7 Simple Secrets For Infusing Healthful Herbs Into Your Family’s Life

Do you want to go beyond store-bought remedies, capsules, and tinctures?
To integrate healthful herbs into your family’s life?

Kimberly Gallagher from LearningHerbs will show you how in a free webinar this Thursday:
“The Nourished Herbal Kitchen Tour: 7 Simple Secrets For Infusing Healthful Herbs Into Your Family’s Life”

In this webinar Kimberly Gallagher will share…

• A tour of her kitchen and how she designed it to integrate nourishing herbs into her family’s diet
• How to go beyond store bought remedies, capsules, and tinctures 
• How to make 7 family herbal staples...including nourishing herbal infusions, potent herbal vinegars, super bone broth, sweet herbal honeys, seaweed sprinkles, pestos, Hailey's favorite Chai, and more!

Kimberly will share her favorite recipes, step-by-step...so you can start building YOUR family's nourished herbal kitchen the next day.

Kimberly will give a tour of her kitchen and share her favorite recipes, step-by-step... plus, if this webinar is anything like previous ones, there should be LOTS of cool giveaways!

Ready to build your family’s nourished herbal kitchen? Go here to reserve your spot:
learning-herbs.com/t?orid=240373&opid=35

Can’t wait to see you there!

P.S. During the webinar there will be a live Q&A. So start jotting down your questions now, and don’t forget to sign up by going here:
learning-herbs.com/t?orid=240373&opid=35

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: 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. Affiliate links can be found in this post. Thank you for your support of this blog!

This Powerful Ingredient Will Supercharge Your Smoothie #EarthDay #wildfood #greensmoothie

Did you know?

• Stinging nettle is a super source of vitamins, minerals & nutrients MORE powerful than most veggies.
• Nettle leaf supports healthy energy levels. It’s great if you’re feeling run down.
• And one really DELICIOUS way to get your nettles is making a smoothie!

Yes, it’s sting-free and perfect to make for Earthday because right now is stinging nettle season and hey, it is green!

In this free video from LearningHerbs, John and his daughter Hailey show you how to harvest nettles and turn them into a delicious smoothie called “The Earth Shake.” 

Opt-in and learn how to make it in this new video from LearningHerbs:
http://bit.ly/nettleshake

To make it easier for you in the kitchen, LearningHerbs has also included a printable recipe card. This way, you don't have to take notes!

Get the recipe here now:
http://bit.ly/nettleshake

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: 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. Affiliate links can be found in this post. Thank you for your support of this blog! 

Go Organically Earth Day Sweepstakes and Fruit Snacks Review & Giveaway

With Earth Day on the horizon, Go Organically Fruit Snacks is celebrating with their first-ever Earth Day Sweepstakes. Now through Earth Day, April 22^nd, Go Organically Fruit Snacks invites participants to enter the sweepstakes by growing a virtual tree for a chance to win. Participants can increase their chances of winning by sharing a unique link on social media; so the more you share the more you care for your virtual tree! Select winners will receive Go Organically Fruit Snacks.

To enter, participants can visit either the Go Organically Fruit Snacks Website at www.goorganicallysnacks.com and click on the Earth Day Sweepstakes Button, or go directly to the contest at http://goearthdaysweeps.com/. Participants simply enter their info in exchange for a virtual seed. The first day they enter, the seed is planted into their own virtual plot.

Each day participants revisit the website, http://goearthdaysweeps.com/ they help the seed grow and gain another entry. When participants share their seed's progress on social media with a unique referral link, followers who click on the link will be brought to a page letting them know that they've helped that seed grow. Followers are also given the option to enter and grow their own virtual seed. Those who grow their virtual tree will be entered to win Go Organically Fruit Snacks!

Go Organically Fruit Snacks come in Tropical, Fruit Medley, and Mixed Berry flavors. They come in boxes of 8 pouches. They are all USDA-certified organic, GMO free, and gluten free. They are made with real fruit purees, real fruit juices, natural flavors, and colors from natural sources with no preservatives. They provide 100% of the recommended daily value of Vitamin C per serving (one pouch) and are an excellent source of Vitamins A & E.

All 3 Flavors of Go Organically Fruit Snacks.

I've only tried the Tropical flavored Go Organically Fruit Snacks before. I received the all the flavors to try this time. I actually love the Fruit Medley flavor the best. These fruit snacks are all delicious and even though they are not as bright in color as other fruit snacks they are just as yummy. I love that they are organic and GMO free! These are also great for an Earth Day snack. I will definitely be buying these if I can find them.

Go Organically...
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/GoOrganically
Twitter - https://twitter.com/goorganically @goorganically
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/goorganically/
Instagram - https://instagram.com/goorganically/

BUY IT
Check out these sweet deals!

• Instantly save 50¢ or share and save $1 on your next 8 ct box of Go Organically Fruit Snacks! http://smarturl.it/GoOrgCoupon

WIN IT
Prize: Win two boxes of Go Organically Fruit Snacks.

I run giveaways with 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 this product for free to review and an opportunity to give away some. 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 and giveaway.

Love Bottle Review

I received a Love Bottle free to facilitate this review.

The Love Bottle is a 500 ml, reusable glass water bottle that is both eco-friendly and better for you than plastic! Love Bottle's new American made bottle is different than most designs I have seen. The lids are made out of lead free ceramics, food grade silicone, and stainless steel wire which creates the swing-top mechanism. The bottles which are made of 40% recycled glass are sleek and tapered to fit in a standard cup holder well. They each have a raised heart on the neck of the bottle, a UR Loved logo on the bottle of the bottle, and a new dual color heart printed on the lid. These are 100% locally sourced and manufactured by Owens Illinois (O-I) in the USA.

