Ellison's Organics

  Many of you have been following for awhile now and have been "watching" as we take this journey of going more natural in our home. It has really been a fun, although challenging at times, journey. There are days that are frustrating, but when I stumble upon a product that is good for my family and I actually enjoy the way it works I am beyond thrilled and can not wait to share about it with others!

 Recently I was introduced to a wonderful little Etsy shop called Ellisons Organics. When I first started browsing the site I was so excited to try out some of the products, the hard part was choosing which products I wanted to try! Carleigh, who is the owner of Ellisons Organics is very passionate about offering artisan, handmade beauty products including soaps, body balms, healing salves, soy wax melts, and so much more!

 I was fortunate enough to have the chance to try out a variety of these great products!

  The first item that we tried out in our home is the Extra Strength Monster Spray. I couldn't wait to share this item with my oldest guy, he is 5 and over the past couple of years he has gone through phases where he despises bedtime. He will actually tell us that he hates bedtime because he is afraid. I had high hopes that the monster spray would be a fun way to cure these bed time problems. The day it arrived I took him to his room and showed him how he could spray wherever he thought there might be a little monster ;-) he thought this was so cool and fun! We gave a few practice sprays and I was thrilled with the relaxing smell. The Monster Spray stays in my boys bedroom, up high so they can only reach it if they ask ;-) and we use it daily! My boys love the idea behind it and I love that it leaves their room smelling fresh without any nasty chemicals.

 Secondly I was sent some fun soaps for my boys. While my kiddos love "bath-time" its not so much the washing that they like, but they love the play time that comes a long with it. So in my desperation to make washing a little more fun the Lego Figurine Soaps seemed like they might just be perfect! Both of my guys love legos and they loved these soaps!! I love the way they wash up my little guys too, they are so soft! Forewarning, your 2 yr old may try to eat the soap & like any other soap it will not taste good :-/ 

  For myself I received the Detox Bath Salts. So , lets get a little personal here...I do not like bath salts, bubble baths, etc... I mean I love the relaxation they can bring..but they do NOT agree with my body. For days after I am always regretting the fact that I used them. So for the past few years I have given up nice relaxing baths altogether. Typically I decide to give it a whirl about once every 6 months and am just always disappointed with the "results". When these Bath Salts made their way to my door I was eager/nervous to try them out. One afternoon when all my kiddos were napping I grabbed a book and decided to soak in these salts. Not only did they smell great and lend to some great relaxation, I have had no problems with them affecting more poorly! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these bath salts!! I have used them several times since and they are truly great.

 Lastly I was sent the Organic Insect Repellent. I couldn't wait to try this out, bugs and I do not get a long. We are a family that loves to be outdoors, especially when the warmer weather approaches, but I am always calling it a night before anyone else is ready. I don't know what it is, but I start getting bit way before anyone else! I've used bug sprays before and they work ok, but wow they are full of chemicals that I no longer want coming in contact with myself or my family! I have only had the chance to use this once, but I really like it a lot. First, it smells great! It doesn't smell chemically at all, I sometimes find that even natural products can "stink" but not this one, I really love the smell its almost citrus-y! 

 I am really loving all of these great products from Ellison's Organics, not only do they work amazingly, they are safe for my family & they are priced great as well.  I would encourage you to take a peek at this great Etsy shop and try some of the products out yourself. One of you will win the Detox Bath Salts and a thing of Monster Spray! Please fill out the entry form below for your chance to win. This giveaway will remain open until Friday June 7th. Good Luck!

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Sesame Gifts...Because Daddy Deserves It!

   Today the Thrifty Nifty Mommy Blogger Network is bringing you another great giveaway for the Dad's.  We're giving Dad a "Wake up Call" with a great gift box from Sesame Gifts.

 If your guy loves some great coffee and biscotti you will not want to miss this awesome giveaway, head on over here to read Amanda, at Open Hands, full review and enter to win!

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Premio Foods Sausage

Premio foods is a company that is passionate about making fine Italian sausage. They have been around for decades, creating gourmet sausages from hot to sweet, they have something for everyone's taste buds!

Offering a variety of flavors like chicken sausage & breakfast sausage, Premio uses the freshest ingredients & you will have no problem adding this delicious sausage to your weekly menu! I was sent the hot Italian sausage & I had a hard time deciding how to use it first, it looked so good & it was just screaming "eat me, eat me" as it sat in my fridge while I was trying to make up my mind! I think this would be great to add to a pasta dish or in a gourmet sandwich recipe, so many possibilities, after talking to Hubby we decided to fire up the grill!

Living in TX we love to grill everything, we have been cooking out door so much lately & enjoying this wonderful weather! So Hubby was nice enough to put the hot Italian sausage on for me & of course it didn't take very long. I decided to try out my first Italian sausage in a hot dog bun with my favorite topping-ketchup! I was worried it might be a little too spicy but it was actually really good, I am so happy that I have left overs, guess what I'll be enjoying for lunch tomorrow?

You can find Premio sausages at your local stores like Walmart & Costco or purchase it online! What will you cook up with your new Premio sausage? Stay connected with Premio on Facebook & Twitter & you can even sign up for coupons!

