Green Resolutions {Giveaway Hop} #greenresolutions Ends 1/30


Welcome to the Green Resolutions Giveaway Hop, hosted by Happy Mothering and Mama Chocolate. To help our readers start their New Year off Green, members of the Green Moms Network have come together to offer giveaways valued at $25+. After entering my giveaway below, please visit the other blogs listed under the Rafflecopter form to find the rest of the green giveaways.

 

At Brittleby’s Corner you have a chance to win

 

Eco-Me Natural Cleaning Products: Toilet Bowl Cleaner, Wood Polish, & Dish Soap

Sponsor Spotlight

 

Truly’s Natural Deodorant

Sponsor Spotlight

 

Designerliners Biodegradable Trash Bags

Sponsor Spotlight

 

Enter on the Refflecopter form below for a chance to win this Green Resolutions package valued at $35. This giveaway is open to the US and ends 1/30. Don’t forget to enter all the giveaways below on the linky! Good Luck!

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Truly’s Natural Deodorant ~ Made with Organic Coconut Oil {Review/Sponsor Spotlight} #GreenResolutions

 

I have been using natural deodorant for a couple years now. I am always looking for new kinds to try out. I have come across some natural deodorants that don’t work and those that are pretty great. Truly’s makes a natural deodorant with few simple ingredients. Their deodorant contains organic coconut oil, powdered sugar (sugar & cornstarch), baking soda, and beeswax.

 

 

I was sent their natural deodorant to try. Truly’s deodorants’ base is coconut oil, so its consistency will change with the weather. Since it is cold out, the deodorant is currently a solid, so it is creamy and oily when applied. The deodorant still works if used in a liquid state during warmer weather. The deodorant won’t sting nor will it turn your armpits white. With so few ingredients, you may be wondering how it works! Apparently, the sugar in the deodorant combines with perspiration to create a “hyper osmotic solution”. This prevents odor causing bacteria to grow. This deodorant is perfect for kids and teens and those with sensitive skin.

 

I love the way the deodorant smells! I thought that it smelled good enough to eat, which is why I chose that picture above! So far the deodorant has worked for me, but in the winter, I don’t sweat as much. I look forward to using this for a long time since I only need a pea size amount per application {application size may vary from person to person, use what you are comfortable with and works for you}. I will be sharing this with my husband and I think he will like it. It deosn’t leave my fingers icky either. I have been wearing my deodorant all day today and I still smell fresh…no stink here!

 

 

You can purchase Truly’s online for $7.99. Some select stores carry Truly’s and if yours doesn’t, suggest that they do!

 

Connect with Truly’s on Facebook.

 

Green Resolutions Giveaway

 

Truly’s is giving away one of their natural deodorants in the Green Resolutions Giveaway Hop. Come back on January 16th for a chance to win this Resolutions package. Interested in an extra entry? Visit Truly’s and leave a comment telling me something you learned!

 


I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Snug as a Bug {Giveaway Hop} #snugbug Ends 1/29

 

 

Welcome to the Snug as a Bug Giveaway Hop, hosted by the Blogging Mamas Network. With the cooler weather coming strong, I’ve joined with over 40 other bloggers to bring you great products to keep your baby snug as a bug! Each blogger participating has a great Baby/Toddler Prize Package for you to win, worth at least $25, so after you enter mine, be sure to hop around to all the others in the linky!

 

Don’t forget to enter to win one of the GREAT GRAND PRIZES for the Event as well, including a Beco Baby Carrier, Kowalli, and The First Years Feeding Prize Pack!

At Brittleby’s Corner you have the chance to win

 

Pajamas {sized infant to 3T} from Simply Merino

Sponsor Spotlight

Hair & Bath products from Hip Peas

Sponsor Spotlight

 

Enter on the Rafflecopter form below for a chance to win this package valued at $88. This giveaway is open to both the US and Canada. Giveaway ends 1/29. Don’t forget to enter all the other giveaways in the linky! Good Luck!

