Bummas Winner!

Congratulation to #86, Katie S. for winning the awesome Bummas giveaway!! Wahoo!!

You'll love 'em!

Just a note: make sure you are a public follower of my blog to enter the giveaways. I have had several potential winners who I had to refuse because you were not public followers. Sad...

On a happier note, there are some awesome giveaways out there on my blog right now! I hope you enjoy them!

Happy Saturday!

Olympic Zero VOC Paint and Primer Review and Giveaway

I want to bring you an important and natural tip for living more green and living healthier in your home - choose Zero VOC paint!! It is not even a hard tip to follow because of the great options I will share with you today.

First, let's talk about why going zero VOC in your home is so important! Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are gases emitted by a variety of liquid and solid synthetic materials. According to the EPA, VOCs can cause, “Eye, nose, and throat irritation; headaches, loss of coordination, nausea; damage to liver, kidney, and central nervous system, and cancer in humans.” They also note that, “Key signs or symptoms associated with exposure to VOCs include conjunctival irritation, nose and throat discomfort, headache, allergic skin reaction, dyspnea, declines in serum cholinesterase levels, nausea, emesis, epistaxis, fatigue, dizziness.” Are those enough reasons to switch out regular paints with zero VOC varieties?



This is especially important when talking about painting indoors. Various studies have shown that indoor VOCs average 2 to 5 times higher than outdoor VOC levels. Shockingly, after immediate exposure to some activities, like paint stripping, levels in your house can be up to 1,000 times greater than outdoor levels. In fact the EPA states that household levels of VOCs may be 1,000 times higher than outdoor levels for several hours immediately after certain activities, such as paint stripping. Scary?

But, don't worry, Olympic has come out with zero VOC paint in any color that you can use indoors! Olympic Premium Interior Paint in any color is totally Zero VOC, so you can breathe easy and contribute to the health of your home and the environment. You can choose from over 1,200 colors, or you can even custom match any color! Great news!!

I have been working on my daughter's nursery, and that is one place I certainly wouldn't mess around with regular paint. We just bought her a solid wood dresser that was unfinished, because I didn't want any toxic finishes on her bedroom furniture. Then, we used some of the Olympic zero VOC primer and paint to paint this new addition to her room. Check out my before and after pictures below!





















The color we chose for this project was Summer Breeze, which is a beautiful light minty green color! It is so peaceful and subtle. I love it! What we did was put one coat of the Olympic zero VOC primer, then we put on two coats of the zero VOC Summer Breeze paint. I love that there is now no smell in her room, and the paint dried super fast! I think it was dry in like 30 minutes!

I also ordered a Madeira Red color, which is a beautiful deep red color, which we are also going to use on her room! We got both of these paints and the primer from our local Lowe's, so you can find them very conveniently.

One other thing I wanted to mention is Olympic's new online color visualizer - ColorClix. The next time you see an inspirational color that you love, capture the color and ColorClix will match it for you. Then, you just take your printout to your nearest Lowe's and get your Olympic zero VOC paint match! How easy and convenient is that? It is a wonderful free tool to take advantage of!

To learn more about how Olympic is going green, check out their Go Green page. It has great tips, explanations and videos about how they are going green and you can too!

And now for the best part - we are giving away two cans of Olympic zero VOC paint and one primer to one of my fabulous readers! How awesome is that?

Here are the ways to enter this great giveaway:

Just fulfill the mandatory entry and then add as many extra entries as you choose.

Mandatory Entry:

Become a public follower of this blog, Your World: Healthy and Natural and comment about it.

For more entries:

Visit Olympic and tell me some of your painting ideas or favorite colors. (1 entry)

Sign up for emailed promotions and updates from Olympic. (1 entry)

Tell me one thing you learned about zero VOC paint. (1 entry)

Subscribe to Your World: Healthy and Natural and comment about it. (1 entry)

Vote for Your World: Healthy and Natural on Top Mommy Blogs or We're on the Fence. (1 entry per vote)

Blog about this giveaway and link back to this post.(3 entries)

Like Your World: Healthy and Natural on Facebook.(1 entry)

Follow @carathenatural on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway.(1 entry)

Comment on any of my posts about healthy and natural living that you have never commented on before. I love to hear your thoughts!! (1 entry)

The deadline for this giveaway is November 15th at 11:59 pm EST, at which time a winner will be randomely chosen. Make sure that you include your email in your comments because if I can't get a hold of you, you can't win!

* Thank you to Olympic for this product for review! Disclosure - This product was given for review through Olympic for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.*

What's All The Fuss About Fiber?

Eat more fiber! That's what the National Institutes of Health, the American Heart Association, and the American Dietetic Association all say we should do. Yet, if you're like most Americans and you're eating white bread and French fries instead of brown rice and broccoli, or drinking apple juice instead of eating a fresh apple, you're probably getting only half the amount of fiber you need every day. And if you're not getting enough fiber, you're missing out on a whole bunch of health benefits. So what exactly is dietary fiber and why is it important?

Fiber is good for your digestive system and so much more! Dietary fiber includes all parts of plant foods that your body can't digest or absorb. Unlike fats, proteins, or carbohydrates in the foods you eat, your body does not break down, digest, or absorb fiber. Therefore, it passes relatively intact through your stomach, small intestine, colon, and out of your body. It might seem like fiber doesn't do much, but it plays several important roles in maintaining your health. In addition to helping your digestive system run smoothly and supporting long-term colon health, a high-fiber diet can also aid in weight loss—and may even help lower cholesterol and help control blood-sugar levels.

So how much fiber do you need every day? Strive to meet the recommended dietary intake for adults, which is 25–35 grams a day, and get the fiber you need by eating a variety of plant-based foods daily. Good choices include oatmeal, beans, berries, nuts, dark, leafy, green vegetables, and whole grain breads and cereals.

If you know you are not getting enough fiber through your diet, consider taking a high quality fiber supplement such as: Shaklee fiber plan tablets, Organic Fiber Advantage Chewy Apple Cinnamon Bars, or Shaklee Fiber Plan Mix, which is also an excellent source of Vitamin C. Fiber supplements are also great, because having plenty of fiber helps you flush toxins out your body, which is something we all need!

To Your Great Health!!

Kissaluvs Cloth Diaper Review and Giveaway

I am still working on getting my 2 year old son to stay dry through the night. I don't even know if I should be working on it at his age, but he has been potty-trained since he was 16 months, so I feel like this is the next step...Anyways, so I prefer to use cloth diapers with him. I think it helps him realize he has soaked his diaper too. You probably already know all my other money-saving reasons and natural living reasons for cloth diapering. I am a huge fan of cloth-diapering!!

I was very excited to try a new company - Kissaluvs! What caught my eye about this company was that they are a family owned business that is deeply invested in natural products, helping parents make great decisions, and happy babies! Plus, all of their diapers are made here in the USA! Besides making cloth diapers, they also make diaper covers, cloth wipes, wet bags, and more.

I received one of their Organic Cotton/Hemp Fitted Diapers. Mine is a size medium/large, which fits children between 15-40 lbs.

Let me tell you more about the cloth that goes into this diaper.

• Organic Cotton: Organic cotton is the perfect fabric for diapers. Not only does this pure fabric provide the best for your baby, it's also environmentally safe. It is grown without any harmful sprays, chemicals, or pesticides. It's what gives their diapers that character and natural color. Organic cotton takes substantially more time and effort to cultivate, and therefore costs more, but it's worth it.
  
• Hemp: Hemp plant has been around for thousands of years and is known for its sturdiness and durability. It is one of the most, if not the most durable natural fiber known to mankind. It is naturally anti-bacterial and requires no irrigation, uses no herbicides, pesticides or synthetic fertilizers and gets harvested and processed by hand. Its positive environmental impact and naturally anti-bacterial properties make it a wonderful choice for our diapers. Its porous nature provides superior absorbency and makes it softer with each wash.

