Nature Baby Review

I love putting organic cotton clothes on my two children. Not only is it chemical-free, it is super soft and better for the environment. It gives me a great feeling!


Not only does Nature Baby offer children's organic clothing, but their organic clothing is as cute as a button! They put a lot of heart into their products, and it shows! They say, "Because we see babies as so precious and sensitive to their surroundings, all Nature Baby products are carefully selected for quality, purity, design and are produced in such a way that cares for the earth and it's workers."


I received some cute summer clothes for my 3 year old son. As you can see, he is very happy with his new clothes!

 He loves this cute t-shirt, and it's message is so true for my son! He can't get enough of outside, and he deeply loves trees. While watching a rainforest tree fall down on Planet Earth, he cried his little eyes out. Little sweetie...

He has seriously been running around the house in this cute organic cotton t-shirt and underwear since he got it, besides when it is in the wash. On these hot summer days, it keeps him nice and cool.


Nature Baby has loads of cute children's organic cotton clothes to help keep your children cool and cute this summer! I desperately want to get this cute Betty dress and bloomers for my daughter. Isn't it cute?

Besides organic cotton clothing, Nature Baby also has tons of other great quality products that make a difference. From Organic Wool to Bath and Skincare to Toys, they really have everything you need! Check out all their products, and while you are shopping, check out their sales.


You can also find them on Facebook, where they will keep you up to date on all their products.

*I was provided product to review, and I was under no obligation to review if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review in return for the free product.*

Xander Nash Book Review

Summertime is often a time when our children take a break from school and anything that is associated with it. I think it is important for us all to constantly keep learning, and one of the best ways for children to keep learning without even knowing it is to read a great book.

Whether you are trying to get your child to read more or you already have a sweet little bookworm, you will love the book series Xander Nash by Creation By Design.

The Xander Nash series are Bible adventure chapter books. Your child will follow Xander Nash and his little dog, Mitts, as they explore some of the great stories from the Bible, such as: Moses convincing Pharoah to let the Israelites go free, Creation, Joseph being sold by his brothers, and Noah's ark and the flood.

Each book in the series uses the CGI images that your kids are seeing in movies, computer games and video games. So it gives the book a very contemporary look that they will love. Kids will be so caught up in the adventure, they won't even realize they are learning.

These books are perfect for all children. But they are especially good for young boys ages 6-8 for whom it is so hard to find good Biblically based products. My three year old son loves these books, and he can't even read! He likes to look through them at the pictures and ask me what the story is about. Then, he pieces it all together. Soon he will be reading, and I know he will love them even more then.

I think that the titles are really clever, such as: A Wet and Wild Ride for the Noah's ark story.  I also really like that these books start out with Xander Nash in the present time learning a lesson that follows the theme of the story, that is also applicable to the young children who will read it.

Check out all that Creation By Design offers, and you can buy any of the Xander Nash books here for only $6.29 each.

*I was provided product to review, and I was under no obligation to review if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review in return for the free product.*

Winner!

Our winner of the Green Tea Plus is....

#92 - Toqua's Crafts

Congrats, and enjoy!

Free Cookbook For You!

Who likes FREE? Who likes food? Alrighty, then, how about a free cookbook? The cookbook is called, "Dinner Revolution" by Chef Jeff, and normally it sells for $27, so this is a great deal!

How are the recipes? I think they are quite good. There is a huge variety, but my favorite section was the vegetarian section. The recipes are super family-friendly, healthy, have less than 10 ingredients, and take less than 30 minutes to prepare. Who can't use a few more great healthy recipes?

Oh, and did I mention that Chef Jeff lists the calories, fat content and other nutritional information for each recipe? I really love that! It help you stay conscious of what you are putting into your body.

So, head on over to this link and get your FREE COOKBOOK. Let's get the family back to the dinner table and out of the fast food joints!

Canvas 4 Life Review

I love pictures! How about you? Since having children, I think I have become even more obsessed with  catching all of their perfect moments through photos. I especially love putting my photos onto canvas. I just love these big beautiful pictures!