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Trade as One ~ Organic Fair Trade Tea and Coffee {Review/Sponsor Spotlight} #CoffeeTeaRevue

 

When I go shopping now, I look for items that are Fair Trade certified or show that the company is fairly paying their employees and laborers. One company that supports Fair Trade is Trade as One. When I search for tea, coffee and chocolate, I only purchase if the company has fairly paid for their ingredients.

 

Our mission is to use fair trade to promote sustainable business and break cycles of poverty and dependency in the developing world. We all have a conscience. We want to make sure people get the chance to use it when they shop.

 

I love their Mission statement. Trade as One truly cares about the well being of everyone, not just the satisfaction of the consumer. Paying fair wages for fair work in third world countries helps people get out of poverty. By buying Fair Trade, you support fair wages. When we are driven to just consume without really caring where these products come from, we cast a vote for cheap products and unfair treatment of employees. Our purchases cast votes for the kind of products we want to purchase. Wouldn’t it be great if our spending could aid those in poverty, instead of keep them there?

 

Here at Trade as One we’re passionate about using our spending to address 3 crises. First, the HIV/AIDS pandemic. It’s an emergency on an unprecedented scale. Second, the problem of human slavery. Fair Trade is about both prevention through employing vulnerable women, and bringing hope and restoration to survivors. Lastly, the problem of extreme poverty. The worst evils in the world are rooted in the desperation of extreme poverty, and Fair Trade employment is a sustainable route out of that desperation.

 

Trade as One sent me Tea and Coffee, both are Fair Trade certified. I was sent the Organic Green Tea with Essence of Peach from Choice Organic Teas. I love green tea so this was amazing with just an added sweetness of peach! Yummy! I think this would taste good cold too! The Box came with 20 individually wrapped tea bags. Choice Organic Tea was the first company to adopt Fair Trade Certified in the US back in 2000. Half of choice’s production of tea is fair trade. Buying fair trade from Choice means that they can supply their tea pluckers with fair wages and a safe working environment. For example, this supports women on the Korakundah Tea Estate, in the Nilgiri region of India. These women use their wages to help support themselves upon retirement because they will continue to receive a monthly payment when they return to their native villages. You can read more about Choice HERE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was sent the Trade as One Peace Blend from the Thanksgiving Coffee Company.  I haven’t tried the coffee yet {and probably never will}, but I am sure my husband will love it! This whole bean coffee is made in Uganda and Ethiopia with a blend of rich dark berry flavors of sun-dried Ethiopian Sidamo blended with vanilla and nutmeg notes and earthy body of Ugandan Bugisu. In 2003, Ugandan farmer JJ Keki walked door-to-door asking his Muslim, Christian, and Jewish neighbors to unite and face their struggle with poverty caused by exploitation and low coffee prices. The farmers joined together, and founded a cooperative, which would ultimately bring peace and unity to the farmers and workers. You can read more about Thanksgiving Coffee HERE.

 

If buying Fair Trade is important to you, check out Trade as One to see how you can support companies like Choice Organic Teas and Thanksgiving Coffee. Our purchases affect those that make the products, so vote for fair trade when you can.

 

You can purchase both coffee and tea, and more Fair Trade items, online at Trade as One. The Choice Organic Teas are $5.99 for a package of 20. The Thanksgiving Coffee Trade as One Peace Blend is a whole bean 12oz pack and is $12.99. The tea comes in many flavors and the coffee comes in regular and decaf. Check out all the Fair Trade products available on Trade as One and remember that every purchase enables a worker to be fairly paid and treated.

 

Connect with Trade as One on Facebook and Twitter.

 

 

Trade as One is giving away both Fair Trade Tea and Coffee in the Coffee & Tea Revue Giveaway Hop. Come back on January 14 for a chance to win your flavor of Choice Organic Tea and Thanksgiving Coffee Regular or Decaf. Interested in an extra entry? Visit Trade as One and leave a comment telling me what other fair trade product you would like to try.