These two fabrics are a huge reason why I just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this diaper! You just can't get a safer diaper for your little one's sensitive bottom. And it is so wonderfully soft! I also love the snap-in soaker that helps protect against a really full diaper. When my son wears this diaper for bed, most of the time, he really fills this diaper, so the snap-in soaker is a blessing! Another thing that makes this diaper a favorite is the way it fits such a wide weight group. You could go from their newborn diaper to this M/L one, and that is all that you would need until potty-training time. How awesome is that?

Now, you will need a diaper cover for this diaper, so check out their diaper covers. They have a one size PUL cover and a wool diaper cover.

I highly recommend this diaper, and now one of you will have a chance to win your very own Organic Cotton/Hemp Fitted Diaper! Yay!!
Here is how to enter:
Just fulfill the mandatory entries and then add as many extra entries as you choose.

Mandatory Entries:

1. Name a print offered in the Kissaluvs One-Size Marvels Fitted Diapers.
2. Become a public follower of this blog, Your World: Healthy and Natural and comment about it.

For more entries:
Like Kissaluvs on Facebook. (1 entry)
Follow Kissaluvs on Twitter. (1 entry)
Subscribe to Your World: Healthy and Natural and comment about it. (1 entry)

Vote for Your World: Healthy and Natural on Top Mommy Blogs or We're on the Fence. (1 entry per vote)

Like Your World: Healthy and Natural on Facebook.(1 entry)

Blog about this giveaway and link back to this post.(3 entries)

Follow @carathenatural on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway.(1 entry)
Comment on any of my posts about healthy and natural living that you have never commented on before. I love to hear your thoughts!! (1 entry)
Grab my Your World: Healthy and Natural blog button and post it on your blog/website. (1 entry)

The deadline for this giveaway is November 12th at 11:59 pm EST, at which time a winner will be randomely chosen. Make sure that you include your email in your comments because if I can't get a hold of you, you can't win!

* Thank you to Kissaluvs for this product for review! Disclosure - This product was given for review through Kissaluvs for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.*

Soft Lips Winner!

I know many of you have been excited to see if you have won the Soft Lips giveaway. Well, we do have a winner....


The lucky lady is #67, Meredith M!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations, Meredith! Enjoy those great products!

Look for some more awesome giveaways coming up this week including:

another cloth diaper giveaway, a labeler giveaway, and Non-VOC paint and primer giveaway!

Little One Books Review and Giveaway

Oh, how I love children's books!! Since I used to be a teacher, maybe that has something to do with my huge collection of children's books and my love of them! Developing a love of reading is so important to start right from the beginning of a child's life. When I was teaching, I could definitely tell which children were read to at home. It makes a big difference!

In my years of teaching, I am sad that I never ran across Little One Books. Once I started learning about this fabulous company I just fell in love with them and all they stand for! They specialize in quality books, music and videos for children from birth through age five.

They are not like most other companies, though. Get this - their team of professionals have personally reviewed and selected each and every item in their store! That is impressive! Also, there is detailed information on why they prefer particular products in their "Why We Chose" section of each product page. For instance, I received "Food For Thought" by Saxton Freymann and Joost Elffers. When I was browsing through and came to this book, I could read their "Why We Chose" about this awesome book. Check it out! This book is one of my absolute favorites because it uses food sculptures to help teach children about shapes, colors, numbers, letters and opposites! I am planning on homeschooling my son, and this book is perfect for the preschool age. Love it!

I also love that they match each product to what they believe is the youngest appropriate age group, so you don't have to worry about that. You can just browse their selection by your child(ren)'s age, and whallah!, you will have a whole section perfect for your little one!

You can also search that same way if you are looking for music or videos. I also received the CD, "Toddlers Sing Playtime." This CD has 17 classic children's songs like: Hokey Pokey, Miss Mary Mack, and Skip to My Lou, and they are sung by children! My 2 year old son LOVES this CD because he loves hearing music sung by other children. I love it because it incorporates so many instruments such as: saxophone, clarinet, banjo, keys, bass and more. I love to practice identifying which instrument is playing with my son!

I am a huge fan of Little One Books, and I cannot recommend them enough! Go check out their website, because they are offering FREE SHIPPING until November 15th. This is the perfect opportunity to get thoughtful gifts for all the children on your Christmas list.

I have more good news...We are giving away a $25 Gift Certificate to Little One Books to one of my lucky readers!! How great is that?

Here is how to enter this fabulous giveaway:

Just fulfill the mandatory entry and then add as many extra entries as you choose.

Mandatory Entry:

Become a public follower of this blog, Your World: Healthy and Natural and comment about it.

For more entries:

Subscribe to Your World: Healthy and Natural and comment about it. (1 entry)

Vote for Your World: Healthy and Natural on Top Mommy Blogs or We're on the Fence. (1 entry per vote)

Like Your World: Healthy and Natural on Facebook.(1 entry)

Blog about this giveaway and link back to this post.(3 entries)

Follow @carathenatural on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway.(1 entry)

Follow @LittleOneBooks on Twitter. (1 entry)

Like Little One Books on Facebook.(1 entry)

Visit Little One Books and tell me your favorite book, CD, or video.(1 entry)

Comment on any of my posts about healthy and natural living that you have never commented on before. I love to hear your thoughts!! (1 entry)

The deadline for this giveaway is November 9th at 11:59 pm EST, at which time a winner will be randomely chosen. Make sure that you include your email in your comments because if I can't get a hold of you, you can't win!

* Thank you to Little One Books for this product for review! Disclosure - This product was given for review through Little One Books for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.*

Winner!

Our winner of the Jenulence giveaway is.....

#46 - Beeb



Congratulations!!

Top 10 Reasons to Quit Smoking

I have been trying to support one of my personal training clients and good friends with her goal to stop smoking. She is doing great! I came up with this list to help motivate her, and I wanted to share it with all of you too!

1. I will reduce my chances of having a heart attack or stroke.
2. I will reduce my chances of getting lung cancer, emphysema, and other lung diseases.
3. I will be cutting out numerous toxins that are in cigarettes: pesticides, herbicides used on the tobacco, bleach used on the cigarette paper, sugar and yeast that is added. Each puff of cigarette smoke contains over 4000 chemicals including: tar, nicotine, benzene, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen cyanide.
4. I will climb stairs and walk without getting out of breath.
5. I will have fewer wrinkles.
6. I will be free of the cigarette smoke smell.
7. I will reduce the number of coughs, colds, and earaches I have.
8. I will have more energy to pursue physical activities I enjoy.
9. I will treat myself to things that feed my soul and help my body with the money I save from not buying cigarettes.
10. I will have more control over my life.

Here are some nutrients that will help with the quitting process:
- B-Complex
- Stress Relief Complex
- CorEnergy

Consider what you “get” from smoking and replace it with something positive and life giving!!

Johnson's Naturals Winner!!

Our fabulously lucky winner of the Johnson's Naturals Pack is........


#83 - Chill Will

Congratulations!! What a way to start your weekend out!

I hope everyone has a great weekend! Enjoy all the great reviews and giveaways!

Northern Mom Etsy Shop Review and Giveaway

I have a fabulous mother and cloth diaper Etsy shop owner that I want to introduce you to today: Samantha from NorthernMom's Etsy Shop. She is a stay at home mom, wife and mother to three little girls and a newborn baby boy. She got into cloth diapering because she was looking for another way to live more frugally. Moms like Samantha really inspire me with their ambition and drive to make a goal happen! Love that!!

