Talenti Gelato

Tonight was the first night I tasted a bit of heaven; ok so heaven doesn't have a taste, but if there was something that you could eat that gave you the warm fuzzies inside or reminded you of the first time you rode your bike,how your mom used to sing you to sleep, or that time when you scrubbed the toilet with your brothers toothbrush, it would be Talenti Gelato. I read through the different flavors and found that it was so hard to choose one in particular because they all sounded so good. I finally wound up with pistachio, and I must say, it is the best I have ever tasted! The kids turned their noses up at first and then they tried it and we wound up in a gelato war. I can't wait to try the other flavors. Their Gelato's are free of hormones, HFCS, & free of gluten (except for Caramel Cookie Crunch).

Clean Well Antibacterial Wipes

I have been looking everywhere for  all natural anti bacterial wipes which can be used for anything from hands,faces,and cleaning the scunge under the toilet. While Clean Well wipes are not geared towards cleaning bathroom floors, around doggy food bowls & such, I did find out that they do work for those things quite well. They have an herbal fresh scent and can be tossed when you are done using them. I picked them up at my coastal grocery outlet when I was vacationing at a beach house. They were well worth the $2.99 and I used them for everything, even used them to clean my dogs face. I give this product 5 stars.

Luna and Larry's

Dark Chocolate Coconut Bliss, is oh so Divine. This is not your everyday dairy alternative ice cream, this is the shtuff (excuse my language). I have been having a hard time finding ice cream that is dairy,gluten,& soy free, but look no further I found my new friends Luna and Larry. Their coconut milk based ice cream is phenomenal and super creamy. I used to try different ice creams made of rice, or almond, or just a sorbet, but it wasn't comparable to the ice cream I was accustomed to. This is just the alternative I needed and they come in all sorts of other flavors if dark chocolate is not your thing. Price point is a little high so I wait till this goes on sale, or I just buy it and hide it in the freezer under a bag or two of frozen peas.... no kids or husband will look there :).

Udi's Gluten Free Bread

Looking for Decent Gluten Free Bread?

Best thing since wheat bread! If you have gluten sensitivities, this is a yummy alternative to wheat bread. Keep in mind, if you are switching from wheat breads to gluten free breads you will need to have some realistic expectations, gluten free breads are not soft, but have a tougher, spongy texture. If you toast the breads first they will taste similar to regular toasted wheat bread. They are a little more dense and harder to digest as well (for me anyway). If you like toasted sandwiches like a tuna melt or grilled cheese this bread tastes perfect. I give this bread 4 out of 5 stars due to price of product. They have dollar off coupons right now though which makes it a little more affordable.

http://udisglutenfree.com/special-offers/?gclid=CN2oyYjLh6wCFQtthwodpnU-eQ

Body Wash that Tingles and Shampoo that is Squeaky Clean

Looking for a human/earth friendly body wash that leaves you with a fresh scent and a slight tingle? You have got to try EO Grapefruit and Mint Shower Gel. I just picked up a big 32 oz bottle at my local grocery outlet for $7.99 and it would normally be around $17 bucks. I instantly loved the feel of the gel and the citrus-mint smell. My skin feels refreshed and was left with a slightly cool tingle. I try to pick up several of their products at once when I can, so I also bought a bottle of their Chamomile and Hibiscus Shampoo (unfortunately I think they are discontinuing this one). It also had a pleasantly fresh smell & cleaned my hair so good. I usually have an issue with natural shampoos not removing oils and build up, but this one was extremely effective. I give both products from EO a raving 5 stars.

Stinky Dog Syndrome



Does your dog have a case of "Stinky Dog Syndrome?" My dog doesn't stink all the time, but he occasionally enjoys never passes up rolling in stinky stuff. We went to the beach this weekend and I noticed he loved rolling in stinky dead crab and dead birds that washed up on the shore. Unfortunately I didn't have my Tropiclean with me and we had to wait till we got home to bathe him. It is the only dog shampoo that is gentle enough yet cleans and "Deodorizes" effectively. It is made with natural ingredients and smells good enough to drink (do not drink, trust me it tastes awful). I also have a confession to make; I did use this shampoo on my daughter when I ran out of human shampoo and needed some in a pinch. It made her hair soft and smell terrific. Don't think me a bad mom, think of me as a good pet owner that would test this stuff out on my kids before I used it on my dog, ha. I give this product a 5 out of 5 stars. See my baby Bean below.