 

 

PaulaWalla ~ A Woman-Owned Online Tea Gift Shop {Review/Sponsor Spotlight} #CoffeeTeaRevue

 

I love tea! Hot or cold, I love it! I prefer unsweetened black iced tea and hot green tea with honey and lemon. I used to just buy whatever tea was available on the shelf at the grocery store, now I look for fair trade and/or organic loose leaf teas. I still buy some of my favorite teas at the grocery stores, especially seasonal ones or plain black and green teas. I fell in in love with loose leaf tea earlier this year and I look for it now in specialty stores or tea shops. It is amazing that tea can come in so many different varieties.

 

PaulaWalla Imports is one of those specialty stores that sells different kinds of teas and accessories that go into making tea.  PualaWalla carries tea cups, infuser tea cups, covered tea cups, tea pots and more. There is also loose leaf, organic and fair trade tea to choose from. Paula opened PaulaWalla Imports in 1997 and it is based in Windsor, Connecticut. Paula is a world traveler and and is the moderator of Windsor Freecycle, a local group determined to keep good, usable items out of the landfill. {Find your local Freecycle group at www.Freecycle.org}

 

Ethical business is one of the main goals at PaulaWalla Imports. We’ve teamed up with certified fair trade source with goods from many different cooperatives around the world, made up mostly of women earning income to support their families.

 

 

I was sent a beautiful Flora and Fuana Infuser Tea Mug and Fair Trade Zhi White Blueberry Tea. I was almost hesitant to request a tea cup because I have plenty of mugs. But then I realized that I would love a tea cup just for me…like it would be “My Tea Cup”. I also love that the tea cup is an all in one infuser as well. It is easy to steep the tea and then remove the leaves and enjoy. Plus, the Flora & Fuana Infuser Cup is adorable!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The porcelain Infuser Tea Mug comes in three pieces: a lid, an infuser and the cup. The mug is both microwave and dishwasher safe, but I prefer to hand wash it. You can steep both loose leaf tea and bagged tea in the infuser section, whichever you prefer.

 

 

The Fair Trade Zhi White Blueberry Tea is amazing. The tea tastes sweet and you can reuse the tea for multiple steepings. It has light caffeine. The tea is made from organic India White Tea blended with organic blueberries, blue malva flowers, and botanical blueberry flavor. Can you taste it?

 

 

I loved using my infuser mug and truly enjoyed the white blueberry tea. I appreciate that the tea is fairly traded and that Paula looks for ethical companies and organizations to support.

 

You can purchase these products and more on PaulaWalla Imports. The Infuser Tea Mugs are $11 and the Fair Trade Zhi White Blueberry Tea is $16.50.

 

Connect with PaulaWalla on Facebook.

 

 

PaulaWalla Imports is generously giving away an Infuser Tea Mug and Fair Trade Tea to one of my readers in the Coffee & Tea Revue Giveaway Hop. The winner gets to choose the mug and tea of choice. Come back on January 14 to enter. Interested in an extra entry? Visit PaulaWalla and tell me another product that you would love to have!

 

Skylar Luna ~ Eco-Friendly Sleepwear for Kids {Review}

 

Every night my kids put on a clean pair of pajamas. Sometimes my kids can be picky and only want to wear a certain pair or even a certain kind. My kids still love footed pajamas but it is nice to have a variety for the different seasons. Skylar Luna is an eco-friendly company that creates sleepwear that is made from chemical free, 100% Turkish organic cotton.

 

Their pajamas are close-fitted for safety as well as comfort and ease of movement. At the same time, the flat interior seams keep kids snug and cozy. Plus, their designs are super cute. Skylar Luna has designs for both boys and girls that fit in sizes 12/18 Months to 10T. Their PJ’s come is both short sleeve/short sets and long sleeve/pants sets. Most of their designs are stripes, but they have some simple patterns too.

 

 

I was sent a pair of Blue/Gray Long Sleeve Pajamas for my son in a 5T. The first thing I have to say about these PJ’s is that they are super soft. I wish they had my size! They truly look comfy. I like that they are fitted, but the material is slightly stretchy so that their is wiggle room. My son is average in size for his age, but some fitted pajamas are too fitted and are too tight on him. These pajamas fit just right!

