Summer #BlogChallenge Day 1

 
 

Why are you doing this challenge?

 

I, Brittney Minor, am taking part in a Summer Blog Challenge! I originally started my blog early last year as more of a “write about my kids” kinda blog. I had been following blogs for a couple years, entering giveaways and getting to know other bloggers! In late December I stumbled across a post for a “Green Resolutions” giveaway hop! I decided to take the leap and started searching for sponsors and eventually became a blog that was about more than just my family! I have learned so much since January and I cannot believe how fast my blog has grown!

 

Anyways, I have been doing a lot of reviews and giveaways, and those take up A LOT of time!!!! Apparently too much time to blog about random stuff and do reviews/giveaways! So, I had been thinking about how I was going to start making myself blog more, when I heard about this challenge! It came at the right time! So my friends/readers, I am going to be posting everyday about ME!!! You will learn a little more about me and why I do what I do! I am so glad to be apart of this challenge, so from now until the end of August, you will learn a little bit more about why I am the way I am! Hopefully you like who it is behind Brittleby’s Corner! Don’t worry, the reviews and giveaways aren’t going anywhere…I just have to work harder at getting all my posts done!

 

Thanks for following Brittleby’s Corner! Feel free to comment and share about your own blogging experiences and/or why you like my blog!

 

Summer Backyard Blast {Giveaway Hop} #BackyardBlast Ends 6/15

 

Welcome to the Summer Backyard Blast Giveaway Hop! This hop will run from June 1-15! Please enter the giveaway at Brittleby’s Corner then visit the linky below to enter all the other blog’s giveaways!

 

Don’t forget to enter the grand prize giveaway sponsored by TruKid, Imperial Toy, and an amazing group of bloggers who want to make your summer a blast! You have the opportunity to win a wagon, water table, kid-friendly skincare package from TruKid, and a variety of bubble and water toys from Imperial Toy! Please note that the Grand Prize Giveaway is only open to US residents.

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Dyson Housewarming Giveaway Vacuum Event Ends 6/15

Welcome to the Dyson Housewarming Giveaway event. This took months in the making and Mom to Bed by 8, the Iowa Mom is proud to bring you this fantastic home essential and offer you the chance to win one too! Big thank you to our lovely co-hosts How to Have It All, Mark Your Savings and GiveAway Bandit.

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Greening My Home with If You Care

 

There are many kitchen and household products out there, but not many are eco-friendly ones or ones that use recycled material! If You Care is a company dedicated to creating commonly used kitchen products, but with an eco-friendly twist!

 

HomeIf You Care kitchen and household products are carefully and deliberately crafted to have the least environmental impact and the lightest carbon footprint possible, while at the same time, delivering to the consumer, the highest quality and most effective results.

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Eat Cleaner Produce Wash/Wipes {Review/Sponsor Spotlight} #BackyardBlast

 

Along with summer comes the consumption of more fruits and veggies, at least for my family! With the hot weather who wants to bake or cook? NOT I!!! I have been looking into fruit and veggie washes, but was not really sure how effective they were. I came across the company Eat Cleaner, started by Mareya when her dad was diagnosed with prostate and bladder cancer and was put on a diet of clean fruit, veggies and lean protein. Due to early detection and a healthy diet, he is still alive today! This traumatic experience led to Mareya to create Eat Cleaner.

 

When it comes to health, we all want to do the right thing but half-truths and inconclusive information can clutter an otherwise logical vision. Our EAT CLEANER mission is to set the record straight on what’s on our plates and help everyone take matters into their own hands. It goes beyond a product. It’s a way of life. ~Mareya

 

Eat Cleaner carries products for the home and commercial use. These products include fruit+veggie wash, biodegradable produce wipes, and fresh seafood+poultry wash, as well as gift baskets and value kits. I was sent the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Wash Spray and the 40 ct. Biodegradable Wipes Canister to review. Eat Cleaner’s products are tasteless, odorless, all natural, and lab tested to wash better than water. The fruit+veggie spray inhibits browning, helps food last up to 200% longer, and is even safe to clean your counter-tops, utensils and hands! A 14 day lab test proved that the spray increased shelf life of fruits and veggies by 200%  when cleaned with Eat Cleaner Fruit and Vegetable Wash! This is amazing because this will save you money in the long run since your produce will not go bad so fast! The canister contains wipes that can be used for a variety of purposes: remove surface contaminants, pesticide residues, waxes and organic particles from both commercially and organically grown produce! The wipes can also be used to clean counter-tops and cutting surfaces as well as utensils, hands and even binkies! Basically,  these wipes can be used to clean just about anything that has the potential to come into contact with your mouth! No rinsing is required after using the wipe.

 

 

I am super excited to be trying out these products! I try to buy as much organic produce as I can, but that doesn’t mean that they are completely contaminant free! You really never know who or what has touched your produce! I have been in the market for a fruit and veggie wash and I really liked the story behind Eat Cleaner, so I thought this would be a great place to start! I used the spray on a bowl of organic apples. They felt a little waxy, so I sprayed them and let them sit in the sink for a minute or two. Then I rinsed them off. The waxiness had come off most of the apples! The spray nozzle is also impressive, it has a wide spray zone and only took three-four sprays to cover all the apples.

