua Zinger and the Salad Zinger.

WIN IT
Prize: 1 winner will win a Citrus Zinger in their choice of green, orange or *pink free from Zing Anything.

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 for free to facilitate my review and the opportunity to give another away to my readers. 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.

*pink is a new color and will expect to ship to you after May 10th.

Bigelow Tea Valentine Gift Duet Review

I love to drink tea! To sit and sip on a hot mug of tea and relax is my favorite thing to do in the morning. I love the Bigelow Tea Valentine Gift Duet gift pack. It is perfect for Valentine's Day! If you love tea or if your sweetheart does consider this a perfect gift for them. This gift pack features two different types of tea: Sweetheart Cinnamon and White Chocolate Obsession. Both boxes of tea have 20 individually wrapped tea bags in them, for a total of 40 tea bags.

Sweetheart Cinnamon is my favorite of the two. It is an herb tea with a blend of delicious sweet apple and exotic cinnamon. It is all natural and caffeine free. It also has hibiscus, rose blossoms, rose hips, and licorice root in it. I love the flavor! This tea is going on my list to buy when I run out.

White Chocolate Obsession is a blend of chocolate and robust black tea. I love this tea with milk and Stevia. It also has cinnamon and carob in it. I can definitely taste the carob and black tea more than anything else. If you love tea and you love chocolate you will probably love this tea.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to Bigelow Tea for sending me the Valentine Gift Duet and the individual samples 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.

EcoMom Daily Deal: Eco Cups on Sale - Today Only!

These Eco Cups are eco-friendly and very pretty! I have the blue flower one and just bought the red flower one too. Regular price is $9.99. They are on sale today only for $5.99 at EcoMom! I love mine! They are ceramic with a silicone sleeve for protection for your hands while hot beverages are in them. So much better than paper disposable cups because you can save the environment while drinking the hot beverage of your choice from your favorite shop.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I wrote this blog post because I thought you might be interested in taking part of this deal. I am a fan of EcoMom and thought I would share the savings. 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.

Foodie Friday Cold Food and Drink for Hot Summer Days

COLD FOOD AND DRINK FOR HOT SUMMER DAYS:
When it is blazing hot I don't feel like cooking on the stove or in an oven. I want something light and cool! The above picture is of a berry sorbet I made. Here is my list of cold food and drink for hot summer days...

1. Salads: pasta salad, potato salad, fruit salad, egg salad, chicken salad, tuna salad, coleslaw, Waldorf salad, pickled beets, deviled eggs, etc.
2. Cold soups: gazpacho, borscht, okroshka, cucumber soup (you can add dill), avocado soup, spinach soup, squash soup, yogurt soup, celery soup
3. Desserts: ice cream, frozen yogurt, shaved ice, slushy, frozen custard, parfait, sorbet, sherbet, yogurt, pudding, popsicles, ice cream sandwiches, frozen pastries, granola, key lime pie, lemon meringue pie
4. Beverages: ice cold water, lemonade, limeade, iced tea, iced coffee, smoothies, milk shakes, soda floats, chilled yogurt drink, 100% juice drinks, fruit nectar, homemade ginger ale, frappe, sparkling cider or juice
5. Fruits: watermelon, mangos, kiwis, bananas, peaches, pears, citrus fruit (grapefruit, oranges, etc.), pineapple, avocado, frozen fruit (melon, grapes, berries, bananas, pineapple, peaches, etc.), fruit salad, Jell-O (add fruit, shredded carrots, mini marshmallows, nuts...if wanted, etc.), fruit and cottage cheese, fruit skewers, etc.
6. Sandwiches: cold deli sandwiches, pinwheel sandwiches, peanut butter and jelly, tuna, chicken salad, egg salad, BLT, tortilla wraps or pita sandwiches
7. Fancy breads: add...nuts, raisins, dates, shredded veggies (carrots, zucchini, squash, etc.)
8. BBQ or Grilled: anything cooked on a grill outside (for example corn on the cob, shish kabobs, grilled chicken, grilled fish, etc. Try to cut down on red meats.)
9. Raw veggies: celery, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber, green leafy, sprouts, radishes
10. Dip: hummus, bean dip, 7 layer dip, spinach dip, artichoke dip, ranch dressing, yogurt dip, salsa, fruit salsa, guacamole, peanut butter, fruit dip, etc.
11. Seafood: shrimp cocktail, ceviche, sushi
12. Cold pasta or grain: couscous, tabbouleh, pasta salad, cold peanut noodles, quinoa