These new Love Bottles are very aesthetically pleasing. These bottles are more than just a beautiful bottle for drinking water from. It is also all about the message of spreading love as well. The message is strengthened by designs on the bottles that inspire us to love our: community, planet, body, and voice. With every sip from the glass bottle you can peek at the bottom to see the special message of UR Loved fused into the glass.

There are 8 new printed designs that were brought about because of their recently funded Kickstarter Campaign, for bringing production to America, which are:

• Mountain Air (says 'Love Our Mountains' with orange valleys and brown & grey mountains)
• Wild & Free (says 'Love Our Forests' with green trees)
• Summer Breeze (says 'Love Our Waters' with blue waves and red fish)
• Honey (honey bees & honey comb)
• Love Seattle (Seattle Washington scene, Home Is Where The Heart Is design)
• Love Portland (Portland Oregon scene, Home Is Where The Heart Is design)
• Love New York (New York City scene, Home Is Where The Heart Is design)
• Big City Living (city within a heart scene)

Among the other USA made designs are:

• Believe (inspiring words, like believe and faith)
• Elegance (a white lacy heart with birds hearts and flowers inside)
• Ocean Blue (a blue whale and a sailboat)
• Quiet Pond (koi fish in golden yellow and lotus flower in red with green leaves)
• Shallow Stream (heron like bird and fish in green)

There are also two brand new designs for the holidays:

• Peace (says 'peace' with a globe and leafy branches above all in blue and a white dove on the other side)
• Family (fuzzy family of Polar Bears bundled with red winter scarves and the words 'family').

Honey design and Love Bottle

I love my two new Love Bottles! I picked out the Honey one from being a backer for their Kickstarter campaign and the Love Portland one for a review. The Honey one I love because I love sweet Honey Bees! They are my favorite pollinators besides hummingbirds. I love the Love Portland bottle because its design is so reminiscent of the local landmarks: The KOIN Tower, The US Bank Tower, The White Stag sign and building, and the OHSU Tram. I love Portland and I am glad I am so close to this wonderful city!

Love Portland design and Love Bottle

These new Love Bottles are easy to use and fill and they don't leak when the swing-top lid is shut correctly. They are great for bringing on trips and you can get bands for them so that they have more grip and protection. I also love that these are BPA free and dishwasher safe, although I would recommend hand-washing. The messages of the designs are so inspirational too.

Social Media:
Website // Facebook // Twitter // Pinterest

BUY IT
Purchase these Love Bottles for $25 online. $1 from every bottle sold goes to a charity that needs your love. Love Bottles make great gifts for the holidays!

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

The Postage Stamp Vegetable Garden Book Review

Spring is almost over and summer is just around the corner. I cannot believe how the time has flown by so quickly!  My Mother's Day garden is growing very well. I still have a lot to do, but the main part is out of the way. Weeds still need pulled around my flowers, the soil needs tended to, and more seeds need sown and planted. I absolutely love growing in raised beds and containers because it means a lot less weeding. I love gardening! It is a favorite pastime of mine. Digging my hands into the soil and feeling the earth beneath me, relaxes me. It has always had this calming effect on me. 

The newly revised edition (which now includes a whole chapter dedicated to heirloom vegetables and herbs) of the Postage Stamp Vegetable Garden book by Karen Newcomb is a great resource with a lot of ideas to grow tons of organic vegetables in small spaces and in containers. This book is a very practical do-it-yourself (DIY) guide. In the beginning there is an introduction which introduces the history of small gardens. Eight chapters covering different topics, from planning your garden to controlling pests and other maladies, follow to host the bulk of knowledge being put forth. An appendix a and b containing how to compost and seed sources, a glossary, about the author, and an index ends the book.

Table Of Contents

Introduction   1
Chapter 1 Planning Your Postage Stamp Vegetable Garden   5
Chapter 2 The Postage Stamp Soil Mix   35
Chapter 3 Getting Your Ground Ready   43
Chapter 4 When and How to Plant   50
Chapter 5 Watering Your Postage Stamp Vegetable Garden   64
Chapter 6 Heirloom Vegetables and Herbs You’ll Love to Grow   68
Chapter 7 Plants That Like Each Other   165
Chapter 8 Controlling Pests, Diseases, and Critters   172
Appendix A How to Compost   186
Appendix B Seed Sources   195
Glossary   204
About the Author   211
Index   212

In retrospect, I really should have read The Postage Stamp Vegetable Garden book before I planted my garden. Since it got a late start though, I was rushing to get everything in the ground. I went with a more conventional row design which isn't really the best way to plant. This book could have helped me tremendously in: planning the arrangement of my garden and maximizing my crop production.

I love that this book makes it easy to have a garden in a very small plot that produces a lot while taking very little work and water. Karen Newcomb recommends beds that are 4 by 4 feet minimum to 10 by 10 feet maximum. She also states that from a 5 by 5 foot bed you can produce a minimum of 200 pounds of vegetables, if it is properly prepared and maintained. This is really amazing if you think about it. There are also some very helpful crop stretching techniques that are talked about in the book like: French Intensive Biodynamic Gardening in a small space, vertical gardening, intercropping, succession planting, catch cropping, container gardening, raised bed gardening, window sill/box gardening, patio gardening, companion planting, etc. The book also talks about taking advantage of better planting times: planting by season, zones, and moon cycles. Watering techniques, soil enriching techniques, and how to organically get rid of or deter: pests, diseases, and critters that might devour your garden are also included in this book. I loved the part of this book that covered other plants to consider growing because I am well aware of the advantages of adding pretty edible flowers and plants that attract beneficial bugs and hummingbirds to pollinate and possibly eat some pests. I love the idea of having a garden also for the hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, etc.