 

 

You can purchase these and other items directly from Eat Cleaner’s website! There is a flat rate shipping fee of $6.99 for shipping within the contiguous US. Also don’t forget to sign up for the Cleaner Plate Club newsletter and you will receive 25% off your first purchase!

 

 

I was impressed with Eat Cleaner’s products and apparently so are others: Eat Cleaner is the winner of the Disney iParenting Award and a Trusted Partner of Healthy Child Healthy World. I recommend Eat Cleaner produce wash and wipes to anyone that desires to have cleaner food and a healthier lifestyle!

 

Connect with Eat Cleaner on their website, , and .

 

Summer Backyard Blast

 

Eat Cleaner will be giving away a 10 pack of Biodegradable Grab-N-Go Produce Wipes in the Backyard Blast Event! Come back on June 1st to enter to win an Outdoor Entertainment package from Brittleby’s Corner! Interested in getting an early entry? Visit Eat Cleaner and tell me something you learned and why it’s important to you to eat cleaner!

 

 

Thank you to Eat Cleaner for providing the products mentioned in this post for review. Although I received these products at no charge, all opinions expressed in this post are my own.

 

 

Bamboo Cutlery Core Bamboo {Review/Sponsor Spotlight} #BackyardBlast

 

I recently went on a camping trip with friends and I was in charge of bringing the plates and the cutlery. I had a picnic basket set that my husband and I got for our wedding that came with plastic cutlery, cups and plates. I decided to bring those as opposed to disposable paper plates and plastic utensils. I was not very impressed with the utensils…the fork didn’t really work like a fork, more like a dull spork, and the knife was not really sharp, more like a spreader.

 

 

I have been trying to reduce the amount of plastic I have in my house, so in search of new reusable products I came across Core Bamboo and immediately fell in love with their products! I was sent 4 sets of Natural Modern Cutlery to review. The cutlery is made from 100% organically grown bamboo, as is the rest of their products. Core Bamboo makes all their products ethically and socially responsibly. They use food safe water based adhesives and their products are finished with top grade natural oils. The lacquer comes from natural cashew trees. Core Bamboo also uses recycled and eco-friendly packaging.

 

 

 

As you can see, the cutlery looks like the real deal and the knife and the fork actually work like a knife and a fork! The knife is pretty sharp and can be used to cut just about everything, yet still good enough to spread! The fork is also pretty comparable to a regular fork and can be used to pick up most foods, even lettuce! The spoon is also a good size and a good shape for scooping! I look forward to using my cutlery more often, especially on picnics and camping trips, as well as outdoor entertaining! I will also use my Core Bamboo whenever I feel like it, because they are utensils after all! :)

 

I am loving this cutlery and the fact that it is made with organic bamboo, is perfect! Bamboo is in the grass family which means that it grows at a faster rate and it’s natural root system spreads and automatically regenerates itself. Bamboo is naturally anti-microbial and is one of the strongest materials, yet is one of the lightest. Bamboo is a very eco-friendly source! Core Bamboo also prides themselves on using the whole Bamboo stalk in the process of making their products.

 

You can purchase the Modern Cutlery on their website along with their wide variety of other useful and beautifully made bamboo products! The cutlery is $9.00 for a 3-piece set.

 

Connect with Core Bamboo on their website, and .

 

Summer Backyard Blast

 

Core Bamboo will be giving away 4 sets of 3 Piece Modern Bamboo Cutlery in the winner’s choice of color in the Backyard Blast Event! Come back on June 1st to enter to win an Outdoor Entertainment package from Brittleby’s Corner! Interested in getting an early entry? Visit Core Bamboo and tell me which color you would choose for your modern cutlery or another item you would like to have from their store!

 

Thank you to Core Bamboo for providing the products mentioned in this post for review. Although I received these products at no charge, all opinions expressed in this post are my own.

 

Natural House Moppy for Natural Floor Cleaning

 Product was given to me in order to post my honest opinion.

 

If there is one chore that I hate to do, it is mopping my floor! My poor floor gets neglected a little too often! There is no device that will mop my floor for me, but there is a great product that I can use to clean my floor!

 

Natural House probiotic cleaning products brings you a revolutionary, new method of cleaning the most dirty areas of your home. Utilizing non-toxic, probiotic cleaning agents, Natural House products are strong enough for commercial clean-up, yet safe and gentile for all of the members of your Natural House. Their probiotic power keeps working even after your initial use!

 

 

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Reusable Glass Straws Glass Dharma {Review/Sponsor Spotlight} #BackyardBlast

 

I like drinking out of straws at home! My sister gave me a bunch of reusable plastic ones… I don’t believe in creating waste with disposable ones! I use straws when I drink ice tea or make a drink out of a mix, like Emergen-C. I figure if you have to stir or mix something, why use a spoon when a straw works just as well and then can be used to enjoy it!