Speaking of frugal, did you know that disposables can cost between $2500-$3000 for the diapering lifetime of your child. Cloth diapers, on the other hand, for that same time can be around $300. What a savings, right? And...if you are able to use the same cloth diapers for more than 1 child, the savings are even greater!!

Want more benefits of cloth diapering? Did you know there tends to be more air circulation, less build-up of temperature, and there are little to no chemicals in cloth diapers, which is better for the baby's delicate skin and the environment!

So, back to NorthernMom Etsy shop. From the beginning, working with Samantha was a pleasure. I received an amazingly soft one size fitted bamboo fleece diaper. I have a funny little story. When I showed my 2 year old son this diaper, he felt how soft it was and wanted to use it as his pillow! :-)

The bamboo fleece makes this a truly super soft, super thick diaper, and when you put a diaper cover over it, there are no leaks! Every time I put it on my child's bottom, I feel like I am giving him a luxurious little gift for his bum.

Samantha so helpfully always includes a little card with her washing and stripping suggestions to make it easy for anyone to use this diaper. I love hearing different suggestions for stripping diapers and keeping them as clean as possible. She has some great tips!

One other thing that I loved about NorthernMom is that all the bamboo fabric used in her items are Oeko-Tex Certified. Oeko-Tex is an international testing and certification system for textiles, limiting the use of certain chemicals and heavy metals. It is said that this is even better than having an organic certification. Two thumbs way up!! I love having a sense of peace that I am keeping as many chemicals out of my children's bodies as possible.

NorthernMom also offers wet bags, diaper covers, flannel wipes and more!

Isn't this little ladybug diaper so cute??

Today, we are giving away One Set of 4 Lavendar Bamboo Flannel Wipes. Now you will see what I mean when I talk about how soft this cloth is! These are made of two layers of preshunk bamboo flannel, and they are awesome for anything from wiping your baby's bottom to washing them up after meals.


Here's how to enter:

Just fulfill the mandatory entry and then add as many extra entries as you choose.

Mandatory Entry:

Become a public follower of this blog, Your World: Healthy and Natural and comment about it.

For more entries:

Subscribe to Your World: Healthy and Natural and comment about it. (1 entry)

Vote for Your World: Healthy and Natural on Top Mommy Blogs or We're on the Fence. (1 entry per vote)

Blog about this giveaway and link back to this post.(3 entries)

Follow @carathenatural on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway.(1 entry)
Like NorthernMom on Facebook.(1 entry)
Visit NorthernMom Etsy shop and tell me your favorite product.(1 entry)
Comment on any of my posts about healthy and natural living that you have never commented on before. I love to hear your thoughts!! (1 entry)

The deadline for this giveaway is November 5th at 11:59 pm EST, at which time a winner will be randomely chosen. Make sure that you include your email in your comments because if I can't get a hold of you, you can't win!

* Thank you to NorthernMom for this product for review! Disclosure - This product was given for review through NorthernMom for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.*

Earth's Best Diaper Review

I love Earth's Best!! I have been using their products since my son was born. After thoroughly researching how safe and green they actually are, I was very happy to support them and purchase their products for my son. I love their mission, " Earth's Best Organic provides 'better for baby' products with the freshest, purest ingredients, so parents can nurture their baby's health with the utmost confidence." Love that!!.

One of my favorite products of theirs are their TenderCare Chlorine Free Diapers. They come in seven sizes, so they can fit your baby's needs throughout their diaper years. I received their size 6 diapers for my 2 year old son, who only wears diapers at night now.

Here is what sets Earth's Best diapers apart from others:

• Non-chorine bleached materials - safer for your baby and they reduce dioxin pollution released into the environment


• Contains natural absorbant material such as corn and wheat - annually renewable resources that reduce the use of petro-chemicals


• They also have a non-woven inner and outer cover, made with plant-based renewable resources


• Super Absorbency


• Comfy stretchy refastenable tabs


• Latex-free, dye-free, perfume-free


• Moisture barrier cuff


• Breathable sides
  

There are 22 diapers in each package, and they are actually a very reasonable price! This is the best option I have found for disposable diapers for an eco-friendly mom on a budget.

They also have chlorine-free wipes, other helpful diapering products, organic foods for infants, toddlers and kids, and so much more. Their products are safer for your baby and the environment! You can find these diapers at many stores near you. I like to use their store locator to find what I am looking for. It is so great, because it lets you search for the exact product you want and in whatever travel distance you are looking for.

Check out Earth's Best and tell me what you think!

Have You Heard of CSN?

I guess the real question I should be asking is, "Who has never heard of CSN?" It is one of my all-time favorite online stores. That is mostly because they have OVER 200 STORES!!! That is pretty amazing, if you ask me, because you can literally find something for anyone across these stores.

I love shopping there, because I am often buying organic and natural products that I find very hard to find at most stores. The bonus about shopping at CSN stores is that they have free shipping on almost everything! You can't beat that!

As you know, my family is growing and we are going to be at max capacity for our kitchen table. That got me thinking about the easy fix of adding a barstool or two to our island. As I was looking through CSN's collection, I was loving this idea more and more. So, whether I decide to go with the barstools or whether I find the perfect Christmas present for that hard person to shop for, I am going to love shopping at CSN this season.

It is a shopper's paradise!

Winner!!!

Happy Wednesday!!

We are half way through the week. Hooray!

Today, we had a winner of Maty's Natural Cough Syrup and Chest Rub - #45 - Marci!!
Congratulations!!

We have a ton of awesome giveaways going on right now including:

Dustin Maher's Fitness DVDs

Johnson's Naturals 5 product Set - this one ends tomorrow 10/21!

Bummas Tropical Set

and there are several more! Good luck everyone!

Dustin Maher's Fitness DVDs Review and Giveaway

Fitness, nutrition, and health are major passions in my life, which is why I am a fitness instructor, nutrition consultant, and personal trainer. I also used to be an elementary school teacher, which I think is the reason I have such a passion to keep learning new things myself. That is why I was very excited to have Dustin Maher, a fellow personal trainer and fitness instructor, get in contact with me and offer his fitness DVDs for me to review and share with all of you!
Besides being a fitness instructor and personal trainer, Dustin is also a motivational speaker and women's fitness advocate. He says, "I love helping everyone I come in contact with get in better shape. I especially enjoy helping moms to look even better than before having kids."

Dustin offers a whole DVD program called Fit Moms For Life - an ultimate fat-burning, tightening, toning, total body home workout. Dustin's philosophy is that mothers must love and put themselves first in order to be the best mom possible for their kids. Fit Moms For Life teaches a lifestyle of health through proper exercise, nutrition, and family balance.

I am a huge advocate of looking at someone's whole lifestyle when trying to help them get healthy and fit, so I agree with him completely here!

The Fit Moms For Life program has 12 DVDs (one for each month), which include a nutritional lesson, interview with the mom of the month, warm-up, strength training, cardio, core work, and flexibility. I love the idea that there is a new DVD each month, so you don't get bored or let your body become used to the same workout for too long. The only things you need for these workouts are: an exercise ball and dumbbells. He makes these workouts effecient and effective, which is important for moms on the go.

Another DVD set Dustin offers is the "Got Core?" 2 DVD set. This set is great for toning abs, strengthening your back, and improving posture. The "Got Core?" set includes 8 levels of core workouts that focus on all the 4 abdominal muscle groups. If you want to really tone your core, you have to tone up each muscle group, not just do crunches. I was very impressed with the exercises on this DVD. You can choose to start out at a lower level and work your way up, or you can mix and match. They are really all great moves!

The last DVD that I received was "Ultimate Buddy Bootcamp." This set includes 4 DVDs, each with a warmup, strength training, cardio, core, and stretching segment. You can do each workout with a friend, your spouse or significant other. The great part about this kind of workout is how you can encourage each other and make it lighthearted so you don't forget that exercise can be fun! During parts of each workout you are doing seperate exercises, but most of it you do working together. Again, I loved Dustin's unique ideas and exercises!!