NATURALLY FLAVORED WATER:
In the summertime you have to keep your body hydrated to stay healthy and prevent dehydration, exhaustion, and heat stroke. Alcoholic beverages are not really a good option because of their alcohol and high sugar content, which can quickly dehydrate you (although I believe that alcohol at any time is not good). Soda pop (even diet) in high quantities can also dehydrate you. If you are not big into the taste of drinking city water straight from the tap, like me, then you might want to try some of these awesome things to flavor your water with. You can also flavor your lemonade or iced teas with these too and make sure you go to my friend Darcey Blue's blog, Gaia's Gifts to see some yummy naturally flavored water recipes.:

1. Herbs, spices, edible flowers and extracts: mint (chocolate mint, apple mint, pineapple mint, spearmint, peppermint, etc.), basil, thyme, parsley, cilantro, catnip, marjoram, rosemary, chamomile, lavender, pansies, rose petals, red clover, ginger, bagged/flowering teas chilled, aloe, nettles, lemon balm, lemongrass, lemon verbena, vanilla extract, crushed cardamom seeds, cinnamon, etc.
2. Fruit and fruit juices: berries, pineapples, peaches, watermelon, kiwis, oranges, grapefruit, lemons, limes, pomegranate, tomato juice, fruit nectar, 100% juice added to mostly water, etc.
3. Vegetables and veggie juices: cucumber, carrot juice, wheat grass juice
4. Ice cubes: Freezing ice cubes with fruit or fruit juices and add it to your water. Frozen fruit works just as well.
5. Natural Sweeteners: stevia and honey (herbal infused honey is yummy too) are better options for sweetening than sugar or artificial sweeteners.

Do you have a favorite food or drink that you love during hot days? What other things do you love to flavor your water with? Please make a comment on this post.

Coffee Alternatives and Substitutes

Postum, a substitute for coffee that had no caffeine and was made of wheat bran, wheat molasses, and maltodextrin (from corn) was discontinued by Kraft Foods in 2007 and I was very sad to see it go. Both Postum and Pero (another coffee substitute) had been staples around my LDS (Mormon) home since I was very little. I still have a jar of Postum in the Natural Coffee Flavor in my pantry that I have been keeping (apparently the stuff doesn't expire) for special occasions or when I am pregnant and shouldn't be drinking as much caffeine.

Here are some other coffee substitutes that might fix your caffeine coffee cravings:
*Pero http://internaturalfoods.com/Pero/Pero.html made of malted barley, barley, chicory and rye.
*Dandy Blend, a coffee substitute manufactured by Goosefoot Acres, is made of roasted chicory, roasted beetroot, barley, rye and dandelion.
*Nestlé Caro is made of roasted barley, malted barley, chicory, and rye.
*Cafix made by the same company that makes Pero, InterNatural Foods, is made of Malted barley, chicory, barley, rye, beet roots.
*Caf-lib is made of extract of roasted barley, roasted barley, and roasted chicory.
*Kaffree Roma is made of roasted barley, roasted malt barley, roasted chicory, roasted rye.
*Inka Naturalis is made of roasted barley, rye, chicory, and beet root.
*Celestial Seasonings Roastaroma Herb Tea is made of Roasted barley, roasted chicory, roasted carob, cinnamon, allspice and Chinese star anise.
*Teeccino is made of roasted carob, barley, chicory root, figs, dates and almonds.
*Bambu, made by Rupunzel, is made of chicory roots, figs, wheat, malted barley, and acorns.
*Ayurvedic Roast is made of barley, chicory root, and rye along with ashwagandha, shatavari, and brahmi (ayurvedic herbs).
*Bueno Coffee Substitute is made of roasted, ground, garbanzo beans.
*Soyfee (wheat free, gluten-free coffee substitute) is made with organic kosher 100% Soy (Caffeine-free) Roasted Soybeans.