 

I have heard of glass straws before, but wasn’t really interested until recently when I started using straws on a more consistent basis! Glass Dharma is a company that produces glass straws in an array of sizes and designs! Their glass straws are Guaranteed for life, which means if they break or crack they will be fixed or replaced. Glass Dharma will even custom size a glass straw to fit your favorite drinking glass! The glass straws are microwave and dishwasher safe and contain no lead. Glass Dharma does not carry colored straws due to the lack of quality in the colored tubing, and the the fact that they were importing them from China. Some straws have colored glass dots, no paints or coatings are used.  All Glass Dharma straws are made in Fort Bragg, California, the hemp sleeves are made in Linden, California and the cleaning brushes are manufactured in the U.S. ***Please note that not all glass straws come with a cleaning brush!

 

The straws are made out of Borosilicate glass, which is resistant to thermal shock as well as non-porous and Hypo-allergenic. Borosilicate glass is what Pyrex is made of and is a very durable glass. Glass Dharma is also dedicated to using no plastic, as only 20% of plastic products ever make it to the recycling bin!

diameter glass straws

 

Glass Dharma carries sipper, ice tea, smoothie and bubble tea straws in shortie, regular and extra-long lengths! Of course you can also get straws with decorative colored dots or even straws that have a bend!

 


I was sent 4 glass straws to try! I received a sipper, an ice tea, a smoothie and a beautiful bends straw! The sipper and the ice tea straw both had decorative dots, one in blue and the other is red! At first it felt a little odd drinking out of glass! I have never used a glass straw before, so my mouth was not used to the smooth, cool feeling that glass creates, as opposed to plastic!  It didn’t take me long though to get used to the feeling! I really like using my glass straws now and use them everyday! They double as great stirrers when I am mixing my Emergen-C! I think they can be used for all occasions as well! They would be great for entertaining as well as just using one in your water cup!

 

 

Overall, I loved my glass straws and I plan on using them everyday! I definitely want more! I am also extremely please with their Guarantee on all their straws, it shows that they believe in the quality of their product!

 

Connect with Glass Dharma: Website, Blog, and .

 

Summer Backyard Blast

 

Glass Dharma will be giving away a $25 gift code in the Backyard Blast Event! Come back on June 1st to enter to win an Outdoor Entertainment Package from Brittleby’s Corner! Interested in getting an early entry? Visit Glass Dharma and tell me which straws you would love to try!

 

Thank you to Glass Dharma for providing the products mentioned in this post for review. Although I received these products at no charge, all opinions expressed in this post are my own.

 

No emails

I currently have no emails going out at this moment of my daily posts! My RSS feed is not working! There will be some changes around here soon, so just keep checking back and when you get an email from Brittleby’s Corner, please come back and celebrate with me :)

 

Simply Bath Salts {Review/Giveaway} US Ends 6/3

 

Sometime I just need a little R&R;! Before I had kids, and for a while when they were really young, I used to take baths to relax!  I know some people don’t care for baths, but I have always liked getting scented bubble bath, bath confetti, fizzing bath bombs, etc. Nowadays, taking baths is less of a priority, there is always something else that I want to do!

 

Lavender bath saltWell, I was forced :) to take a bath recently because I had a great new bath product to try out! Simply Bath Saltssent me their organic Lavender scented salts! The company only produces one product, which means that they have put all of their effort into making it a high quality product! There are no synthetic fragrances or harmful toxins in their bath salts! Simply Bath Salts are made in the US and their packaging is recyclable.

Lavender bath salt infuses your bath with over a dozen pure essential minerals through a rich combination of Atlantic Sea salt, Epsom salt, and Dead Sea salt. Aromatic Lavender oil is said to be balancing and calming* while organic Jojoba oil offers an all natural source of vitamin E. Both of these oils are Oregon Tilth certified organic to ensure no pesticides or chemicals make it into your bath. Lavender bath salt carries a floral scent with a hint of wood. It blends well with geranium, patchouli, rosemary, and scotch pine. Our bath salts work to restore vital nutrients and rehydrate the skin in a 100% natural way that won’t leave you feeling sticky or greasy.

Simply Bath Salts come in a variety of scents and can be ordered on their website as well as ! When bath salts are ordered, they are packaged the same day to ensure freshness. Also, you can make a custom blend at no additional charge. Simply Baths Salts cannot ship overseas at this time!

My bath was so relaxing! I especially loved the lavender scent! I put my kids to bed, grabbed a magazine and just let my body relax! The salts dissolved quickly so their was no scratching at the bottom of the tub. My bath was very peaceful, besides my kids getting up to check on me! I will definitely be taking more baths with my Lavender scented Simply Bath Salts!

Connect with Simply Bath Salts on and !

Do you need a little R&R; of your own? Simply Bath Salts is generously giving away a bag of bath salts in the scent of your choice! Enter on the rafflecopter form below! Giveaway is open to US only and will end on June 3rd! Good luck!

 

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