Here are more of my overall thoughts on Dustin Maher's Fitness DVD's:

Pros:

• He really knows what he is talking about! You will be able to learn some awesome tips on healthy living.
  
• He gives lots of great pointers to keep you using the right posture and form.


• I love how challenging these workouts are. They will help you get into the shape you want!


• I so agree with his philosophy on the importance of good protein in your diet. Just as he does, I also think it is so important to have my clients drinking a protein shake every day. My recommendation is Shaklee Cinch shakes. These are so important for rebuilding those muscles, a better metabolism, and really better health overall.

Cons:

• I would have loved having music during the workouts. I think upbeat, uptempo music really helps motivate and keep you going through a workout. I guess you could always play your own in the background.


• In his nutrition sections, I wish he would have talked a little more about the benefits of organic food - less toxins, more nutritious, etc.


• I think there was a little too much break time in between certain moves in the "Fit Moms For Life" set. I am a pretty tough instructor, so if you want to be pushed even further, I would recommend just continuing with cardio or strength moves through some of the break time.
  

Overall, I agree with Dustin on so many things, and I highly recommend these DVDs to everyone! He is a very knowledgeable trainer, and his "getting in shape" philosophy is right on! I believe you will notice a change in your body after working out with these DVDs, because the moves are so effective.

Now, just take that first step and go for it!! The best time to start getting healthy and fit is TODAY!! To purchase any of Dustin Maher's fitness DVD's, just check out his website.

To help you get started, Dustin is offering a fabulous giveaway to one of our readers that includes: One "Got Core?" DVD Set, One "Ultimate Buddy Bootcamp" DVD set, and Two of the DVDs from the "Fit Moms For Life" Series. So awesome, right?

Here's how to enter:

Just fulfill the mandatory entry and then add as many extra entries as you choose.

Mandatory Entry:

Become a public follower of this blog, Your World: Healthy and Natural and comment about it.

For more entries:

Answer the questions: Why is being a fit healthy mom important to you? How do you think Dustin Maher's DVDs will help? (1 entry)

Subscribe to Your World: Healthy and Natural and comment about it. (1 entry)

Vote for Your World: Healthy and Natural on Top Mommy Blogs or We're on the Fence. (1 entry per vote)

Blog about this giveaway and link back to this post.(3 entries)

Follow @carathenatural on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway.(1 entry)

Visit Dustin Maher's website and tell me one thing you learned.(1 entry)

Comment on any of my posts about healthy and natural living that you have never commented on before. I love to hear your thoughts!! (1 entry)

The deadline for this giveaway is November 3rd at 11:59 pm EST, at which time a winner will be randomely chosen. Make sure that you include your email in your comments because if I can't get a hold of you, you can't win!

* Thank you to Dustin Maher for their product for review! Disclosure - This product was given for review through Dustin Maher for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.*

"Celebrate Green" Book Review

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, women control 80% of household spending, do 60% of the online shopping, and buy 81% of all products and services. Women also spend five trillion dollars per year, and this amount continues to grow. Do you realize how much we can effect change with all those voting dollars?

"What if each and every woman began to think sustainably and (when reducing and reusing was not an option) spent a percentage of her dollar 'votes' on people or earth-friendly products and services?" This is a question that is posed by the authors of "Celebrate Green" - a fabulous book full of practical, fun, inexpensive ways to introduce eco-friendly ideas into your holidays and celebrations.

The authors - mother and daughter team, Corey Colwell-Lipson and Lynn Colwell, are so personable and funny from the very beginning of the book. To read more about these ladies and why they started writing this book, check out the About section on their website. This is a very easy to read book, full of practical ideas and realistic comments by the authors. They realize changing your whole life to live greener can be overwhelming, so they suggest choosing a few ideas to start with. As Lynn says, "Doing something, after all, is way better than doing nothing." I completely agree with this statement! It has been a journey for me to go green, and I have loved every moment of it."

The book begins with discussing what the authors think all green celebrations should start with - the 3 Rs - Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. They also introduce the 3 Gs - Good for People, Good for the Planet, and Good for the Community. This section is full of inspiring and thought-provoking facts and practical ways to apply them to celebrating holidays. I just LOVED this section!!

After that, the book is divided into seasons of the year and which holidays are celebrated in those seasons. This book is very comprehensive, covering every holiday from Mother's Day to Cinco de Mayo to Hanukkah to Valentine's Day. It also has a section for Year Round Celebrations such as: Baby Showers, Weddings, Birthdays, Graduations and more.

At the end of the book, they have listed helpful websites, the GreenSmart Glossary (definitions of eco-terms), and empty pages designed for you to write down the notes and ideas that you have tried for each season of the year. I love the notes section, because I can keep track of what ideas I have tried and remind myself of what to try for each holiday.

I have nothing but wonderful things to say about this book. It is so fun to read, and has so many helpful tips. I have been researching and implementing green changes in my family's life for several years now, but I still had a great time learning new things in this book that I can't wait to try out. I know you will too!! This is also a great book to give as a gift for any occasion. You can buy the book here.

I have a great deal to offer all of my fabulous readers - From now until November 2nd, you can get 40% off the cover price of "Celebrate Green" and get FREE shipping in the US. Just go to this link and enter the code YOURWORLD2.

* Thank you to Corey and Lynn for their book for review! Disclosure - This product was given for review through Corey and Lynn for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.*

Skin2Spirit Body Mousse Review and Giveaway

I am a major "smells" person. What in the world does that mean? Well, I have a very sensitive nose, and now that I am pregnant, it is even stronger. I love good scents, and I crave them. But at the same time, I can pick up a lot of bad smells, and they make me want to throw up. (Just ask my husband) :-)



So, when I saw the Skin2Spirit Etsy shop, and I saw all the delectable smelling body mousses, I knew I wanted to try them! I received the "Happy" Shea Body Mousse. It was a perfect fit for me! I think citrus scents are so energizing and uplifting. "Happy" is scented with sweet orange essential oil, lemon essential oil, lime essential oil, & a touch of mint essential oil. I love it, and every time I smell it, it makes me smile!



It is not just the scent that makes me smile, though. Skin2Spirit uses no synthetic fragrances of any kind. Did you know that not all essential oils are natural? They can't all be made from fruits and berries. For example, there is no such thing as “Strawberry, Raspberry, Peach, Blueberry” etc. essential oils, so most companies use “fragrance oils” which are NOT all natural. Skin2Spirit uses real fruit extracts made with a new technology that is cold-processed using extraction without the use of any colorants, fillers, diluting agents or preservatives. These fruits smell exactly like the real fruit because they ARE real fruit. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this!


I also really appreciate that this body mousse is made with pure aloe as the main ingredient. The shea and cocoa butters are whipped until light and fluffy - it looks & feels like mousse, yet is absorbed quickly into your skin & is not sticky! Now, maybe I am just not experienced enough in this area, but I have never used a body mousse that is so light and fluffy. When you put this body mousse on your skin, it makes your skin feel ultra soft and smooth.

Now, you know how I always talk about that skin is our largest organ, and what we put on our skin is absorbed very quickly in our bloodstream. Well, how do you think your skin would like to be fed with 9 organic super fruit extracts like: acai berry, blueberry, brown seaweed, goji berry, mangosteen, noni berry, pomegranate, GAC fruit, sea buckthorn, and green tea? Oh, yes, your skin will love it! Antioxidants protect against inflammation and free radical damage, which we are very susceptible to.

This body mousse is an amazing treat for your senses, your skin's health, and your mood! Not to mention, Skin2Spirit's products are a great price for the quality you are receiving! Besides body mousse, they also offer soy candles, body lotion, natural perfume, and more bath and shower products.