When you are ready to try out a canvas print, I highly recommend Canvas 4 Life for many reasons. First of all, this is their specialty. They strive to give you the perfect experience and perfect canvas. They also source the finest materials and have mastered the art of creating the perfect canvas print that is sure to last a lifetime!

Each and every canvas print is professionally made up using the latest equipment and stretched to the correct tension equally over all dimensions, and mounted onto real artists’ stretcher bars, with corner wedges inserted. Unlike some companies who merely produce a canvas print and send bars for you to try to stretch and make up yourself; or others who simply use block board or glued together bars which do not allow for future tension adjustment.

This June was my husband and my 5 year wedding anniversary. We had a really special renewal of vows. Afterward, we took my new favorite picture of our family. It was a memorable time for us, and this picture captures the happiness and love that we all have for each other. It was perfect for a canvas print!

When I first received it in the mail, I just sat there and stared...I love my family, and this picture is priceless to me!

I was a tad worried that the pictures would be distorted or funky if I used canvas printing, but it isn't! It looks just as perfect as I had hoped, and I couldn't be happier or more impressed with Canvas 4 Life. They go above and beyond to make it quite simple to turn your pictures into canvas prints, and their products are great quality!

You can buy your own canvas print on their website for as low as $29.69. That is very affordable for everyone! Plus, all of you can get 10% off with the code HEALTHY. Enjoy your prints!

*I was provided product to review, and I was under no obligation to review if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review in return for the free product.*

Annmarie Gianni's Skin Care Review and Discount

These products and this review just give me the warm fuzzies. Why? Well, it is not always easy to find exceptionally pure skin care products that are effective. Annmarie Gianni's skin care is just that!

Annmarie has the same philosophy on personal care products that I do, "If you can't eat it, it shouldn't go on your skin." Other companies may claim to be natural and sound really nice for your skin, but you have to really take a good look to make sure they are what they say they are. With Annmarie's natural, organic, wild-crafted line, you can trust each product to be completely safe and work well! You can read more about Annmarie and her inspiration here.

Annmarie's line is made for complete nourishment, inside and out. It contains uniquely infused oils with highly nutritious herbs and is the cleanest (free of chemicals, additives and alcohols) on the market. Best of all, each

product is so pure that they're good enough to eat!

My favorite part about Annmarie's line, besides its purity, is her use of aromatherapy. I love aromatherapy, because of how soothing or invigorating it can be. While I honestly loved every single product I tried out, I will narrow down my two or three favorites and share them with you.

One of my faves is her Ayurvedic Facial Scrub.  This scrub is an exotic blend of Indian herbs, Moroccan Rhassoul Clay and traditional herbal treatments. I love that you can either use it with your cleanser a couple times a week or use it with just water to exfoliate.  I made a nice paste with this scrub and water, and let it sit for just a couple minutes. After rinsing with a warm washcloth, my skin felt golden. This scrub was not rough or coarse. It is smooth and nourishing, and I love the earthiness of it!

One of my other favorites is the Coconut Body and Face Oil. Again, I love how versatile this one is. You can use this oil as a daily moisturizer, body massage oil, or an ointment for those especially rough dry patches of skin. The smell is divine, and you can be assured that they are NO artificial fragrances behind that smell. It is all pure aromatherapy. This is the most fabulous body and face oil, and it feels downright luxurious on my skin after a hard workout and shower. I love everything about it!

I also love their Rosemary Peppermint Body Wash. If you want to feel awake, invigorated, and uplifted, use this in place of your normal body wash, and you will NEVER go back! The amazing rosemary oil and aloe vera herbal infusion woke up my senses like never before. It makes  you want to shower all day long! And it isn't all about the smell either. The blend of herbs will keep bacteria away without that squeaky feeling and without stripping your body of it's natural oils.

With every single one of Annmarie's products, you will feel her love for health and her passion for providing you her best! I am 100% in love with her product line, and I can't recommend it enough.

Head on over to her site to buy some of these great products and begin to enjoy them for yourself.
Great news! All of my readers can get 10% off their orders with the coupon code: World. Hurry over, because this offer is only good through Sunday, 7/30/11.