Undoubtedly there are more coffee substitutes out there, but these are just ones I have heard of and might be of interest to anyone trying to knock down or completely get rid of their caffeine intake. Out of all of these listed I have only tried Postum and Pero. I am not going to boast that these will all taste exactly like coffee or will satisfy your cravings for caffeine, but they are definitely worth a try considering the negative health problems that too much caffeine can cause. At any rate, I would highly recommend an alternative like one of these if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have a heart issue. Moderation in all things.

Ola Loa Review and Giveaway

Cold and Flu season is still underway in most places of the world, especially places that got dumped on with a lot of snow recently. As the weather becomes colder and we stay indoors more and people often catch colds or other viruses from others. The cold and flu season can begin as early as October and usually ends sometime in April. While there is no way to cure the common cold or the flu, keeping your body healthy during cold and flu season can help you avoid getting sick.

I recently was introduced to a "new to me" product called Ola Loa that is very much like Emergen-C but boasts that it is better for you because of having more vitamins and less sugar. Ola Loa has 1/6th the sugar of Emergen-C and provides 20 more nutrients (including amino acids), not to mention 5 times more B1 and 4 times more B2 and B12. This effervescent drink mix is 100% all-natural with no preservatives, artificial colors, flavors or fake sugars.

I took the challenge to try the product and they sent me a variety pack to try many of their flavors for free. I received 5 each of the Ola Loa Sport in mango tangerine, mixed berry and lemon lime flavors and Ola Loa Energy Multi Vitamin in orange, cran-raspberry and tropical. I love the flavors and they taste similar to Emergen-C. My favorite flavor was the mango-tangerine and the cran-raspberry. They mix and dissolve well in water and juice and don't leave a gritty aftertaste that some drink mixes do. They, like Emergen-C, come in individually wrapped packages and are easy to carry around in your purse, pocket or wallet until you are ready use them. What I really like about this product is that you can drink your vitamins instead of having to take a pill. The Ola Loa Energy is their multi vitamin drink mix that provides hard to get nutrients like TMG, NAC and CoQ10, plus vitamins A through K, 1000 mg of Vitamin C, 40 mineral complexes and 6 amino acids. It helps with energy production and protects antioxidants so your body can bounce back from stressors and not get sick as often. the Ola Loa Sport is a hydrating drink mix that provides a thirst quenching beverage for active people. Compare Ola Loa Sport with other sports drinks. They also have these other drink mixes that I have not tried out: Ola Loa Repair which is their healthy bone and joint mineral formula and Ola Loa Kids which is the multi vitamin for growing kids.

You can try out FREE SAMPLES of Ola Loa by filling out the form on their website.

WIN IT:
Melissa from ONIT Marketing has generously offered a Ola Loa Variety Pack to give away to one of my readers!

Mandatory:
1. Go to the Ola Loa website and tell me which what drink mix kind and flavor you would love to try and why.