Boy, oh boy, do I have a treat for you today? That is right! We are giving away one Whipped Shea Body Mousse in either Lemon Lavendar, Counting Sheep, or Stress Less to one very lucky winner!! Check out all three scents here. Let's give a big thank you to Skin2Spirit for this great giveaway!


Now, here is how to enter!

Just fulfill the mandatory entry and then add as many extra entries as you choose.

Mandatory Entry:

Become a public follower of this blog, Your World: Healthy and Natural and comment about it.

For more entries:

Subscribe to Your World: Healthy and Natural and comment about it. (1 entry)

Vote for Your World: Healthy and Natural on Top Mommy Blogs or We're on the Fence. (1 entry per vote)

Blog about this giveaway and link back to this post. (3 entries)

Follow @carathenatural on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway.(1 entry)

Tell me one thing you learned about Skin2Spirit after checking out their bio. (1 entry)

Check out Skin2Spirit's Etsy Shop and tell me the product(s) you would most like to try. (1 entry)

Refer a friend as a public follower to our blog: Your World: Healthy and Natural. (1 entry for each of you)

Comment on any of my posts about healthy and natural living that you have never commented on before. I love to hear your thoughts!! (1 entry)

The deadline for this giveaway is November 2nd at 11:59 pm EST, at which time a winner will be randomely chosen. Make sure that you include your email in your comments because if I can't get a hold of you, you can't win!

* Thank you to Skin2Spirit for their product for review! Disclosure - This product was given for review through Skin2Spirit for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.*

"Glimpsing God" Book Review

I received a wonderful book, "Glimpsing God," by Rachel Alkire a few weeks ago. I actually finished reading this book in THREE days! It was such a beautifully written book that is a really personal look at one mother's emotional struggle as she is faced with challenge after challenge in her family life.

Let me give you a little glimpse into what this story is about: "This dramatic true story begins with typical struggles of a young family and how quickly the storms of life change into hurricane proportions. From a near death experience of the mother of five children to neighborhood bullies smashing the only daughter’s skull. It continues with the devastating blow of an auto accident that leaves the oldest son lifeless on the side of an expressway to revealing the one in a million odds of three of the five children being diagnosed with an irreparable genetic brain disorder. This story concludes with a semi crash on a bridge on a dark stormy night permanently disabling the father."
"How can one family shoulder the unbelievable burdens? How can one woman find peace in the midst of the turmoil tearing at her family? Where is God? Why is He punishing them? Will He help them withstand the pressures or will it destroy them?"

I immediately felt a little connection with this author, Rachel Alkire, because she is a from a city that is only about two hours away from where I live in Michigan. So, when she talks about certain places in the book, I know where she is talking about.

This book was such a heart-wrenching book. Since I knew it was a true story, I just wanted to reach out to her and help her with whatever I could. This is one amazing mother, and I am so thankful that she shares her true feelings as she goes through her struggles. All mothers experience different struggles. We may not all experience the same struggles as Rachel, but we can be inspired by her and receive strength the same way she did - from our faith. Throughout the book she struggled with trusting God as she felt alone and overwhelmed. I certainly could relate with her struggle to trust God, and that He has the best plan for us no matter how it feels to us.

By the end of the book, Rachel has a beautiful picture she uses to explain what she has learned through her journey. She says, "As with plants, some people would die if their life was constant. If there was never a rainy season or a cold season, plants would never reach their full potential. For without the dormancy of winter germination, they would cease. Without the seasons, the trials, growth, my growth, would be stifled." I really agree with her that challenges in our life help build character and strength in each of us!

I recommend this book to all of you. It really brings our life and our struggles into perspective. I kept thinking, "If she can get through that, I can get through this."

You can find, "Glimpsing God" right here on Amazon. Let it inspire and motivate you!

Belly Button Bliss Book Winner!

Congratulations to #20, Tiffany!! You are the lucky winner of this fabulous encouraging book!

Enjoy, Enjoy, Enjoy!!

We have lots of fabulous reviews and giveaways coming up this week! So stay tuned...

Bummas Review and Giveaway

The last thing you want on your baby's bum are harsh and dangerous chemicals. That is why you may want to think about replacing irritating powders, talcs and ointments with Bummas wipes. They are cloth wipes that will dry off your baby's bottom very well, so that you don't have to deal with irritated skin on your baby's sensitive areas.

Bummas are made from 100% woven terry cotton cloth. They are a cute little 5x7 size, which is perfect for storing in a little plastic baggy in your diaper bag. You can also use them in place of wet wipes, which is an awesome way to save on waste and live a little greener. They go right in the washing machine, and they come out of the drier as soft as ever!

I received the Bummas new Tropical colors, which are so vibrant and fun! I love using them with just a little water to clean up my son after a long night in a cloth diaper. They feel soft on him, and I can just throw them in the washing machine and be done with it. I am not wasting paper, putting any harmful chemicals on his skin, and saving myself money in the process. That is something every mom loves, right?

I also love that you can use Bummas to catch the squirting that may jump out at you from your little son whose diaper you just opened. Another way I like to use Bummas is for snotty noses or sneezing. It is another green choice to save on kleenex and save yourself money. Just have some Bummas handy wherever you go, and you will be covered!

Check out all of Bummas color varieties that you can choose from. Besides The Tropical Ones, I really like The Calm Ones too. If you can't decide on just one color, then get a couple sets. You will find so many uses for them!

If you find yourself as excited about Bummas as I am, you are going to be really pumped for this giveaway! Bummas is giving away one set of The Tropical Ones to one of our fabulous readers! Yay!

Here's how to enter:

Just fulfill the mandatory entry and then add as many extra entries as you choose.

Mandatory Entry:

Become a public follower of this blog, Your World: Healthy and Natural and comment about it.

For more entries:

Subscribe to Your World: Healthy and Natural and comment about it. (1 entry)

Vote for Your World: Healthy and Natural on Top Mommy Blogs or We're on the Fence. (1 entry per vote)

Blog about this giveaway and link back to this post.(3 entries)

Follow @carathenatural on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway.(1 entry)

Tell us any more ideas you have for how you could use Bummas. (1 entry)

Become a friend of Bummas on Facebook.(1 entry)

Refer a friend as a public follower to our blog: Your World: Healthy and Natural. (1 entry for each of you)

Comment on any of my posts about healthy and natural living that you have never commented on before. I love to hear your thoughts!! (1 entry)

The deadline for this giveaway is October 29th at 11:59 pm EST, at which time a winner will be randomely chosen. Make sure that you include your email in your comments because if I can't get a hold of you, you can't win!

* Thank you to Bummas for their product for review! Disclosure - This product was given for review through Bummas for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.*

Nature's Path Organic Review

How is this to get your attention?

Recent studies suggest that more than 1 million children between the ages of 1 and 5 ingest at least 15 pesticides every day.

Yikes! And, no, that is not just from pesticides in the air or ground. We are talking about pesticides on food that you think is safe. That is one of the reasons that I have chosen to go organic with the food my family eats. We want to fuel our bodies with the purest, most natural foods we can!

One of the companies that we love is Nature's Path Organics. Eating organic with Nature’s Path is a fun and tasty way to help babies and children avoid the toxins I mentioned above as they grow. It is also a fabulous way for adults to enjoy their favorite foods too!

Nature's Path is a family company that has a strong and beautiful message for us: "Because growing organic, healthy foods in a sustainable way is our passion—the cornerstone of our family company. It’s where, and how, it all began. But we also know that when it comes down to it—no matter what kind of a difference we want to make as a company, and no matter how much you share those values—if our food isn’t delicious and exciting, we’re not living up to our fullest potential. Healthy foods don’t need to be boring and tasteless. We know you’ll be pretty impressed when you read our labels. But we hope you’ll be even more impressed when you take your first bite."