*I was provided product to review, and I was under no obligation to review if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review in return for the free product.*

The Superfood Solution Review and Giveaway

I take my health seriously. I take my family's health seriously. That includes paying attention to ingredients in food, drinks, personal care products and other things that are going into our bodies. I want only the best fueling my body and mind. I delight in pure, organic ingredients that are as close to nature as possible.

The Superfood Solution also takes health seriously. They take purity seriously. They use all natural ingredients that are pure and nutrient-rich, so you don't have to worry about what you are putting in your body when using their products.

From their superfood drinks to their pain relieving gel, you can find their passion for healthy and natural ingredients in each one.

I graciously recieved their NanoMeal, NanoGreens, NanoLean and NanoRelief.

The NanoMeal is an all-in-one meal full of protein, fiber, minerals and vitamins, omegas and tons of antioxidants. Very simply, you just mix the contents of one packet with 10-12 ounces of water, milk or juice, and drink it up. For a busy person with health in mind, this is perfect! It has a fruity flavor, kind of like some type of tropical drink.

The consistency and taste made it a little difficult for me to drink the first time, but I think it may grow on me. I could easily set that aside, though, because the ingredients are so fabulous! It feels absolutely wonderful to know you are drinking an immune support blend, detox blend, vision support blend, digestive enzymes, prebiotics, super greens, antioxidants, tons of fruits and veggies, protein and more! I love the way healthy feels!

NanoGreens is my favorite of their products. I love how they say, "Eating your greens doesn't need to taste like the bottom of a lawnmower...." I think their NanoGreen shake is just delicious, and it is vegan! It doesn't have an odd consistency. It is as smooth as water, and it just tastes naturally good. Besides being tasty, it is jam-packed full of fruits, veggies, enzymes and more goodness. Check out all the ingredients here. When my 3 year old son tried some, he said, "Yum!!" That says a lot, doesn't it? Seriously, this NanoGreens is the best green drink I have ever tried. (You will get a chance to win some, in the awesome giveaway below. Yay!)

NanoLean is a healthy weight management system which uses their own combination of extracts and ingredients to help rev up your metabolism while reducing body fat and stress. It has vitamins, minerals, fiber, Green Tea Extract, Sensoril, Svetol and more.

NanoRelief is a pain relieving cream made without icky ingredients like parabens, artificial fragrances, preservatives or colors. With my many hard workouts, I have plenty of days of soreness and painful joints. I tried NanoRelief on my painful ankles, and sadly, it didn't totally take the pain away. I think it did take some of the pain away, but not all. I think it works better on sore muscles.

Check out all of their products, because there are more great options. I think very highly of their products, and I love their non-GMO, organic pure ingredients. You can also get some great recipes to go with their products here.

Buy any of their great products here.

I mentioned a giveaway, and I hope that perked everyone right up, because it is a great one!! We are giving away (1) NanoGreens and (1) Nano Shaker to (1) lucky winner! (worth around $60)

Here's how to enter this awesome giveaway:

**Become a public follower of Your World: Healthy and Natural on my right sidebar and tell me you did so in a comment.

For more entries:


Explore the Superfood Solutions website and tell me something new you learned about their products. (1 entry)

Like Biopharma Scientific on Facebook. (1 entry)


Follow Biopharma Scientific on Twitter. (1 entry)


Post on your Facebook about this giveaway. Share the link in your entry.(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/day and copy the link back in your comment for it to be valid)


Blog about this giveaway and link back to this post.(2 entries)


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


Like Your World: Healthy and Natural on Facebook.(2 entries)

Comment on any of my posts about healthy and natural living that you have not commented on before. I love to hear your thoughts!! (1 entry)

The deadline for this giveaway is August 8th 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.

 * Biopharma Scientific provided me with this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.*

The Appreciation Challenge!

I have been getting quite a bit of feedback on my post Body Image Issues, and I feel like there is a great opportunity here to do a little follow up post that will hopefully inspire ALL of you to take a second and empower yourself and others to show a little appreciate for the gift of your body!