 

My son is almost 5, that is why I got a 5T, but he will have room to grow into them. These pajamas will fit him next winter too and then I can pass them onto my daughter! I like simple designs over cheesy sayings and funky pictures! I truly appreciate the simpleness of these pajamas, but at the same time, I think they are trendy.

 

 

Here are few of their other designs and colors:

 

Bubble Long Sleeves PajamasDark Pink/Taupe Long Sleeves Pajamas

 

 

Aren’t they all adorable?

 

The long sleeve/pant sets are $39.00 and the short sleeve/short sets are regularly $34.00, but are on sale for $25.50. This is a great deal for organic pajamas, so stock up for summer!

 

Connect with Skylar Luna on Facebook.

 

Do your kids have a favorite pair of pajamas?

 

 

Natural & Organic Upholstery Cleaning in New York

 

So with the holidays behind us, it’s time to clean! Spring Cleaning will come early in my house this year. Our carpets need to be cleaned, old couches need to be cleaned, old toys passed on to new homes and general organizing. I feel like there need to be a lot of touch ups done everywhere!

 

organic carpet cleaner nyc

 

We have a sectional that has been around for 7 year. It has seen the best and worst of raising two small children! My kids are 3 & 4, so they have used this sectional to the max. They have been sick on this sectional, eaten, drooled, and chewed on it! If you live in New York City and are looking to have your upholstery cleaned, I have the prefect company for you! GreenChoice believes in using organic cleaners to clean carpets and upholstery. Their naturally derived cleansers are completely safe for children, pets, and the environment. The cleaners are free of Sodium Laurel Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, and Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid, which are toxins normally found in other cleaners. GreenChoice is a rug and carpet cleaner with natural ingredients including Purified Water, Coco Glucoside (from coconut oil and fruit sugar), Cocamidopropyl Betaine (from coconut oil), Sodium Citrate (rock salt), Ethyl Alcohol (from corn), Essential Oils, Potassium Sorbate (biodegradable food-grade preservative). Notice that you can pronounce most of these! GreenChoice offers free estimates and they have reasonable prices. All of their cleaning technicians are hired employees that have been trained, tested, and certified to ensure your carpets are cleaned perfectly.

 

Why Clean Your Upholstery?

One of the most common questions asked by our clients is why is it that they need to get their upholsteries thoroughly cleaned. Your green choice sofas, chairs, and linens are just like your carpets and rugs. They get worn over time, especially if you always sit on them. They can be prone to spill and dirt and therefore, end them up victims of stains and soil. A regular and thorough deep-clean of your upholstery will prolong the life of your favorite furniture. We at Green Choice Carpet Cleaning choose our upholstery cleaning solutions according to the type of fabric that you have. We have a team of expert upholstery cleaners in NYC who will give you an honest and exact estimate on what is the suitable cleaning service for your pieces. No matter what type of cleaning problem you have, we have our professional technicians to address your concerns, from simple to delicate fabrics.


GreenChoice can take care of: leather and fabric, all types of chairs, including sofas, loveseats, etc., steam and dry cleaning, fabric wall cleaning, stains, spots and odor Elimination, mildew and mold cleanup and Scotch Guard or Teflon. Instead of replacing or reupholstering your used furniture, just get it cleaned! If you have owned it for a while or use it often, get it cleaned to prolong its vibrancy and life.

 

 

If you live in New York, look into GreenChoice upholstery cleaning New York. Their cleaners are safe and effective. Don’t wait to long to get your upholstery cleaned. Make your furniture look like new again!

 

Will you start cleaning now or wait for spring to start cleaning?

 

Nicobella Organics ~ Fair Trade & Vegan Dark Chocolate Munch {Review/Giveaway} Ends 12/22

 

Hope you are enjoying the Holiday Season! On to the next quick Holiday giveaway! One of the best things about Christmas time is all the treats! I have not over indulged yet, but I know there are going to be so many tasty desserts available in the next couple of weeks!