Additional entries:
1. Subscribe to my blog by email and let me know. (2 extra entries)

2. Become my fan on Facebook. (1 extra entry)

3. Blog about this giveaway on your blog and provide me with the link. Make sure you have the link to this post and Ola Loa in your blog entry or it won't count. (2 extra entries)

4. Grab My Button (see sidebar to the left) AND/OR Put My Blog URL in Your Blogroll - Leave Your Link. (1 extra entry)

5. Technorati my blog and let me know your link. (1 extra entry)

6. List this giveaway on any giveaway listing website or blog and tell me where you listed it. (2 extra)

7. Follow me on twitter and retweet this: @finamoon: @OlaLoa WIN: Ola Loa Drink Mix Variety Pack #giveaway http://bit.ly/aOq4hq
(Daily Extras are Available)

8. Fave me on Momfaves. (2 extra entries)

9. Comment on one of my other of my posts and tell me which one. (2 extra entries per post)

10. Fan Ola Loa on Facebook. (1 extra entry)

11. Follow Ola Loa on Twitter. (1 extra entry)

Make sure you leave me your email in all posts so that I can contact you. If you subscribed by email, blogged about this, listed it, commented on another post, or faved me on Momfaves leave 2 entries saying you did. This contest ends on Friday March 12, 2010 at midnight (GMT-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada). This Giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada!!

DISCLAIMER: Thanks to ONIT Marketing for letting me know about this product and Ola Loa for sending me a variety pack free to try out and review. This giveaway is also provided free from Ola Loa. 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.

Teaposy Review

Teaposy is a wonderful company that sells blooming flower teas and accessories for your blooming tea enjoyment. If you have never heard of blooming tea you really should try it because not only is the tea delicious, it is also a work of art. Once you place the blooming tea bundle in the bottom of the glass teapot and pour the boiling water over it the magic starts and the leaves slowly unfurl into a beautiful, mesmerizing bloom. The Teaposy glass teapots are hand blown Borosilicate glass (glass with a high and low temperature durability) so they are great for steeping the tea as well as storing in the fridge. The teaposies are each hand-crafted in the Fujian Provence in China with dried silver needle white tea bundles and sewn together with jasmine, calendula, rose, lily, amaranth, camellia, chrysanthemum, or carnation flowers to form one of Teaposy's 8 patented blooming tea designs and they are also naturally and repeatedly infused with the scent and flavor of freshly picked jasmine flowers.

I received the celebrate gift set from Teaposy for free to test and review. This set includes a 24 oz hand-blown glass teapot with lid and loose-leaf filter, a selection of eight assorted teaposies and 2 decaf herbal tea sachets. Teaposies and sachets come individually vacuum sealed for maximum freshness.

Included in the set I received these teaposies and sachets:
*butterfly - jasmine, amaranth, silver needle white tea
*falling water - jasmine, calendula, silver needle white tea
*heart of love - rose, lily, silver needle white tea
*calendula - calendula, silver needle white tea
*crown me - chrysanthemum, jasmine, amaranth, silver needle white tea
*lady fairy - jasmine, lily, silver needle white tea
*let it snow - chrysanthemum, coconut fruit fiber, silver needle white tea
*red song - carnation, silver needle white tea
*spring sonata sachets - hibiscus, lily, rose, lavender, chinese globeflower, stevia leaves, forget me not

I love these blooming teas! The flavor is full and rich. I did taste the jasmine in the background of the teas, but it was pleasant and not too flowery. They take just 3-6 minutes to fully bloom and steep and they are such a delight to behold. Once I am done with these I am going to have to buy more to steep in my glass pot. It is so meditative and peaceful to wake up and watch one of these bloom in the morning. It just makes the rest of the day so much better. The glass teapot is lovely as well and is the perfect elegance to show off what's inside. Not only can you use it for blooming teas, but it lends itself very nicely to brewing loose leaf teas too because it has a stainless steel spiral strainer that is built right into the spout and catches the leaves as you pour your tea. It is eco-friendly too since it is made from 20% recycled material. Since it is glass, however, one does have to be careful with it...especially around kids so it won't end up broken.

I brewed the "let it snow" one first and got a few pictures of it blooming to show here. It was a fun one to see bloom and my children delighted in watching as well. It actually sort looks like the bloom is in a snow globe. Really quite a neat effect. I also have the video off the Teaposy website to share with you as well, because then you can actually see some of the teaposies bloom yourself. Take a look...