Dirty Hands?

                                                

My kids seem to bring home every germ known to man as soon as school season begins. While I want them to be sanitary and wash their hands as often as possible, that is just not easy for them to do when they are at school. The smell is a clean fragrance and not one that is harsh or smells like alcohol. Other hand sanitizers use toxic chemicals and can break down the skins natural defenses against skin growths such as warts. EO makes an all natural botanical based hand sanitizer that smells awesome and comes in a handy spray. I bought a bottle for each child and now I don't have to worry about germs or harsh chemicals either.

Zhena's Gypsy Tea



Ever feel a longing to be one with the seasons, traveling with the wind like a tumble weed?  I do, I am nomadic by nature. Only problem with being a gypsy is that while I like life in the fast lane, I unfortunately, am married to a speed bump. Ok so being a gypsy this day in age is also not very practical. Although, I can't tame the longing for being a wanderer, I can sit back and dream and drink a little bit of  Zhena's Gypsy Tea. I have spent hundreds of dollars in tea if not a thousand and this BY FAR is one of the best. They mostly use certified organic teas and pair them with several different complimenting spices, fruits, or flowers. My favorite was the Ambrosia Plumb, but it was seasonal: makes me sad to see the summer go. My new favorite autumnal tea is Pomegranate Cider and Pumpkin Spice. They are very warming and just make you want to settle into to fall and get cozy.

When life gives you lemonade....

when life gives you lemons make lemonade......but when you have no lemons go get some Santa Cruz Organic Lemonade! My favorite way to drink this lemonade is ice cold straight out of the bottle. If you want to go fancy, just add fresh blueberries and raspberries, ice, and bring to any gathering or picnic. I always get comments and questions asking if I made the lemonade and I just smile and nod. If you want to be extra fancy try the same recipe with pink lemonade.

Lacking Sleep?

I am one of those people  that has a hard time getting to sleep and staying asleep. I am not desperate enough to go to a doctor and get on some mind numbing, zombi-fying, drug, but I do need a little help in the slumber department. One of the biggest pet peeves I have is that I am ultra sensitive to anything I take and if I take anything containing a sedative I will be groggy for days. I first experimented with Melatonin a few months back, some brands worked, some did not, and some made me feel like I was in a drug induced stupor that could not be shaked. One of the best working brands I have tried was Twinlabs Controlled Release Release Melatonin. One half dissolves quickly so you can get to sleep and the other half dissolves slower so you can stay asleep. I would recommend trying it on a Friday night though as every individual response is different and it could make you groggy the first time or two you use it. I was just told by my naturopath today that I can cut the grogginess by taking B-vitamins. As with any drug, over the counter,prescription etc.; use caution until you know how this will effect you.

This advice is not to be construed as medical advice and has not been proven to be effective by the FDA. Consult your physician before beginning any new health regimen.

What's that smell?

Every time I use my favorite lotion by Pacifica, people at work say Ooooo what's that smell? "Smells like a Pina Colada." Both men and women compliment me on the smell of this yummy coconut  lotion. This lotion is light and sinks into your skin leaving a silky feel and a sheen to your skin. I first tried some of Pacifica's products around 2 years ago and bought their Hawaiian Ruby Guava perfume. Then I noticed an Indian Coconut Nectar gift set in Sephora and decided to try it. I loved it and so did the ladies at my office. The lotion and body wash were gone in no time, so I decided to have my local health food store order some for me. I am hooked on Pacifica's products and love all of their scents. I am usually perfume and smell sensitive, but not to their products 'cause they use real natural and essential oils to fragrance their perfumes. Check them out on the web; their company is based out of Portland Oregon and are designed by Brooke Harvey.