I don't know why some people have the notion that organic and natural food is yucky. I think the opposite is true. I don't like the taste of chemicals and additives. I like the taste of fresh and healthy! If you give organic food a chance, I think you will see what I mean.

Let me introduce you to a few of Nature's Path's products. They offer hot and cold cereals, granola, bars and cookies, toaster pastries, baking mixes and more.

I received several cereals from them which I had never tried before. I think my favorite was their Vanilla Almond FlaxPlus Granola. Besides tasting delicious and fulfilling any sugar cravings I have, this cereal is full of healthy goodness. It is a great source of Omega-3's from the flax seeds. It is also high in fiber, contains no trans fats, and has a good amount of protein in it. I also love their Pumpkin FlaxPlus Granola for all of the same reasons. So tasty, yet so good for you!!

One of my favorite ways to eat these granola cereals is to fill half my bowl with the granola and then fill the other half with their new gluten-free Whole O's. These are the organic healthier version of cheerios. They are good all by themself, but I love mixing them with the granola too. One of my other favorite things about these Whole-O's is that they don't get soggy while soaking in milk. After making my son's breakfast, they are still as crunchy as ever!

They also have several other cold cereals like their Crunchy Vanilla Sunrise (also gluten-free). It is made from organic corn, rice, flax, quinoa, buckwheat and amaranth. This cereal is lightly sweetened, and it has cute little puffs to go along with the flakes and crispies. Lovely textures!! My 2 year old son says, "They are so yummy, Mommy. Thank you, Mommy."

Now, let's move on to chocolate!! I had never tried their granola bars before, so it was a treat for me to indulge in their Chococonut bar. I am a huge fan of chocolate, and since I have been pregnant, that has only grown stronger. These delicious bars are made from organic dark chocolate and 12 grams of whole grains!! I love the little flakes of coconut mixed with the crunchy oats and chocolate chips. Yes, granola bars can be good for you and a sweet treat at the same time!!

Besides all these deliciously healthy foods, Nature's Path is also on a path to sustainability. They have recently made some awesome changes in their packaging to reduce their box size by 10%, while still giving out the same amount of the products we love! The paper savings alone is equals over 1000 trees per year! Two thumbs up for that green move!!

Now that you know more about Nature's Path, run out and find them at your nearest grocery store or buy them online.

Winner!

The winner of our Belvedere Designs Gift Card is .......

#58 - bmom76 - Congratulations!!!!!!

You will love using your gift card to pick out one of their beautiful wall designs!
Have a beautiful Thursday!

Persnickety Knits Review

My daughter is going to be born in December, and in Michigan, the winters are long and cold, so I was very excited to find a cute little knit hat for her from a beautiful Etsy shop - Persnickety's Knits. It is run by a busy mom of four children who has a serious passion and creative genius for creating beautiful knit items.

She makes everything from the most fashionable little hats to simple diaper covers to lovely lace wraps. The pictures of the babies wearing her fashions are enough to make you just want to stare lovingly at them all day - they are so darling!!!

I was very excited to receive one of her tassel hats in pink with a cute white bow to match the white tassel. So darling!! I can't wait to put it on my daughter's sweet little head and take picture after picture. But, for right now, my son's little baby that he is practicing being a big brother with will have to suffice. It was his idea to put this cute hat on "his baby."

" This hat is not just absolutely cute as pie, it is made from organic wool, which I just love!! She chooses to support local based businesses with the 3/50 Project - by purchasing yarn with local small businesses she knows she will have amazing specialty yarn stores to shop from, truly bringing all of us a one of a kind quality product.

You have got to head on over to Persnickety's Knits and check out all of her beautiful work. Not only will you have a beautiful item to pamper and photograph your baby in, but you will be supporting a wonderful mother and hardworking woman who puts her passion into providing us quality beautiful knit pieces. Her shop is the kind that I LOVE to support!

Need Help!!

Good morning!

I am trying to find some really high quality air purifiers for our home. I would like them to also generate negative ions, if possible too. I know that many of you are health conscious and know a lot about natural living also, so I would love anyone's thoughts or suggestions on this topic! Thanks so much!!

Have a great healthy day!
Cara

"Ditch The Joneses" Book Review

I know one thing that I am thankful for every day is the ability to be a stay at home mom. Granted, I have my own business, teach fitness classes, and am a personal trainer. But, I still get to spend lots of precious hours with my family! Every moment with my son is something I treasure, even if I feel like ripping my hair out sometimes.

That is why I want to share this book with you today - "Ditch The Joneses, Discover Your Family - How to Thrive on Less Than Two Incomes." I know most moms or dads don't want to miss moments with their families, but they feel they have no other choice than to work. In a poll by Survey USA, 73 percent of moms surveyed said being a two-income family doesn't allow enough time with the kids, and 87 percent said they would prefer to be home if they could afford to. If you are in that situation, I think you will find this book invaluable! Cathi Brese Doebler, the author of "Ditch the Joneses", says the purpose of the book is "to help parents make decisions about their finances that will allow them to actively seek more time together with their children and spouse." To read more about Cathi, check out her short bio.

This book challenges the assumption that you have to have two incomes to survive in today's economy. It will take you on a journey to decide what is best for your family, give you tips on saving money, and help you appreciate the joy of what family means.

I love how she has devotional thoughts to start the book, and she also incudes Bible passages and prayers with each chapter to encourage and guide you. I also really appreciated the practical tips that are applicable for every family, no matter what you are going through financially.

She gives you a whole chapter dedicated to answering the question: Can You Afford to Work? This chapter lets you plug in your own personal facts into the worksheet so you can see how much it really costs to work and how much you are actually taking in as income. It is really eye-opening.

There is also a whole section for figuring out a budget, which is helpful to see on paper. My favorite chapter was Chapter 7, Ways to Save Money. She has great money-saving tips for everything from food to home and transportation to clothing and toys. I think of myself as a great money-saver, but even I found some of her tips to be very useful.

Another chapter I really enjoyed was Chapter 11, Keeping Your Sanity. Being a stay at home parent is no cake walk. You have to have serious patience, and you have to still do things that keep you energized and keep you feeling like the man or woman you are. The rewards of spending more time with your family are absolutely fabulous for you and for your children!

I highly recommend this book to all parents, whether you are just planning to start a family or already have five children. I know you will find something that speaks to you! You can order this book right from the website. You can also purchase a workbook on CD.

Winner!

Hey Everyone!

We have another winner!! This lucky lady #8, Amanda, wins the Chewable Jewels set!!!!!!!!

Congratulations Amanda! Happy Tuesday!

Soft Lips Review and Giveaway

So, I have another well known company to share with you today that is available everywhere, and they have been expanding the natural/organic products that they offer - Softlips!! Wahoo! I have always been a fan of their products, but again, I stopped using them when I stopped using anything that wasn't organic and 100% natural. Now, I find out they are!!

Their Softlips PURE line are lovely lip conditioners that are USDA-certified organic and are 100% natural. They blend organic oils, beeswax and shea butter to really moisturize and nourish our lips. These products are free from pesticides, harsh chemicals and parabens. They also don't include any animal by-products or test on animals. Sounds fabulous, right? Wait until you hear the flavors...

These come in pomegranate, peppermint, acai berry, papaya, and chai tea. These yummy flavors are also 100% natural. My favorite is the chai tea. It is so awesome, because just wearing it on my lips helps me when I am craving something sweet! With the chillier and drier weather here, my lips are definitely thanking me for putting on these lip conditioners. And at the price of only $2.99 for one of these awesome lip conditioners, you can't help but buy every flavor!!