The Postage Stamp Vegetable Garden book has great garden plans, charts, and tips to keep your garden growing gorgeously. I will just mention that if you like a lot of color photos or pretty pictures this will not be the book for you because it uses a simplistic three color (browns, grays, and greens) printing process for the drawings and charts throughout the book.

There is so much to consider when planning a garden. I wish more people out there would grow their own food because the benefits are just so great! The benefits of growing your own organic garden include: better health, less stress, feeling better, saving money, getting fresh air and exercise, eating healthier and safer and saving the environment. Even someone living in the city with very little space really doesn't have an excuse. This book is chocked full of helpful information to maximize yield organically and ecologically friendly in small spaces. I would recommend anyone who wants to have a wonderful organic garden to read this book, especially those who don't know where to start because they are just in the beginning stages.

BUY IT


DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this book from the Blogging for Books program for free in exchange for my honest 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 posting this review. This post contains affiliate links which means I may receive a commission if you click a link and make a purchase. Thank you for supporting my blog!

Love Bottle on Kickstarter

Have you heard about the Love Bottle on Kickstarter? They need our help to bring production of their awesome bottles to America! They have a bunch of sweet pledge rewards that you don't want to miss!

Please raise your glass to this refreshing eco-friendly business founded by female entrepreneur, Minna Yoo of Portland, Oregon. Studying neuroscience and nutrition in college, Minna was seeking a way to find the best ways through preventative medicine to achieve and improve optimal health.  She says, “water became an obvious answer as water is one of our basic needs, but many Americans don't drink enough of it.”  Drinking out of her own glass bottle she had hand-written the word “love” on with tape, she realized her mission to create “love” as a forever message in a bottle.

The Love Bottle is a 500 ml, reusable glass water bottle that is both eco-friendly and better for you than plastic! Love Bottle's new bottle is different than most designs I have seen. The lids are made out of lead free ceramics, food grade silicone, and stainless steel wire which creates the swing-top mechanism. The bottles which are made of 40% recycled glass are sleek and tapered to fit in a standard cup holder well. The bottles each will have a raised heart on the neck of the bottle, a UR Loved logo on the bottle of the bottle, and a new dual color heart printed on the lid. The 8 new printed designs range from mountains, forests, water, honey bees, Seattle Washington, Portland Oregon, NYC, and a city within a heart scenes.



For every 100 bottles sold during Kickstarter, they will also send 10 Love Bottles to an officially certified Oregon Green School. Oregon Green Schools is dedicated to teaching students about the importance of sustainability. Help them teach the next generation about being the change they wish to see in the world.

They have already partnered up with Owens Illinois (O-I), the world's leading glass manufacturer, to start production here in the US, but they need the funding to be able to make this a reality. Please help them succeed! Thank you!

Social Media:
Website // Facebook // Twitter // Pinterest

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I found out about this Kickstarter Campaign through an email from PR. 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; however, they have told me that samples of the Love Bottle might be available to me for review at a later date.

Disney Mickey & Friends Go Green! Book Review

I received the book, Disney Mickey & Friends Go Green!, free to facilitate this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

Go Green is the first in a series of books by Disney that motivates families to live sustainably and more eco-friendly. This book is filled with fun projects that families can do together while teaching about making good choices to help save the planet and live a healthy life. It often made us pause to connect with the outdoors, ourselves and others. Mickey & Friends educate kids about what they can do to make a difference one step at a time.

Nature Mandalas

This book is a wonderful wealth of information for younger children. It is also a great homeschool tool and a wonderful book for Earth Day! My girls who are 4 and 7 loved looking through the book and doing the activities with me. Their favorite activity from the book was on page 67, making mandalas. If you don't know, a mandala is a symbol in Hinduism and Buddhism representing the universe. The word comes from Sanskrit meaning "circle". Nature Mandalas are fun to make with found objects in nature. Teela and Zari loved finding and then arranging the flowers, pine cones, small rocks, seeds, sticks, walnut shells, acorns, leaves, etc. in a circular pattern on our sidewalk in front of our house. If you live near the ocean you could also do this after you combed the beach for treasures like: driftwood, sea glass, shells, seaweed, etc. This repurposes natural things to become a beautiful work of art. I loved that the book also talks about the three R's - reduce, reuse/repurpose, and recycle, planting a garden and composting too. I believe that the secret to good nutrition and other good habits is to start teaching children good things at a young age. The Disney Mickey & Friends Go Green! book is a great start to get your child thinking about how to make the world a better place.

Follow them on Social Media:
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

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DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this book 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 posting this review. This post contains affiliate links which means I may receive a commission if you click a link and make a purchase. Thank you for supporting my blog!

Educents 10 Downloadable Earth Day Freebies

Picture provided by Educents.

1. Earth Day Sort – Help kids learn the difference between reducing, reusing, and recycling! 
2. Happy Earth Day Writing Activity – Kids of all ages can reflect on ways their family, school, and themselves can help keep the Earth healthy. Also encourages handwriting practice! 
3. Earth Day Coloring Pages – Creative kiddos can color the Earth with their colors of choice, or follow the color-by-code page to add critical thinking to art hour. 
4.  Earth Day Poof! Subtraction to 5 – This Earth Day themed game builds fluency with subtraction facts to 5. It can be played in a small group or as a partner game. It is a fun way to practice those facts! 
5. Earth Day Word Search Freebie – Enjoy this Earth Day themed word search puzzle with 21 eco-friendly terms like atmosphere, compost, and recycle. 
6. Earth Day Bookmarks – The perfect Earth Day treat for your students. Available in full-color and black-and-white. 
7. Earth Day Survey and Graph – A fun and different way to practice graphing in your classroom while encouraging collaboration between students. 
8. Spring Coloring Book – Let your little ones COLOR & SPELL Spring words. 
9. Love the Earth Mystery Picture Graph – Students will love discovering the mystery picture by coloring in the correct squares on the alphanumeric grid using the coordinates given. This is a great addition to an Earth Day or recycling unit! 
10. April 2015 Journal – A month of free journaling for learners age 8 to 100! Read about important historic, artistic, and current events that happened during the month of April – including J. Robert Oppenheimer’s birthday and Earth Day on April 22nd. Then develop vocabulary and critical thinking skills.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: This is an affiliate post. Affiliate links are in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog. Thanks to Educents for providing me this promotion information. 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.