"Almost Natural" Finger Nail Polish

Looking for completely non-toxic, all natural nail polish..... I got news for ya; it isn't going to happen, but, you can find some that doesn't contain a toxic, cancerous cocktail with preservatives for dead bodies (formaldehyde). The ever toxic, carcinogenic, organ destroying, Toluene is better known for it's reproductive harm it causes and is a class 3 hazard rating, while it's counterpart formaldehyde has a number 4 hazard rating. Dibutyl-Pthalate is a class 9, yes class 9 hazard rating. With all that crud  being in nail polish it's no wonder cancer numbers have sky rocketed. Does anybody even read labels or ingredients anymore? I paid $6 bucks for one bottle but it's just as good as OPI which is right around $9.

Here are the results for No Miss nail polish:

• No Toluene
• No Dibutyl-Pthalate
• Formaldehyde
• Colors free of D&C dyes
• Chip resistant
• Dries quickly
• Durable

http://nj.gov/health/eoh/rtkweb/documents/fs/0946.pdf
http://www.ee.iitb.ac.in/~nanoe/msds/toluene.pdf
http://www.salchem.com/MSDS/D/Dibutyl_Phthalate.pdf

Wonderful Gluten Free Meyer Lemon Tart

This Gluten Free Meyer Lemon Tart by Hail Merry is so yummy, it will take you to another dimension with its mouth watering goodness. I occasionally look for new and different treats to have after lunch when I am at the local health food store. I truly love this little tart, it's full of high quality ingredients like super healthy coconut oil and sweetened with a little organic agave. The crust of this tart is made of crushed up cashews, shredded coconut, coconut butter, yum! Below is the ingredient list I took from their site. They are kind of expensive, but well worth the indulgence once in awhile. Now that I think of it, some people pay almost $5 bucks for a coffee everyday at Starbucks, and I'd much rather have spent it on this. The price point varies, but they were on sale at our health food store for $3.50 this week.

Ingredients: almond flour, organic raw blue agave, fresh lemon juice, organic cold pressed coconut oil, raw cashews, organic cold pressed coconut butter, organic palm sugar, organic shredded coconut, lemon juice powder, lemon zest, sea salt.

http://www.hailmerry.com/shop/product/897053001067

Got an Aging Feline?

Our little fuzzball is going on 17 yrs old. Seems like all she had the energy for doing was sleeping and eating. The minute she got up from her 10 hour naps, she was so stiff she could barely move. I experimented with several glucosamine supplements and formulas, but none seemed to work as good as Hip Flex by Overby Farms. The tart cherry nibs are formulated to reduce inflamation in your geriatric cat. Ever since we started giving Miss Annie her tart nibs it has increased her mobility greatly. Don't worry if you have a picky cat, my cat is queen finicky and she gobbles these up and begs for more. They are also nice and soft, easy to chew if your cat has missing teeth like mine does. This product is full of quality ingredients and can be purchased at specialty pet stores, health food stores, and ordered online through Amazon who has them at half price for the time being. They also make a canine formula.

WARNING: My cat suddenly started chasing the dog and jumping on top of the table after giving her these for a few days, so be warned it may give your cat a new lease on life.

Citrasolv Solves Your Toughest Cleaning Challenges

Are you looking for a cleaner that makes your house smell like a grove of orange trees? Looking for a cleaner that adds a little more power to your elbow grease? Sit back and let this product do the work for you. This works excellent for cutting grease and grime and refreshes the whole house as you clean. It's economical and goes a long way when you buy the concentrated version of it pictured on the left. It runs around $10-12 bucks for the smaller concentrated size and makes a few gallons worth of cleaner. I have used the citrus version of this product for years, although, I checked their website and now they have a lavender and bergamot scented cleaner as well. I give this product 5 stars.

These gluten free noodles are the best I have ever tried. I use them with Alfredo sauce, in hearty home made chicken noodle soup or in cold Italian pasta salads. The texture is superb and they hold up really well unlike other gluten free noodles. They are a great addition to any pantry as you'd be hard pressed to find the difference between them and regular wheat noodles. I actually prefer them over wheat pasta. The chef at our local health food store recommended them as I was extremely disappointed by other gluten free noodles I had tried. I easily give this product 5 stars.