Golden Moon Tea Review Teaser

You probably know from my previous posts about tea, that it is one of my very favorite drinks. Tea is known for its wonderful flavors and healing properties. Golden Moon Tea is a tea company that has award winning loose tea specializing in blends. Earl Grey tea is only one of many of my favorites teas.

I am happy to be able to sample some Golden Moon Tea flavors and review them. Before I do; however, I would love for you to know of a discount of 10% off a purchase with the code 'Finamoon.' Stay tuned for my review of Golden Moon Tea.

Dilmah Tea Review

THE COMPANY:
Dilmah takes pride in their teas. Their founder, Merril J. Fernando, has dedicated his life (60 years) to the perfection of tea. His journey started in the 1950's, and in 1988 he launched Dilmah. He along with his two sons, Dilhan and Malik (from whose names the brand name was coined), make it a family business. Dilmah is the first producer owned tea brand in the world and for 21 years they have been making their fine tea.

DILMAH'S CEYLON TEA:
Most other tea brands are blended tea, a mixture of tea from all over the world. Dilmah tea is set apart from most. It is a single origin tea. It comes from a single source: the fabled tea gardens of Ceylon (Sri Lanka), renowned for its high quality tea. Dilmah uses traditional, centuries-old processes. Their garden fresh Ceylon tea is handpicked (two tender leaves enclosing a bud, because the flavor of the tea is concentrated there), perfected, packed at source, and shipped within days to tea drinkers around the world. This means it is fresher, more flavorful, and you will be getting more of the antioxidants from the tea/Camellia sinensis plant.

SUSTAINABILITY AND ETHICS:
Dilmah is also an ethical company. Earnings from Dilmah remain in Sri Lanka, are shared with their workers and the community, and are reinvested to make tea a sustainable crop. Merril shares his success with his workers and the community through his MJF Charitable Foundation.

They also recognize that the environment and its protection are integral to human welfare. Dilmah Conservation focuses on the protection and study of the Asian Elephant to try and lessen the human elephant conflict in Sri Lanka. In the Symbiosis Arboretum project they are eventually going to plant 500 hectares (about 1236 acres) of natural vegetation and re-introduce plants that have become extinct or rare in Sri Lanka. These plants are very important to the eco-system. This will also help further the study of agricultural practices and how to not negatively impact the environment. Dilmah Conservation also has a Kids' Club that might be a great learning opportunity for your children to learn about conservation.

MY THOUGHTS:
One of my favorite times of the day is sipping/savoring a good cup of tea on my own. I like the quiet alone time. Call me a tea connoisseur. I love tasting different varieties and flavors. Dilmah tea is one I had never tried and am very glad that I got the chance to.

They sent me one box of Ceylon Green tea with real Cinnamon and one box of Earl Grey to try. Each tea bag is individually foil wrapped to seal in flavor. I was very eager to try them both.

The Ceylon Green tea with real Cinnamon smelled and tasted wonderful! Green tea is rich in catechins, a beneficial antioxidant. I love that they added cinnamon...it is such a wonderful spice! True cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum, synonym C. zeylanicum) is the spice obtained from the bark of a small evergreen tree belonging to the family Lauraceae. The true cinnamon tree is actually native to Sri Lanka.

This Earl Grey tea is Ceylon black tea with bergamot flavor. I love the stronger flavor and citrus accents of this Earl Grey tea. Black tea has thearubigin and theaflavin compounds that also provide antioxidant benefits originally attributed solely to green tea. The bergamot orange flavor and aroma is derived from the oil extracted from the rind of this fragrant citrus fruit. This is added to the black tea to make it an Earl Grey tea. The Dilmah version has a fuller, richer flavor.

SOCIAL NETWORKING:
Dilhan has a blog that he keeps. I love how he calls it Integritea...so clever :) Follow Dilmah tea on twitter. Join their group on Facebook.

HOW TO ORDER:
You can purchase Dilmah tea from their website. They offer a great variety of teas to choose from. Buy any Gourmet 125g pack and get a tea scoop FREE!