 

Giveaway #2

Nico

 

Nicobella Organics is a dark chocolate company that creates vegan goodies! Everything is so tasty! Their products are cruelty-free/dairy-free, sustainable packaged, organic, natural and fair trade.

 

We love animals, therefore do not use any animal ingredients. We donate 5% of our sales to our favorite animal organizations (Mercy for Animals, The Gentle Barn, Noah’s Ark of Locust Grove, GA and The Humane Society of the United States). We also donate any left over chocolates that have not been sold to these organizations to be used in auctions, which helps to raise money for animals in need. We also love trees; therefore, we use packaging that is FSC (Forrest Stewardship Council) certified, which means that the wood used for our packaging was harvested from sustainably-managed forests. Our bags of munch are made with rice paper. Most of our ingredients are grown without the use of conventional pesticides and artificial fertilizers, free from contamination by human or industrial waste and processed without ionizing radiation or food additives. There are no flavorings, additives, processed sugars or sugar alcohols used in our confections. The chocolate we use does not contain added oils or soy lecithin. Our truffles are made with Theo Chocolate, which is Fair for Life, assuring fair market prices to cacao farmers. Our munch is made with Kallari Chocolate, a community-owned co-op in Ecuador.

 

 

Nicobella has something for everybody on your list:

 

 

I love their 6 piece variety box of dark chocolate truffles… they are delicious! It comes with one of each flavor: blueberry almond, ginger green tea, pumpkin chai, pure cocoa bliss, walnut flaxseed, and sunflower butter banana. My favorite is the sunflower butter banana and walnut flaxseed. You can see how beautiful they are too! I actually just bought two boxes and gave them to my friends for their birthdays!

 

 

I was sent the Munch 3 pack to review. I was sent the Omega, Coco-Nut, and Maple-Nut Munch pack. The Omega Munch is made with Kallari dark chocolate, candied walnut and toasted flax seed. The Coco-Nut Munch is made with Kallari dark chocolate, toasted coconut & roasted almonds. The Maple-Nut Munch is made with Kallari dark chocolate, maple pecans & a touch of sea salt. My favorite of the three is the Omega! I must really like the taste of chocolate and flax togethter! Nicobella has two 3-packs available. The second pack includes Mama, Coco-Nut, and Maple-Nut Munch. The Mama Munch is made specifically for pregnant women to deliver extra proteins, omega-3 fatty acids and fiber, but anyone can enjoy this munch.

 

This munch would be perfect for the holiday parties coming up ans the Truffles will make great Christmas presents. I really want to try their Peanut Butter Squares…who wants to buy them for me? :) I love that they use fair trade chocolate and natural ingredients in their products. This is very important to my family. We look for companies that paying fair wages for their products/ingredients and not taking advantage of people that live in other countries.

 

Connect with Nicobella Organics on Facebook and Twitter.

 

Nicobella would like to offer free shipping on orders over $40 today and tomorrow (12/14 & 12/15). Just select free shipping at checkout. If you want your order before Christmas you need to purchase before 12/17.

 

Nicobella would like to offer a Brittleby’s Corner reader a 3 Pack of Munch valued at $15. Use the rafflecopter form below to enter. This giveaway will end 12/22 and is open to US only. Good Luck!

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GreenChoice is the Organic Carpet Cleaning Choice for NYC New York

 

Christmas will be here before you know it. Are you ready to entertain for the holidays? Is your home ready for guests? As I look around my house, I have gotten my decorations out and have started cleaning in preparation for Christmas guests. The one thing that I can’t do on my own is clean my carpet. I have rented a carpet cleaner before and all I did was one room. It took me hours to clean the carpet in just one room and was a huge hassle.

 

 

 

Next time I want to clean my carpets I am going to hire professionals. I am especially going to look for carpet cleaners that have “greener” cleaning products and a more natural way to clean the carpets. If you live in New York City I have the prefect company for you! GreenChoice believes in using organic cleaners to clean carpets. Their naturally derived cleansers are completely safe for children, pets, and the environment. The cleaners are free of Sodium Laurel Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, and Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid, which are toxins normally found in carpet cleaners.  GreenChoice is a rug and carpet cleaner with natural ingredients including Purified Water, Coco Glucoside (from coconut oil and fruit sugar), Cocamidopropyl Betaine (from coconut oil), Sodium Citrate (rock salt), Ethyl Alcohol (from corn), Essential Oils, Potassium Sorbate (biodegradable food-grade preservative). Notice that you can pronounce most of these!