Let's Do Organic Coconut Flour is an awesome alternative to wheat flour for all you gluten free people. I am not entirely gluten free; I can tolerate small amounts, but if I over do it, it makes me very ill. For those times when I want to indulge and don't feel like having a headache or feeling sick to my stomach; I use this coconut flour to make anything from sweet honey coconut bread , coconut pancakes, chocolate coconut brownies, or coconut bacon egg & cheese muffins. Yes it sounds a little weird, but you have to be creative when living a gluten free or gluten "less" lifestyle. The Pro: this is very economical for the amount of coconut flour per recipe that you use. The con: the flour is quite dense and soaks up any moisture so recipes require a lot of eggs and/or oil (may be able to use applesauce and a little less of the oil/eggs???). This is also ideal flour if you are on a carb restricted diet, as it has almost four times the fiber of bran. High fiber equals less net carbs. In all I give this product 5 stars. My favorite is the coconut bread slathered with Trader Joe's Lemon Curd. I bought this from Amazon as it was the most economical and shared it with other gluten free people I know.

Teeth Paste!

I chose to rename it teeth paste, since I have more than one tooth (all jokes aside); If you are looking for a great flavored, fluoride free non-toxic toothpaste, this is one of my favorite brands. The cool mint is a minty vanilla flavor and does not contain anything that will kill a small child if swallowed. The price point on this is about a buck more than regular toothpaste at a grocery store. I first tried this at my dentist office and the health food store carries it as well. Don't believe for one minute that fluoride is needed to keep teeth healthy; in fact the opposite is scientifically proven to be true. Fluoride is a heavy duty poison that can cause a variety of illnesses including death in humans and dental fluorosis (browning of the teeth see photo below.) How much can kill or damage your heart? Research says a half a tube of toothpaste can kill a child.  I am not one to press the issue to others, but it's something to think about. Pull out your tube of toothpaste at home and read the warning label it says to contact poison control if swallowed. Almost all off the shelf mainstream toothpaste also contains saccharin which has been known to cause various cancers. You may not have small children, but wouldn't you wonder how many years of putting it in your mouth is too much? Do beware though, products containing Xylitol can kill dogs if you have any.

You Better Blue Leave It!

So as many of you know, I have the cutest, sweetest, smartest, stoutest, little-big Boston Bulldog ever. Ok so maybe I am a little biased; what mother isn't? Though I have two human bi-pedal children I also love my fur kid as one of my own, so it's important to me to feed him like I would my kids! No, I don't feed my kids dog food, but if I did, they would eat Blue Buffalo. When I first adopted my little Bean he was 10 months old, had itchy skin, shedding, digestive issues & ear problems. It was clear to me that something had to be done. He was on Diamond lamb and rice before we got him, and I decided to slowly try new sources of protein to treat his issues. I slowly switched him to a duck and potato food but he got a horrible case of diarrhea, then tried all protein and no grain which was also by Diamond called Taste of the Wild, same effect though. So I finally found Blue Buffalo at the local pet store and put him on their lamb and brown rice formula, since it was the same protein source as before, but a better quality of food. He right away took to it and seemed to be easing off the diarrhea he got from the other foods. That has been a year and a half ago and his coat looks shiny and healthy and he no longer has bouts of diarrhea or ear problems. I like that the product has cold formed vitamins (and doesn't render them ineffective by heating them to a high temp). This product gets 4/5 stars, I would give it another star, but I do wish they would use another higher quality oil besides canola (rapeseed) in their blend; since there have been controversies over rapeseed being harmful to both animals and humans. Face it, I am a working mother of 5 (2 humanoid children, 2 fur kids, 1 husband) I do not have time to make my own pet food as some have suggested, I barely have enough time to feed myself. We do supplement with raw lamb meat seared on each side and raw, uncooked bones, when they are on sale. Raw bones do not splinter like cooked ones do. If you are afraid to give your pets raw meat due to parasites, freeze the meat and then give it to your pup as a pupsicle. Freezing kills any of those things that your mother warned you about as a kid.