Pierre the French Bulldog Recycles Book Review

I received the book, Pierre the French Bulldog Recycles, from Skyhorse Publishing free to facilitate this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

Pierre the French Bulldog Recycles is an adorable hardcover book by Kate Louise and illustrated by Bethany Straker that helps us teach recycling to our children in a fun way. The story is about a French Bulldog named Pierre that loves to dig holes and bury his treasures in the yard. When he digs his old stuff up he places them in the trash and then realizes that two of the items could have been recycled, but the trash truck comes and takes the trash away to the dump. Pierre decides to chase after the truck to get the items back. But can he get to the landfill in time?

Our carload of recycling and the book, Pierre the French Bulldog Recycles.

As a parent I try to instill in my children good habits and one of them is to be less wasteful by recycling. Our family recycles as much as we can. Once we get a car load full we go and drop it off. Mixed paper, cardboard, glass, #1 & #2 plastics, tin & aluminum, and motor oil & antifreeze all get recycled at our local drop-off recycling site.

My girls and I love Pierre the French Bulldog Recycles. Its illustrations are colorful and fun. I made a game out of the pictures for them to find Pierre in each turn of the page. You can spot him in his black and white striped shirt. I also had them point to things in the dump that could have been recycled, reused, or repurposed. It was a great teaching tool. Teela also enjoyed reading it to Zari and showing her the pictures again. This is a wonderful book for Earth Day!

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DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to Skyhorse Publishing for sending me this book 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 posting this review. This post contains affiliate links which means I may receive a commission if you click a link and make a purchase. Thank you for supporting my blog!

Crystal Wash Review

I received this product free from Crystal Wash to facilitate this review.

Having to do laundry is one of those inevitable things for all of us. Most of us dread doing it because we believe it is a chore. At least we can say washing clothing and linens has gotten easier over the years. Instead of wash boards we have washing machines and most of us buy our laundry detergent or soap at the store instead of making it ourselves. Society has made things progressively easier for us. But what is the price we pay for the luxury of store bought laundry detergent?

There are a lot of laundry detergents on store shelves that claim this, that, and the other. Most of these have things in them that I wouldn't want touching my skin. My son is highly allergic to detergents with perfume and dye, so I end up getting the stuff that is for sensitive skin and says hypoallergenic on it. Lately, though, I have been looking into maybe making my own laundry soap at home with ingredients I am familiar with or seeing what other products are out there that might be better to use than the traditional detergents that you can find at just about any big box grocery store. I am not into harsh chemicals that might very well be toxic to my family and I...not to mention the Earth! I would rather use something that has ingredients that are safe, efficient, and effective.

I saw a laundry ball called Crystal Wash online and by the description these laundry balls seemed at first glance a great way to do laundry. Crystal Wash comes with two laundry balls that you use simultaneously in the wash together. I have never used laundry balls/washing balls in the past, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I love products that are natural, eco-friendly, and non-toxic and Crystal Wash said they were all of the above. This seemed valid enough, but Crystal Wash has other claims as well that seem to be not backed by actual science. Crystal Wash's claims are very intriguing and appealing, but I am not just sold by claims. I needed to try the product out for myself to see if they work.

If you look up Crystal Wash online you will find a lot of naysayers that say the product doesn't work, is a lot of hooey and quackery, and is backed by pseudoscience. Most of these people haven't tried this product for themselves and don't care to. I, however; like to give products that are supposedly better for you and/or the environment the benefit of the doubt, unless I know otherwise, and test them out for myself before I say they don't work at all.

This is what they say on their website: "These special Bio Ceramics were developed using various minerals with very effective antibacterial and anti-oxidant properties.

The pH level of laundry water impacts the wash greatly. If the water is overly acidic or alkaline it can damage delicate clothes and fabrics, cause colors to fade and cause clothing to still seem dirty even after washing. Most detergents on the market are a pH level of 6.5 – 9, but they use chemicals to achieve these levels."

Crystal Wash claims the bio ceramics in their product...

• produces far infrared rays that effectively reduce negative ions in the water of your laundry machine, which raises pH level to 8.5 or greater
• shrinks the water molecule clusters to a size that allows dirt and soil to be soaked free naturally
• create Hydrogen Peroxide (which yes, is a chemical...just one that you can put on your skin) which disinfects the clothes, kills bacteria and odor
• needs to be recharged in the sun for one afternoon every 30 days (or every 30 loads)

I am still very skeptical about their bio ceramics claims. I do not see actual science to back these things.

What Crystal Wash claims their laundry balls do and my families thoughts:

• Save You Money: Crystal Wash is supposed to last for up to 1000 loads of laundry. Crystal Wash is $50 per 1000 loads, verses around $300 per 1000 loads for store bought detergents. So, if you swapped Crystal Wash for store bought detergent you would indeed save money.
• Make Laundry Cleaner: It also says it will get your laundry cleaner. I am not sure about the science behind Crystal Wash's bio ceramics and its validity, but my husband who understands more chemistry and physics than me says that these claims are a bunch of big words thrown together to make it sound cool. He says these are nonsensical.
• Make Doing Laundry Easier: So, how does Crystal Wash make doing laundry easier? You don't have to go to the store to buy detergent or lug those heavy bottles or boxes of detergent home with you. You don't have to deal with messy detergents at all. No more spilling or having to measure out the correct, exact amount.
• Are More Natural and Better for the Environment: Crystal Wash's laundry balls do not use detergents, (toxic/harsh) chemicals, dyes, or perfumes. They are gentle on sensitive skin and fabric. By using Crystal Wash you are reducing contaminated waste water filtered back into the water supply, saving water by lowering required rinse cycles, and effectively reducing CO2 production by requiring less energy than a traditional detergent based wash. Although you would also be doing this by using just water to do your wash...or water with a bit of homemade soap.