Now, let me tell you about their new line - Softlips PURE 100% natural. This new line includes several varieties - lip polish with a light coconut scent, as well as lip glosses, lip butter and tinted balms. The best part is that all of these products are free from preservatives, phthalates, sulfates, parabens, mineral oil and gluten. Hooray!!

Have you ever used a lip polish to exfoliate your lips? If not, you have gotta try it!! A lot of times we forget our lips, and they are last on our list of what to exfoliate(if we ever have time for it). I tried out Softlips PURE 100% Natural lip polish, and after I was done, my lips felt heavenly. I wanted to just smack them around all day. It is infused with organic coconut flakes and sugar crystals to help remove all that dead flaky skin on our gorgeous lips. You just massage it around on your lips in a circular motion, then rinse with water and wipe clean. It is that easy! LOVE IT!

Also in their new line is their Natural Lip Butter, which provides serious hydration for really dry lips plus SPF 15 to protect from the sun. If you didn't know, the skin on your lips is really thin and fragile, so protecting it with the lip butter is really a great option!!

I also tried out their lip glosses, which are fabulous! These also have SPF 15 in them, and they come in three lovely shades - Shell Pink, Natural Honesty, and Coral Charm. All three colors left my lips beautiful, tinted, and shiny. I love how awesome a good lip gloss can make you look with such minimal effort! That is my kind of beauty product!

Then, last, but not least, is their Natural Lip Tint. What makes these different than the lip gloss is that these come in a stick applicator and they have extra ingredients to condition your lips as they tint them with just a little color. They still have SPF 15, and they come in the same colors as the lip gloss, but they are a wonderful addition to the collection.

I love taking care of my lips, keeping them healthy and beautiful, and Softlips new Natural line really has everything you need to do that in a safe, nontoxic way! I give the whole new line a big big thumbs up!! I also want to mention that their packaging is made of recyclable material and uses vegetable based inks, which I also love!! Way to go Softlips!

I want to share these lovely products with you too, so we are giving away one set of the Softlips PURE 100% Natural products (3 lip glosses, 3 lip tints, lip butter, and lip polish) to one lucky winner!!! Thank you Softlips for this great giveaway!

Here's how to enter:

Just fulfill the mandatory entry and then add as many extra entries as you choose.

Mandatory Entry:

Become a public follower of this blog, Your World: Healthy and Natural and comment about it.

For more entries:

Subscribe to Your World: Healthy and Natural and comment about it. (1 entry)

Vote for Your World: Healthy and Natural on Top Mommy Blogs or We're on the Fence. (1 entry per vote)

Blog about this giveaway and link back to this post.(3 entries)

Follow @carathenatural on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway.(1 entry)

Tell me which one of Softlips PURE naturals collection you want to try most. (1 entry)

Follow @ilovesoftlips on Twitter.(1 entry)

Become a friend of Softlips on Facebook.(1 entry)

Refer a friend as a public follower to our blog: Your World: Healthy and Natural. (1 entry for each of you)

Comment on any of my posts about healthy and natural living that you have never commented on before. I love to hear your thoughts!! (1 entry)

The deadline for this giveaway is October 25th at 11:59 pm EST, at which time a winner will be randomely chosen. Make sure that you include your email in your comments because if I can't get a hold of you, you can't win!

* Thank you to Softlips for their product for review! Disclosure - This product was given for review through Softlips for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.*

Winner and More Fun Stuff...

Happy Sunday!!

I don't know about you all, but I am sure enjoying Fall! Yesterday, I made pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, baked pumpkin seeds, and froze more pumpkin for Thanksgiving!! Yay!! Pumpkin is super good for you and yummy too! Pumpkin seeds are loaded with protein and lots of vitamins!

I also wanted to share with you about our continued journed for a nontoxic nursery for our little arrival coming in 7 weeks!! Yesterday, we purchased a dresser for her that is made completely from unfinished wood, so it has no toxic finishes or paints. We are planning on using a Zero VOC paint to finish it.(which I will be doing a review and giveaway for pretty soon!)

Now onto the winner for today -

Congratulations to #32, Donna, for winning the fabulous Babo Botanicals Giveaway!!!!!!!! Wahoo!! You will love their products. They are especially wonderful for any skin conditions and sensitive skin.

Enjoy the last day of the weekend!

Cara

Jenulence Makeup Review and Giveaway

I don't know about you, but when I started learning what the ingredients are in conventional makeup and facial products, I threw all mine out and started over from scratch with organic natural products.

You really have to be your own advocate when purchasing products that will be safe for you and your family! I want to make it just that much easier for you, which is why I started this blog. I want to bring you a company today that has safe, pure, natural makeup and other personal care products - Jenulence. I love them because their makeup and cosmetics are mineral-based, and their skin care is natural and organic!

I love, love, love their motto: "If you can't eat it, don't use it on your skin!" Now, those are pure ingredients! Jenulence understands that skin is a living, breathing and detoxifying organ, which absorbs what we put on it. I love that they are a small family owned company that really focuses on quality! You won't find any artificial ingredients in their products. All their products are environmentally friendly, biodegradable and they are never tested on animals. They do not use nano-particles, micronized minerals or FD&C, D&C or Aluminum Lake dyes that are almost always used in all conventional cosmetics and many mineral makeup products.

I received their Milk Shake powder concealer for redness. I don't usually wear makeup, mostly because I don't have time and haven't found great natural products. But, Jenulence has helped change that! This pure mineral concealer works great to cover redness, dark spots, blemishes, and under eye dark circles. I love knowing I am applying something pure and light onto my skin. This also takes almost no time to apply, which is great for busy women. You can use a soft natural facial brush, special concealer brush, sponge or just your clean fingers to apply it.

They have all kinds of different concealers and foundations to fit each personal's individual needs and skin tones.

I also received the Flower Essence Cleanser. This cleanser can be used every day on all skin types. It does not contain synthetic detergents or emulsifiers and cleanses the skin without drying and stripping it of natural oils. The colloidal base is made from flower infusion, Aloe Vera gel, organic ground oats, and certified organic Castille liquid soap - the most natural and gentle soap available. Now, that is something I want to put on my face every day. Let's feed our skin instead of strip it! Again, this is very easy to use: just wet hands and rub a small amount of this cleanser between hands. Then rub it on your face in circular motions. Rinse with water and pat dry. Simple, right? The feeling you have on your face after you use the Flower Essence Cleanser is fresh, clean, but not too dry. It makes me feel alive and ready for my day!

Jenulence is definitely a company that I recommend and trust to bring me what I need and want for my skin! Besides the two products I tried out, they also have all kinds of other makeup, facial toners, moisturizers, lip balms, and more bath and body products for men and women!! Visit their website and find what your skin is craving!

They are giving away one of my lucky lovely readers One Full Size Bottle of the lovely Flower Essence Cleanser!! Thank you, Jenulence!

Here's how to enter:

Just fulfill the mandatory entry and fulfill as many extra entries as you choose.

Mandatory Entry:

Become a public follower of this blog, Your World: Healthy and Natural and comment about it.

For more entries:

Subscribe to Your World: Healthy and Natural and comment about it. (1 entry)

Vote for Your World: Healthy and Natural on Top Mommy Blogs or We're on the Fence. (1 entry per vote)

Blog about this giveaway and link back to this post.(3 entries)

Follow @carathenatural on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway.(1 entry)

Subscribe to the Jenulence Newsletter in the bottom left corner of their website. (1 entry)

Follow @Jenulence on Twitter.(1 entry)

Become a friend @Jenulence on Facebook.(1 entry)

Refer a friend as a public follower to our blog: Your World: Healthy and Natural. (1 entry for each of you)

Comment on any of my posts about healthy and natural living that you have never commented on before. I love to hear your thoughts!! (1 entry)

The deadline for this giveaway is October 22nd at 11:59 pm EST, at which time a winner will be randomely chosen. Make sure that you include your email in your comments because if I can't get a hold of you, you can't win!