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True Love DVD Prize Pack Giveaway

In honor of Entertainment One’s DVD release of the Lifetime TV Movie, Liz & Dick, I'm pleased to offer the following True Love DVD Prize Pack worth $50 giveaway to my readers. As seen on Lifetime, the most anticipated and highly publicized role of Lindsay Lohan’s career and one of the most-watched cable original movie premieres of 2012 – Based on the true love story of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.

The prize pack includes the following DVD titles:

• Liz & D i c k - Starring Lindsday Lohan, Grant Bowler (May 14, 2013)
• A Novel Romance – Starring Steve Guttenberg, Shannon Elizabeth (2011)
•  Reel Love - Starring LeAnn Rimes, Burt Reynolds, Shawn Roberts, et al. (2012)

DVD Description:

Glamorous. Infamous. Scandalous… For nearly a quarter of a century, Elizabeth Taylor (Lindsay Lohan) and Richard Burton (Grant Bowler) were Hollywood royalty and their fiery romance – often called “the marriage of the century” – was the most notorious, publicized and celebrated love affair of its day.  Swarmed by paparazzi worldwide, their love affair was played out entirely in front of the media – from their meeting on the set of Cleopatra through their marriages and divorces.  Despite their roller coaster romance, Taylor and Burton shared an undeniable love greater than most people could ever dream of.DVD SRP : $19.98

If you'd like to win, just enter using the easy Giveaway Tools entry form below. Good luck!

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Entry-Form

Ava Water Filter's Five Stage Reverse Osmosis System {Giveaway}

Water is something that you and I just can't live without. That's why I'm really excited today to bring you a fantastic giveaway from Ava Water Filter!

Ava Water Filter is committed to providing customers across the United States and beyond with clean water at all times. This filtration system uses reverse-osmosis in order to give customers the clean drinking water that they both need and deserve. Ava Water Filter is based out of Los Angeles, California and is owned and operated by a microbiologist. Each component used in the Ava Water Filter is hand-picked by the owner of the company after he determines that it has in fact met his high standards and specific industry criteria. Most water purification companies cannot boast that they have a top industry expert as their leader, and this advantage allows them to offer superior products and services that truly provide bacteria-free drinking water that is both clean and healthy.

Description of the prize

The Five-Stage Reverse Osmosis filtering system includes the following layers of water cleaning that together provide a powerful removal of contaminants:

• Stage 1 – A Five-micron filter that removes sediment, dirt, sand and rust.
• Stage 2 – A carbon blocking barrier that catches and reduces the impact of chlorine in water.
• Stage 3 – A dual, secondary carbon filter, doubling the chlorine-cleaning benefit.
• Stage 4 – A reverse osmosis membrane that can clean up to 50 gallons of water a day, eliminating contaminants as small as 1/10,000 microns.
• Stage 5 – A granular-activated third carbon filter that provides the quality taste of completely clean, healthy water.

As water goes through the above barriers, it deposits into a 3.2 gallon tank for immediate access to ready, filtered water. Then, as the tank is drawn down, new water is cleaned and stored for the next demand.

Benefits

• Removes 99% of lead, cyst, giardia, chlorine, pesticides, chemicals and other microbes
• Reduces fluoride, iron, sulfur, arsenic and mercury
• Removes benzene and other contaminants that cause foul taste and odor
• Organic carbon block filter
• High capacity system
• High efficiency and low waste system
• Fills tank fuller and faster
• Ultra-Pure & Safe Filtered Drinking Water
• Perfect for Coffee, tea, juices, soups, and sauces
• Fresh, Crisp Taste Superior to Bottled Water
• 50  Gallons/day Output— Fastest Flow
• Saves $400-$800/year, Saves Time

To find out more about this water filter system and others by Ava Water Filters, visit their website at http://avawaterfilter.com. Also, like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter! If you'd like a chance to win this awesome prize, just enter using the easy Giveaway Tools entry form below. Good luck!

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SodaStream

Do you love sparkling water or soda, but wish you could adjust the carbonation or have your favorite flavor on demand?  If so, I encourage you to check out Sodastream!

Photo Credit: SodaStream

About (source: www.sodastreamusa.com)
Making carbonated water and soft drinks is simple! Turn tap water into sparkling water in under 30 seconds, with no clean-up. Enjoy the freshness and convenience of homemade soda and protect the environment at the same time. No heavy bottles to carry, store at home or throw away. Fizz to your taste and add the flavor of your choice to make your favorite drink. Simple to clean and reuse. With a variety of colors and silhouettes, you'll be sure to find a soda maker to match with any decor.

Photo Credit: SodaStream
Click on Photo to Enlarge

Now, you can enjoy the best tasting soda on the planet ... and it's as easy as making coffee!

• Save space with concentrated Sodamix and reusable carbonating bottles
• No more lugging and storing heavy, bulky bottles and cans
• No more hassles with empties in the trash or recycling bin
• No batteries, no electricity, no plumbing
• Over 60 flavors at the touch of a button

Photo Credit: SodaStream
Click on Photo To Enlarge

SavyMommyMoments Review:
We received the newest Sodastream product, Source, and a huge variety of their soda and drink flavors to review.