What I do know that works for cleaner laundry and why:

• More agitation during the wash means your laundry is getting cleaner. The big dirty secret among detergent makers is that we don't actually "need" them to get our clothes clean. The agitation is what gets the laundry clean not the soap!
• Hot water gets most stains and dirt out better and kills germs. It says to use warm-hot water with these laundry balls. If you are not already using hot water you should know that along with killing germs it also gets most stains out more effectively...even without laundry balls like Crystal Wash.

My observations and tests...
I did a side by side comparison with a load with just my laundry detergent, a load with the Crystal Wash, and a load with just water. It was very hard to see a difference when washing with these verses with my hypoallergenic sans free detergent or just with water. I do not wash my laundry in perfumed detergent or detergent with dyes because my son is allergic, anyway, so there usually isn't anything to cover up odor and my front loading washing machine does just fine.

Crystal Wash Crowdfunding Campaign:
Crystal Wash has a crowdfunding campaign to fund their Crystal Wash 2.0. This lets you get connected with your laundry. Their new Crystal Wash 2.0 will give you recharge notices, real-time wash pH levels, wash complete alerts, wash cycle tracking stats (graphs, counters, social sharing), savings tracking, Crystal Wash (wash cycle counter – time to order new Crystal Wash), stain guide, and a label decoder all in one handy app that is integrated with the Crystal Wash ball for easier washing.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to Crystal Wash 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.

Zeenie Dollz Review and Giveaway

We received this product free from Zeenie Dollz to facilitate this review and an opportunity to host a giveaway.

The Zeenie Dollz are gorgeous dolls that teach children how to be more environmentally conscious and eco-friendly. There are a total of 6 dolls that represent a different cause and what they protect. These 12 inch dolls are made from recyclable, non-toxic materials: ABS and TPR plastics (not PVC like other dolls). They also have joints that feature 24 points of articulation for maximum poseability and playability. All the dolls come with a doll stand, brush, colorful bracelet and luggage tag. Because of the small parts these dolls are not recommended for ages under 6 years old.

Mother Earth

• Zennia is the doll that started the Zeenie Dollz. She symbolizes Mother Earth and is the protector of the whole planet. To help her on the quest of combating the evil anti-environment villains that threaten to destroy the world she enlisted the help of the Eco-Warriors, fashion forward girls that save the planet and look fabulous while doing it.

Eco-Warriors

• Lina protector of the rainforests, defender against deforestation. +ocelot friend Abby.
• Sini protector of farmland, defender of mistreated and abused animals. +pet dog Misty.
• Evee protector of the skies, defender against pollution. +pet parrot Lulu.
• Kazumi protector of the polar regions, defender against global warming. +polar bear friend Ella.
• Yana protector of the oceans, defender of marine conservation. +dolphin friend Serena.

Each doll character has its own online persona with information about its cause with games, downloads and activities on the website. There is even a free Zeenie App game for iPhone and iPad.

Saving the planet...that's our style!™ (Zeenie Dollz slogan)

Follow Them
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | YouTube

I received Zennia to review. She is a beautiful doll with bright blue eyes, green lips and blue hair that has streaks of pink and green in it. In her hair she has a blue headband with two blue & two green flowers and small sparkling jewels. Before we opened the packaging and got Zennia out, her headband had fallen apart, but Zeenie Dollz has great customer service and told me another headband is on the way to me along with a complimentary tote bag. Zennia has a neat tattoo on her chest that is of a vine that comes together in the middle as a heart and has a sun and moon above on either side. She also has a long flowing gown that has a bird, the Earth and a small heart on it. On her feet are some very Roman looking sandals. She has pretty leaf earrings too.

BUY IT
I love that these dolls have a wonderful message to teach kids. Also with your purchase, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to organizations working to preserve the environment and protect all animals and the places they call home. Right now they are having a spring sale! If you buy 2 or more dolls you get 50% off! The dolls are regularly $49.99.

These dolls are perfect for Earth Day and Spring. They are also great for Easter Baskets too!

WIN IT
Prize: Winner's choice of one of the Zeenie Dollz.

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 products 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.

Conscious Box Giveaway

Conscious Box is offering a free month for this giveaway to one lucky reader. This post is also an affiliate post. Thank you for supporting my blog. I will also be given a month free to review later myself for posting about them.

Conscious Box is a subscription to a monthly delivery service that ships out natural, healthy, earth-friendly and sustainable products in a box to your front door so you can try them out and find new favorites. They carefully pick the products that go into the boxes and the businesses that make the products. These businesses are all trying to make the earth a better place to live on, have ethical practices and have pure and sustainable products. Each box is packed with 10-20 products from these companies. The products range from natural beauty to health food to non-toxic home goods. Monthly subscriptions cost $19.95 per box.

After subscribing and finding new favorites you can leave reviews and ratings so businesses can improve their product, packaging, and business as a whole. You will also be earning points along the way to apply savings to your favorite products.

WIN IT
Prize: 1 entrant will win a free month of Conscious Box.

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: Conscious Box is providing the giveaway prize free of charge for a lucky reader of this blog. 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 giveaway. The links in this post are affiliate links. Thank you for supporting my blog!

NBC’s Share and Tell Blog App

I am getting a gift for posting this information. All information was provided by NBC and PartnersHub.

What is NBC’s Share and Tell?