* Thank you to Jenulence for their product for review! Disclosure - This product was given for review through Jenulence for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.*

Happy Friday Winner!

I hope everyone's Friday is going fabulously. I know it is going to be a great one for our winner of the $25 GC to Crazy Bag Lady's Etsy Shop.........................

#27 - Lynda Del.

Congratulations! Have fun picking out your favorite product(s)!!

I hope everyone enjoyed the Healthy and Natural living posts, as well as the reviews and giveaways, this week!! They are all low entry, so enter, enter, enter!!!

Enjoy the wonderful rest the weekend brings!
Cara

Spray Cleaners Safe? Better Check Again!

Listen to this: Nearly 12,000 children under age 5 go to the emergency room each year because of injuries caused by household cleaning products, according to a study in today's Pediatrics. About 40% of those injuries - or nearly 4,800 cases - are caused by spray bottles, which typically don't have child-resistant caps.

The problem here isn't necessarily having spray bottles around your house, because we have several. It is what is inside those spray bottles. Spray cleaners you buy at the store can contain a range of hazardous chemicals, from ammonia to bleach. More than 740 of all small children injured by cleaning supplies in 2006 had symptoms that were life-threatening or caused long-term disabilities, the study says.

I don't know about you, but I have seen my son spray our cleaners on his body. Granted, I am not worried, because the Shaklee Get Clean cleaners we use are completely safe for his little body. They are actually even the same ph as our skin, so I have no worries, thankfully. That is why I feel safe letting him clean with me, which he LOVES to do! :-) I don't have to be afraid of poisoning, breathing in toxic fumes, having them absorb into his skin and doing damage to his little body. It is something I am very thankful for!

But for other dangerous cleaners, it is something for parents to be concerned about. Think about it from a child's perspective. They have bright packaging, with fruity or flowery scents and bright colors, and those spray handles make them feel and look like squirt guns. We all know how curious our children can be!

Let me leave you with this story to think about. (This is not to be a scare tactic, but it is just a story to help prevent this from happening to someone else)

Tamara Ensign says it took only a few moments for her 1 1/2 yr old son, Keegan, to get into some dish soap while the two were outside "playing carwash" with his toys.

When her back was turned, "He let out a wail that I had never heard from him before," says Ensign. "Whenever he cried and tried to talk, his voice was raspy and he let bubbles out."

Ensign got no answer from the emergency number listed on the soap bottle but did reach a poison control center. She decided to take Keegan to an urgent-care clinic, and I am happy to say that he had no lasting problems related to this scare.

It sure makes you think, though, doesn't it? What kind of dangerous cleaners are in your house that could be found and played with by children? Let's say NO to dangerous chemical cleaners and yes to safer, gentle nontoxic cleaners!!

Giveaway Winner!

Today, we have one lucky lady winner of the BabyLegs Giveaway!!!

#4, TJ and Amy, you are the winner of the BabyLegs grab bag! Congratulations! You will love it!

Stay tuned for more giveaway winners coming up!

Winner, Winner!!

Today our winner of the $20 gift certificate to Six Under a Tree is......

#17 - Heather!!!

Congratulations, and have fun picking out your favorite wall decorations!

For the rest of you who didn't win this giveaway, but are dying for some wall decor, enter my Belvedere Designs $35 gift certificate giveaway!!

Maty's Health Products Review and Giveaway

With cold and flu season definitely upon us, I want to introduce you to a lovely small company that I have come to really admire for their mission and their great products - Maty's Healthy Products.

I think it is so important to hear the "why" of how a company started and what their mission is with their company. Carolyn Harrington, the cofounder of Maty's explains theirs, "In 1996, my daughter Maty was born with severe heart defects. And to make matters worse, she was born without a spleen. It was a challenging time for our family. By age five she underwent three complex surgeries to repair her heart. Although her heart was mended, she was left with difficult medical issues and a weakened immune system. Her condition made her vulnerable. Desperate to help my little girl, I devoted my time to finding natural remedies that would help her get and stay healthy. Along the way, I uncovered many traditional natural remedies that were no longer widely used. I began to apply modern knowledge of nature’s healing agents to the age old remedies I was discovering. We believe that when you GET BETTER you will DO BETTER!"

I love that, at Maty's, they are using the purest ingredients to bring us all-natural remedies that we can use to switch out some of those questionable and harmful medicines that may be in our medicine cupboards.

Right now, Maty's offers All Natural Cough Syrup for Kids and for Adults, as well as All Natural Baby Chest Rub. They manufacture these products in the USA and test each ingredient, then test each batch to ensure its safety before it reaches our homes. It is really important to me as a mother to use such high quality safe products.

Let me tell you a little bit more about these products. I received all three, and I loved them! My family uses a lot of preventative measures so that we don't get sick all that often, but when someone does get sick, it breaks my heart. My son was sick with a little cold a couple weeks ago, and I jumped at the chance to try out Maty's Baby Chest Rub. Here is what I love about it: It is made from ONLY natural ingredients like eucalyptus, dill weed, coriander, chamomile, and lavendar essential oils. It does NOT include petroleum and menthol in it, which can be irritants, causing our little ones to produce mucous and inflame the airways. Yikes! I know I grew up thinking Vicks VapoRub was the way to go, but I know better now. I much prefer all natural ingredients that are completely safe.

Maty's All Natural Cough Syrup is just as awesome. Both the children's and adult's versions begin with antioxidant rich buckwheat honey. Then they add in several immune supporting ingredients such as: apple cider vinegar, lemon peel, cinnamon, lemon balm, and more! I noticed that all these ingredients are food-based, which means I don't have to worry about side effects or unidentifiable fillers. The children's version has banana flavoring added, which I don't even think is necessary, because I don't think the adult version has a bad taste. The taste is hard to describe, other than to say, you taste the ingredients that are in it. That's what you would expect, right?

One more thing I have to mention about Maty's is the way they give back. They support the Vitamin Angels with a donation from the sale of each product! LOVE THAT!! The Vitamin Angels charity then uses 95% of every donation to distribute over 100 million supplements each year to needy children all over the world. I am a huge fan of supplementation, and I just love this cause!

Now, you can find Maty's products all over the place, including Meijer, Safeway, Rite Aid and many more. Check out the list of stores and online shops where you can purchase them.

Guess what? You got it, we are hosting a giveaway of Maty's Baby Chest Rub and All Natural Cough Syrup right here! So, enter and win!

Here is how to enter the giveaway:Just fulfill the mandatory entry and fulfill as many extra entries as you choose.

Mandatory Entry:

Become a public follower of this blog, Your World: Healthy and Natural and comment about it.

For more entries:

Subscribe to Your World: Healthy and Natural and comment about it. (1 entry)

Vote for Your World: Healthy and Natural on Top Mommy Blogs or We're on the Fence. (1 entry per vote)

Blog about this giveaway and link back to this post.(3 entries)

Follow @carathenatural on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway.(1 entry)

Like MatysHP on Facebook. (1 entry)

Visit Maty's website and tell me one thing you learned. (1 entry)

Refer a friend as a public follower to our blog: Your World: Healthy and Natural. (1 entry for each of you)

Comment on any of my posts about healthy and natural living that you have never commented on before. I love to hear your thoughts!! (1 entry)

The deadline for this giveaway is October 19th at 11:59 pm EST, at which time a winner will be randomely chosen. Make sure that you include your email in your comments because if I can't get a hold of you, you can't win!

* Thank you to Maty's Health Products for their product for review! Disclosure - This product was given for review through Maty's Health Products for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.*