 

From day one, our mission has been to offer all of our customers a green carpet cleaning service at an affordable price. As a family operated company, we know all too well the dangers of conventional carpet cleaning products. And since we didn’t want our family exposed to these chemicals, we don’t want our customers and their families exposed to them either. That is why we only utilize natural organic cleaning products; in fact, all of our products are rated the safest rating under OSHA. When you choose us to clean your carpets, you can rest assured that you are selecting the greenest way to clean your living space. We don’t just offer carpet and rug cleaning service. We also can perform rug repair and rug restoration if your carpets and area rugs are damaged or worn. If a carpet or rug gets water damaged, we will move quickly to prevent mold damage and reverse the water damage.

 

GreenChoice offers free estimates and they have reasonable prices. Every cleaning technician is a hired employee that has been trained, tested, and certified to ensure your carpets are cleaned perfectly. This cuts out the need to contract a worker, which helps in keeping their prices competitive.

 

If you live in New York, look into GreenChoice carpet cleaning NYC New York. Their cleaners are safe and effective. I really need my carpets clean and I would use them if they were a little closer…but I live on the other side of the continent! No matter where you live, look into the cleaning products you are using in your house and what products you use to clean your carpets. Read labels and look into the ingredients that you cannot pronounce! Good luck preparing your house for the holidays and remember to use natural products to clean!

 

Do you have any special holiday cleaning plans?

 

Bare Fruit: 100% Organic Apple Chips ~ The Next Best Thing to Fresh! {Review/Giveaway} Ends 12/21

 

To celebrate the Christmas season I will be doing some quick Holiday giveaways! To get started, Bare Fruit will be giving away a case of 100% Organic Apple Chips!

 

Giveaway #1

Bare fruit snacks

 

Bare Fruit has created 100% Organic Apple Chips. These chips are low in calorie, gluten and dairy free, high in fiber, and taste delicious! Bare Fruit uses apples grown in the US, Washington State to be exact, and by 2013 they will be 100% carbon neutral.

 

Bare Fruit is Healthy…

Imagine a great tasting snack that is healthy too…Perfection! There are really several types of snacks on the market. Some are great tasting (potato chips really do taste good. But they aren’t good for you.) Some snacks are “better-for-you” (think of granola bars). But there are very few “good-for-you” snacks out there. An apple chip, baked (not fried or freeze-dried) tastes great while still being good-for-you in every way.

Our exclusive process bakes the chip in a way that the natural sugars caramelize on the outside. This provides a sweet and tart flavor combination without adding sugars or flavors. In some of our products we add organic cinnamon and other natural flavors to provide a variety to our customers.

 

Bare Fruit - Omak, WA

I was sent the Organic Cinnamon Apple Chips to try! THEY ARE AMAZING! They are hands down the best apple chip I have ever tried.  When I opened the bag I thought about hiding them so I wouldn’t have to share. They have a natural sweet taste and are super crunchy. These make the perfect snack and my kids have loved eating them for lunch. My husband also loves them so they make the perfect snack for just about everybody.

 

Connect with Bare Fruit on Facebook and Twitter.

 

Now on to the exciting part! You can enter to win a case of Bare Fruit Organic Apple Chips valued at $25 and includes 12 bags. Just use the link below to enter. {The giveaway form says the giveaway ends on the 17th but it ends on the 21st.} Giveaway ends 12/21 and is open to US only. Good Luck!

 

Enter Here

or scan this

 

If you are interested in gaining an extra entry into the upcoming Holiday giveaways, please leave a comment below telling me which kind of Apple Chips you would pick if you won: Granny Smith, Cinnamon, or Fuji Red.