Did you know that for every pound of new goods produced, 71 pounds of waste are generated during manufacturing? This Earth Week, NBC Universal is partnering with the sharing site yerdle to help you minimize your impact on the planet by sharing your stuff. One person’s stuff is another person’s story!

Here’s how it works.

1. Join or host a Share & Tell Party (click the “Join the Party” button in the app below). 
2. Post your stuff to share with friends. Discover other items that are up for grabs. 
3. Tell the story of your sharing experiences on your favorite social media site. #ShareandTell.

What is yerdle?

Yerdle is the new mission-driven California Benefit corporation that’s out to help people share with their friends rather than buying things new. On yerdle, friends post items they're willing to give away or loan, search for items they're looking to get, and nab the things they want. Simple.

Why Host a Share and Tell?

Protect the planet, save money, give gifts to your friends and find things you want. Hosting a Share and Tell means inviting your Facebook friends to share things you want. Parties can either be hosted in-person or online, it’s up to you!

 

Blog App:

• How Are You Green? (Eco Quiz) It’s not easy being green…(or is it?) We all want to take better care of our environment and go green, but the question is... How are YOU Green? Take the Eco quiz to find out! 
• 7 Easy Ways to Start Sharing Now Now, more than ever, sharing makes sense. Getting started sharing is simpler than you think! Read these 7 easy ways to start sharing now and create healthier, happier families and communities. 
• Real Life Share and Tell Stories Read real life stories of how sharing on yerdle has helped people just like you get the stuff they need - without buying a thing! 
• Get Social Tweet with the #ShareandTell hashtag about NBC’s Share and Tell!

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Because I am posting about the NBC’s Share and Tell blog app I am getting a Green is Universal Prize Pack free. Thanks to PartnersHub and NBC. for providing me this promotion information and free product. 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 blog app and giveaway.

Green is Universal Prize Pack includes:
One Green is Universal canvas tote bag (made from recycled cotton)

 ... along with two of the items below (chosen at random)
- Planet Ocean DVD
 - Green is Universal T-shirt (made by Alternative Apparel)
 - Green is Universal colored pencil kits (made from recycled newspaper)
- Green is Universal Vapur water bottles (BPA-free)
 - Green is Universal hardboard cover spiral bound notebook (not pictured)
 - Green is Universal burlap FEED bag (not pictured)

The Magic School Bus All About Earth DVD Review and Giveaway

To celebrate Earth Day I received The Magic School Bus All About Earth DVD for free to facilitate this review and the opportunity to also give one away.

I homeschool my kids and so I seek out educational programing on TV, Netflix, etc. for my children to watch and learn from. I grew up watching The Magic School Bus, a long-running Emmy® Award-winning animated science adventure series, on TV when I was younger and so I remember enjoying learning along with the show. When I got older and had children of my own I incorporated The Magic School Bus in my kids' education at home because they are so much fun. We have collected many of The Magic School Bus series of books that the series is based off of too over the years. All my kids love both the series and the books and so do I.

From Ms. Frizzle's outrageous wardrobe to her anthropomorphic school bus that takes her students on field trips to impossible locations, The Magic School Bus series takes you on great adventures all in the name of science. The classroom pet Liz, a lizard, that accompanies them on most of the excursions. These present scientific fact with situations where fantastic things happen with humor thrown in to make learning fun.

In The Magic School Bus All About Earth DVD you get 3 all new, never before released episodes: The Magic School Bus Goes to Seed, The Magic School Bus Blows its Top, The Magic School Bus Goes on Air AND a bonus episode, The Magic School Bus All Dried Up. This DVD also has both Spanish and English language options. These are fabulous for getting inside the Earth like never before. Celebrate Earth Day with pizazz.

In The Magic School Bus Goes to Seed we get a bugs eye view of plants, flowers and bugs. In this episode we learn about plant nectar, pollen, and seeds. The class' garden is going to be featured on the cover of Plant It! Magazine, but Phoebe's garden plot is extremely empty...can they fill it in time for the magazine photo? We loved this episode and my daughters loved learning the parts of the flowers and about the bug's proboscis.

In The Magic School Bus Blows its Top we rock out with Ms. Frizzle and her class as we help them discover a new island. In this episode we learn a little about the formation of islands, Earth's crust, underwater volcanoes, magma, and lava. We loved this episode and my girls loved learning about heat buildup in volcanoes and what they form when they erupt.

In The Magic School Bus Goes on Air we see Ms. Frizzle and her class under a lot of pressure to get a class project done for the Walkerville Space Capsule. In this episode we learn about air pressure. We loved this episode and my girls loved learning about what air pressure can do.

In The Magic School Bus All Dried Up we try to beat the heat with Ms. Frizzle and her class as they go to the desert. In this episode we learn about how animals adapt for survival in such a hot seemingly arid place. We loved this episode and my girls loved learning about the desert and some of its flora and fauna.

We will definitely treasure this DVD and I know my kids will love watching these episodes again and again. I love the educational content. This is a great DVD for Earth Day or any day!

For more information on this title or any other Scholastic Storybook Treasures release, visit www.newkideo.com. Also, visit New Kideo, the online home for the DVD line, at their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/pages/New-Kideo/169330949777241

BUY IT
Purchase The Magic School Bus All About Earth DVD from New Kideo for $12.95

WIN IT
Prize: 1 winner will win a copy of The Magic School Bus All About Earth DVD free from Scholastic and New Kideo.

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.

Celebrate Earth Day with Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood!

Do you remember as a child watching Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood? I sure do and it was one of my favorite TV shows as a child and now for my children. Now The Fred Rogers Company has created a very cute TV series called Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood that is based on the Neighborhood of Make-Believe from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. An all new, extra special episode premieres on April 22 (check local listings) for Earth Day – just in time to help young viewers learn the importance of cleaning up, picking up and recycling.