Biokleen "Put's the Green in Clean"

 

You simply cannot get any better family & pet safe cleaning products for your money. Biokleen has formulated a variety of natural, non-toxic, "Green" cleaners. They have a line of household and professional cleaning agents for jobs big and small. I have used the: All-Temperature Citrus Laundry Powder & Liquid (smells divine), Chlorine Free Oxygen Bleach Plus, Automatic Dish Powder, Spray & Wipe All Purpose Cleaner, Soy Toilet Scrub, & the Citrus Soy Solvent (works great for greasy stoves). Yes, I am quite the cleaner freak! Not saying that my house is spot free, but I have tried all these cleaners over the course of 5 years and I have to say, the products speak for themselves. The laundry detergent and spray cleaner contain grapefruit seed extract which has been said to be a powerful anti-microbial & anti-fungal agent.

Giovanni Organic Hair Care Triple Treat Shampoo

One of my most favorite all natural shampoos is Giovanni Triple Treat Shampoo. Most of the ingredients come from certified organic botanicals. It's great for itchy, sensitive scalp, and dandruff. The smell of tea tree does not offend in this peppermint charged concoction. This brand lathers particularly well and removes build up; all while making your head feel cool and tingly. There are no Parabens, Phthalates or Sulfates so you can sleep well at night knowing that this product does not contain any ingredients that will haunt your dreams.

Deodorant you can apply once a week?

Okay I know that sounds truly unbelievable and down right unhygienic, but it's true after one application you can remain odor free for up to a week. It's water proof so you can bathe, play sports, and arm wrestle wearing a red unitard with it on. It is a paste like consistency and a barbie sized spatula is supplied for spreading it evenly under your arms. It works best after you've went without deodorant for a day or two (I recommend staying in for the weekend) and then scrubbing off any remaining build up from previous deodorants. It should be applied at night before bed and it's best to make sure it has been applied to dry underarms as it can become very gummy when wet. It has a very distinct plant like musk smell, which is quite pleasant. I made the switch to aluminum free deodorants about 4-5 years ago and I have been bummed about the ineffectiveness of most aluminum free underarm deodorants. Some stick type glycerin based deodorants are so hard it made me wonder if any was actually being applied as it felt just like smooth plastic. Others made my underarms burn and I'd get a rash from a few applications. Then others just plain old didn't work and I would be smelling like a barnyard before noon. Lavlin claims you can remain odor free for up to a week which is partially true based on how much you sweat, what you eat and a few other factors. Sometimes I can go a week with no stink and other times I'd say it lasts 3 days. It is quite spendy for what you get if your mate is hogging it all with his hairy armpits, but I would say it is well worth it if you are the sole user. I give this product 4/5 stars.

Ecos Laundry Detergent

For all of you out there that are wanting to try a new environmentally friendly laundry detergent, I would highly recommend Ecos. It is a lightly scented plant based detergent and does a great job for your everyday washing, with an occasional need for stain fighting- (add concentrated application of it to problem areas). It is economical if used in "he" washers and can be bought online or at Costco and local health food stores.

Burt's Bees Sensitive Skin Facial Line

So this is my first ever review on my new blog! I just received my Burt's Bees Sensitive Skin Formula kit in the mail from Bzzagent. I typically have extremely sensitive skin, and even with higher end sensitive skin formulas (purchased from a classy department store); I have experienced both burning and itching sensations which leave my face looking blotchy and unattractive. I am both eager and hesitant to try new things in this aspect because I want to find products that work, but I do not want to experience an allergic reaction to something that is supposed to make me look more appealing. So here's my low down on this new Burt's Bees Sensitive Skincare line:
The daily facial cleanser was lather free, lotion like, & had a subtle earthy scent to it. I applied it to my face in a circular motion and rinsed with warm water. One thing I noticed about this cleanser is that it left my face feeling soft and not at all itchy or burning. I then applied the Burt's Bees Sensitive Skin Daily Moisturizing Cream and was happy with the lightweight, non-greasy feel. This product is highly recommended for people with sensitive skin and people who are fragrance sensitive. Both products get the 5 stars they deserve and I am a happy camper.