Setup: The product was really easy to set up!  It only took 5-10 minutes to open the box, read the instructions and get everything ready for our use.  I love when something comes out of the box practically ready to use!

Use: The use of this product is also very simple.  Just fill the reusable drink bottle to the fill-line with tap water.  Then, lock it into place on the machine and push the top of the machine down to carbonate.  After you carbonate the water, you just add one cap-full (more or less for your taste) of your favorite flavor, flip the bottle upside down a time or two and it's ready to drink!

Taste: We initially tried the Sparkling Naturals Pink Grapefruit and it tasted really good! It was awesome that we could make it at home and not have to buy a giant bottle/box of cans from the store that we would never finish.  Since the initial trial, we have tried several of the other flavors, including Cola, Root Beer, Sparkling Naturals Ginger Ale and Black Currant Pear, and MyWater Flavor Essence Lemon Lime, Raspberry, and Orange.  We definitely love them all, but my favorites are the Black Currant Pear and the MyWater Flavor Essence in Lemon Lime! 

Customizable:The biggest turn off for me for soda (besides the ridiculous chemicals) is that it's too carbonated and gives me a stomach ache or indigestion sometimes.  With the Sodastream Source, this problem is solved as there are three levels of carbonation that I can set my soda to.  I definitely prefer the lowest setting and my husband prefers setting #3 (the highest), so we alternate between these.  It's really easy to achieve the level of carbonation, as there are three lights on the front of the unit and when you hold down the top to carbonate, you just let go when your level lights up. Mine literally takes like a second!

Cleanup: With the Sodastream products, cleanup is pretty much nonexistent.  You just rinse the bottle with hot water when you finish the drink and then it's ready to go!

Environmentally Friendly: As a added bonus, you are not only saving a ton of money on soda/drinks a year, but you are also doing the environment a huge favor! Instead of filling landfills with plastic bottles, aluminum cans, and caps, we are reusing the same bottle(s) and getting all of the enjoyment of custom soda at a fraction of the cost!

Overall, this product just makes sense for any family!  It is friendly on your wallet, time, home, health, and environment!  Not to mention it's just fun! 

Learn More: You can learn more about Sodastream and their entire product line on the website.

Buy: The Sodastream can be purchased online today and they are even offering free shipping all home sodamakers!

Win: Sodastream has been kind enough to offer our readers the chance to win: Fountain Jet Soda Lover's Start-Up Kit  ($99.95). 
It includes:
- Fountain Jet – winner’s choice of color (black/silver, red/silver or white)
- 1 carbonating bottle, reusable for up to 3 years
- Reusable carbonator to fizz up to 60L of soda
- Variety 6-pack of popular sample-size flavors - 3 full-sized flavors of the winner’s choice

Just enter below for your chance to win!  Open to Continental U.S. Residents Only.  Ends at 11:59pm on June 6th, 2013.

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5 Unusual Ways You Can Make a Positive Difference in Someone's Life

If you want to make a difference in someone's life, there are a lot of ways to go about doing it. There are things as simple as smiling or telling a joke that can brighten someone's day. However, there are also many things that you can do to change another's life that you may not have thought about.

Become an Egg Donor and Help Create a Family

Image via Flickr by Hammer51012

This is a big step to take. However, becoming an egg donor will definitely make a positive difference in the lives of others. There are a lot of ways that you can do this, from donating to someone specific to anonymously donating your eggs. When you are helping others create a family, you are creating a huge positive in the world.

Adopting a Pet Improves the Lives of Animals

Image via Flickr by Irita Kirsbluma

If you are considering getting a new pet, think about adopting one. There are many pets out there who need new families. Sure, it's fun to have a brand new little puppy or kitten, but helping those in need is also a great thing. There are multiple ways to adopt pets. Whether you go to a local shelter or you adopt from a family that can no longer care for a pet, adopting a pet makes the world a whole lot better for that animal.

Donating a Kidney Saves Lives

When considering donating a kidney, keep in mind that it is a major surgery. However, if it is something that you feel you want to do, kidney donation can help save the life of the person who receives the organ. Whether this is a close friend or family member, or a complete stranger, you are making one of the biggest positive differences possible in their lives.

Helping at a Food Shelter Feeds People in Need

Many families today have trouble making enough money to feed everyone in the home. When you help at a food shelter, you are volunteering your time to help these people feed their families. Though they may not thank you personally when they come in, everyone that works at food shelters is making a difference and helping to feed people who would not otherwise be able to eat regularly.

Read to Children to Help Them Love Learning

Image via Flickr by San José Library

Young children learn by example. One of the best ways you can be a positive influence in a young child's life, without being related to them or a friend of the family, is to set up a reading time. Whether you do this at a local library or bookstore, providing a reading time for children is a great way to help foster their love of learning. Too few children today develop a love of reading, simply because they are not introduced to books often. If a free reading time is offered in the community though, this could easily change.

Making a difference in someone's life is important. Though you may not be able to donate a kidney or adopt a pet, think about the small things you can do to make someone's life a little brighter each day.