The new show features two adorable stories. In Neighborhood Clean Up, a wind storm blows through town making a mess of the Neighborhood playground and no one can play. King Friday proclaims that it is “Clean Up Day” and everyone helps restore the playground by throwing out and recycling the trash. The Neighborhood children – along with young viewers at home – learn that, by working together, the playground can be ready for play again in no time! And in Clean Up Time, Daniel and his best friend O the Owl are playing “farm” at Daniel’s house. They are having a lot of fun, but are also making quite a mess! After losing his watch in a messy room, Daniel realizes that cleaning up and putting his toys away will help him find it. And the great clean-up begins!

Inspired by Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood and the upcoming special Earth Day-themed episode, here are some simple and fun ideas for celebrating the special day (and Mother Earth) together with your toddler/preschooler:

• Proclaim your own “Clean Up Day”! Tidy up your yard, and clean out the winter clutter. While you’re at it, find out what kind of trees, plants and wildlife are “at home” in your backyard and neighborhood, too! 
• Plant a garden! Pick out the kinds of vegetables you’d like to grow or design a flower bed together – kids love to get their hands dirty! If you live in an apartment, you can create a beautiful flower or herb garden right on your terrace or windowsill. 
• Help beautify a park or playground! Get a group of parents and preschoolers together and visit a local park to help make sure that it’s trash free and ready for playtime! 
• Recycle together! Invite your children to get in on the act of recycling! Have them assist you in tying up those newspapers and magazines, collecting the cans and bottles, crunching the cardboard boxes – and making sure that everything goes in its proper bin. 

Here is a short clip of one of the episodes:

Earth Day from GC on Vimeo.

And don’t forget to tune-in to the brand-new Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Earth Day episode together. It’s another perfect way for families to make Earth Day a special day in their neighborhood! If you miss these episodes make sure to check your local listings and you can catch the show at another time.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: PBS Kids and Grand Communications provided this information to me to share with you. 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 posting this information.

Earth Day Freebies, Activites, and Events 2013

If you look around you can find all sorts of fun FREE Earth Day activities and events that are going on around where you live. Here are some I have found that most of my readers can participate in. 

© Day2Day Printing
1. You can get a FREE set of 4 Earth Day Cards at Day2Day Printing. These cards have seeds embedded into them and are biodegradable and earth friendly. If you plant them the seeds will grow.

2. Pottery Barn Kids has a free in store event on Saturday April 20 - Monday April 22. Go to your local store to get a FREE packet of seeds to plant (while supplies last). Plus the proceeds from of select lunch products will go to Trees for the Future. Find a nearby store to you to participate. There are other in store events there also throughout the year.

3. Jo-Ann Fabrics and Craft Stores has a free in store event on Sunday April 21 from 2-3pm at participating stores. You can make a FREE Make It-Take It Earth Day Planter.

© Target
4. At Target you can get a FREE reusable shopping bag (while supplies last) at participating stores the day before Earth Day on April 21st.

5. At the Disney Store you can get a FREE Brave or Cars 2 Reusable Bag when you come in and recycle 5 plastic shopping bags (while supplies last) on April 22.

6. At participating Michaels Stores on April 20 celebrate Earth Day and learn how you can upcycle your old T-shirts into trendy and fashionable accessories for FREE when you register at your local store.

7. At the Home Depot you can register online for their FREE in store event on April 20 from 10am-11:30am to Learn how to build and maintain a "Flower Tower".

© IKEA
8. IKEA Portland is having some fun Earth Day Events. If you don't live local to Portland, Oregon try your local store. On April 2 - June 23 you can donate $1 to plant a tree with American Forests while you are in the checkout line. On April 22 from 5am - 7pm IKEA Portland will be having a FREE Shred Day. Bring up to two boxes or bags of paper to be safely and securely shredded in their parking lot then recycled at no cost to you.

9. April 22 - April 26 is National Park Week and National Parks are FREE to experience during this time. You do not have to pay an entrance fee. So get outdoors!

10. Portland, Oregon is having some fun FREE local events for Earth Day for those of you that live nearby. Some are free on these lists... Red Tricycle, PDX Pipeline, Radio Disney Portland's Team Green, Around the Sun, NW Kids, PDX Kids Calendar

11. Cowlitz County in Washington is having a FREE event at the Cowlitz County Expo Center on April 20 from 10:00 am - 3:30 pm. Activities include steel drums, trout pond, whirly bird, gyroscope, rock wall, petting farm, reptile roadshow, wildlife rehab trailer, planetarium, OMSI, and historical society recycled crafts, to name a few.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I wrote this blog post because I thought you might be interested in knowing this information and taking part of these fun activities. 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.

Rubbermaid Hidden Recycler Review and Giveaway

The Rubbermaid Hidden Recycler attaches to the inside of a cabinet door to collect recyclables out of sight and keeps your counters clear. The bag is durable, machine washable, and made of recycled material. Collect your recyclables and then easily lift the bag from the lid and cabinet by the handle to take them out to your recycle bin.

• Hinged lid attaches easily to cabinet door with over the door hooks or screws
• Bag has wipe-able leak-proof liner and is machine washable for easy cleanup after possible spills inside
• Bag is soft-sided allowing for flexibility inside any cabinet
• Bag is made from 65% post-consumer resin, meaning it is recyclable too
• Packaging is made from recyclable material, making it very earth friendly
• Convenient handle for transport to larger receptacle for recycle pick-up
• 5 gallon bag holds 36 uncrushed 12-ounce cans and is large enough to fit 1 gallon milk jugs
• Great for single stream recyclers
• Great for apartment living

My Thoughts:
Last year I found out that our city does pick up recycling, but unfortunately here it isn't highly advertised about because the city doesn't want to pay more for it than they think necessary. We only get one day each month to put out recyclables for them to come and pick them up and so as you can imagine it piles up quickly, especially for my family of 6. A lot of people in my neighborhood don't know about this service my city provides or just don't do it because of the inconvenience. I do it every month now and I hope that the city changes so that it is picked up more often and so that more people know about it.

I received the Rubbermaid Hidden Recycler from Rubbermaid to try out for free and review on my blog. I thought this was a great product to add to my Spring Gift Guide as it is very eco-friendly and it is for recyclables. It was fairly easy to put together and I tried it with the only cabinet that I thought would work with it, my kitchen sink cabinet since it is an open cabinet with no shelves in the way for the bag. I found, however; that when installing the Rubbermaid Hidden Recycler with the over the door hooks and then shutting the cabinet door, the lid to the recycler hit the side of the bottom of my sink. So, for my cabinet it didn't really fit well inside, but my sink isn't original to the house and has a larger basin than the old one had, so I think that plays into it a little. I could still install it with the screws though and it would fit, however; I don't really like the idea of putting more holes in my cabinet door even though they are not the nicest cabinets and the place where the screws go in on the product is made of plastic and looks a bit like it might break if I did. With the screws I would still have to install the whole product a lot lower than it says to in the instructions and the screws are a little long so they would go through my thin cabinet doors also. If Rubbermaid made the hook's length to be adjustable that would make it a whole lot better in my opinion.

Otherwise the Rubbermaid Hidden Recycler is a very good product and is great for recyclables. I placed mine on the outside of one of my cabinets because it wouldn't fit any where else...so not very hidden, but it is attractive so I don't mind looking at it. I also love the strap on the bottom of the back of the bag to help tip it over to dump out the stuff into the recycle bin outside. It is space-efficient if placed out of the way, compact, durable, washable, and easy to use.

Other uses you can use the Rubbermaid Hidden Recycler for:

• In the kitchen to store dirty kitchen linens before they go to the wash.
• In the laundry room for your unmentionables or delicates and/or hand wash only items.
• In the kitchen to store plastic grocery or shopping bags in so they can be reused.

Link Up with Rubbermaid:
Follow them on Twitter @Rubbermaid. Visit their Adventures in Organization Blog. Fan/Like their FaceBook page.

BUY IT:
The Hidden Recycler is currently available for purchase online at Rubbermaid.com and in store at Meijer.

WIN IT:
Prize: Win a Rubbermaid Hidden Recycler.

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!

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to Rubbermaid for sending me product for free to review and one to give away 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.

Smart Mom Malachite and Green Teething Bling Review and Gift Set Rafflecopter Giveaway

Earth Day and Mother's Day are just around the corner and I believe that Smart Mom Teething Bling are wonderful gifts for moms with little ones still teething. I also believe that the jewelry are also great for girls after that teething point too, not just moms. My almost 4 year old daughter also loves to wear my Teething Bling and I let her because I know it is safe. I also know that it is safe for my one year old daughter Zari to chew on and tug on. The pendants have a clasp that when tugged on will pop open without harm to the jewelry or the person wearing it and both the pendants and bangles are made of plastic that is food-safe, non-toxic, phthalate, BPA, latex, lead, and PVC free. They are also dishwasher-friendly.

I was sent the Malachite and Green Teething Bling Gift Set to review for my Spring Gift Guide and this set is absolutely gorgeous! The Malachite and Green Teething Bling Gift Set comes with the Malachite Pendant, the Peridot Bangle, and the Yellow Green Bangle. You can definitely get your GREEN on for Earth Day with this set! I love how the above picture turned out of my daughter Zari and I. My 9 year old son, Jaedan, took it while we lounged in the sun and the shade of my Magnolia tree. I thought it was a gorgeous spot because the white Magnolia petals were falling all around the tree, but the ground was a bit damp still from the morning dew and so I placed my husband's camouflage poncho liner beneath us to sit upon.

BUY IT:
All of the Smart Mom Jewelry would be a wonderful gift this Spring for a mom to a small one or a mother to be. Teething/Teen Bling Pendants cost $15.99-$23.99, Bangles cost $12.99 individually. You can even design your own gift set of either 3 bangles ($28.75) of your choice or one pendant and two bangles ($34.00) of your choice.

WIN IT:
Prize: Win a Gift Set of winners choice.

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!

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to Smart Mom, LLC for sending me product for free to review and one to give away 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.

Icebox Knitting XOB Upcycled Knit Cap Review

In the spirit of Spring which officially starts March 20th and Earth Day which is April 22nd I am featuring Icebox Knitting and their XOB Upcycled creations on my Spring Gift Guide this year. "Xob Upcycled hats and accessories (say Zob) employs this concept: upcycle what you've got and create fun!" They upcycle thousands of wool sweaters and suit jackets to make new things. They stitch together the useable pieces and accent them with boucle’ yarn turning them into new products and then recycle the rest of the textiles. This process is very earth friendly and the end product is unique and beautiful. They have hats, caps, arm warmers, hand warmers, mittens, headbands, scarves, pillows, sweater monkeys, stockings, blankets, and bags. They are available in the color options: blue/green, brown/tan, black/grey, or brights. Fabric patterns vary and are one-of-a-kind.

Icebox Knitting sent me a Knit Cap to review and my son, Jaedan, loved it! The one we received is in great gender neutral colors for both him and I to wear it. Although, I probably would have got one in pinks and purples like the other one in the picture above if I were buying one for myself. The cap is warm to wear in the brisk air and very well made. They make so many other different hats too not just this kind. I also love their Xobomber hats and their Pom hats too.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to ChicExecs, a company which was created to promote small business campaigns, I was able to let you know about this product. Icebox Knitting provided me with the product for free to try and 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.