I spent some time really pondering why I am being so cruel and negative towards my body the last couple weeks, and I think it is because of my perfectionism. But, that is no excuse. I wouldn't ever in a million years say the things I think and say about my own body to one of my friends or my fitness clients. So, why is it ok for me to beat myself down like I do? It isn't.

That is why I am resolved to start building up my own positive self-talk, just as I tell my clients to do.

Instead of, "Ughhh! I hate the cellulite on the back of my legs." I am going to say, "I love the strong lean muscles in my legs that allow me to do 100 lunges."

Instead of, "Why can't I get my body to look like it did before I had two children?" I am going to say, "I appreciate the energy, joy and strength that I do have that allow me to be a great mother."

This is where you come in! I want to challenge YOU ALL to make a comment on this post or give us a link to a blog post or Facebook or Twitter post about what you appreciate about your body. This will probably take you a whole 2 seconds, or if you want to really inspire with a few more thoughts, a mere 2 minutes. Either way, your words will inspire others to be more appreciative and joyful about the body they have been given and work hard to take care of. It may sound like a small, insignificant gesture, but you would be surprised how much of an impact your comment can make!

Please take part in this Appreciation Challenge, and start your week off in a great way!

Cara

Artisana Organic Nut Butters Review

I am a huge fan of peanut butter. I love a good peanut butter and banana sandwich on live grain bread for lunch. However, did you know that there are a lot of even healthier nut butters besides peanut butter? For instance, almond butter, cashew butter, and walnut butter? And if you can find raw nut butters, that is the best yet!

Trust me, it is hard to find an organic raw nut butter. I have looked near and far. That is why I was jumping for joy when I found Artisana Organic Foods. They make delicious and healthful organic raw and lightly roasted butters and spreads.

Beyond that, I love that they are about much more. "Our goals and ideas are much bigger than just organic food. We are devoted to sustainable living and through our community we support the organic and living foods movement, the Earth and her forests. We try to buy our foods as close to the farmer as possible. In many cases we are able to buy straight from the organic farmers. It' s a choice. It' s how we operate. It is how we live our lives."

So, now that you love the company and all they stand for, what about their products?
 

They have a wide variety of butters, from coconut butter to walnut butter to tahini. I tried many of these butters, and they are all unique and delicious! I do have a favorite, and I know you will all love it. Their Cacao Bliss is like heaven. It is a combination of coconut oil and butter with cacao. It is like chocolatey melt-in-your-mouth goodness with every bite!

Plus, now they have these fabulous nut butters in squeezable packets that you can take with you on the go. And yes, they do have the little packets of the Cacao Bliss too! They are a perfect little healthy indulgence to give you a boost in energy!
 
I love to make pesto with raw almonds, and now I found a new recipe where I can use the Artisana Raw Almond Butter. Check it out here.
 
There is nothing to dislike about Artisana Foods. It is all the good stuff your body craves, and there is nothing to feel guilty about when you spread their butters on bread or just eat it off the spoon. I give Artisana Organic Raw Butters a double thumbs way up!
 
You can buy them from any of these online retailers. There are a couple with free shipping on larger orders, so you may want to stock up, like I am going to. I am a new customer for life!

*I was provided product to review, and I was under no obligation to review if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review in return for the free product.*

Winners!

We have two new winners for the giveaways ending the last two days, and here they are!

Postcards From the Hedge Book - #33 - Dana

Tropical Traditions Organic Flaxseed - #70 - jadavis

Congrats, ladies!! I hope you enjoy your free products! There are a bunch of other great giveaways going on right now that are low entry, so enter, enter, enter! Did you see the one that is worth $600? Check it out here!

Have a great day!

SnoozeShade Review

More and more, we are realizing how harmful too much sun can be on our skin. A lot of UV damage happens when we are children, which is why I was so excited for the SnoozeShade.  The SnoozeShade protects your little one's delicate skin against the sun with its UPF50+, UVA and UVB rays.

The SnoozeShade is an award winning shade that you can put on strollers and car seats, so that when you are on the go, your baby can sleep when he/she needs to and also have protection from the sun.

As you can see, my daughter is still able to peek out and see everything, while she is being protected by the sun. She loves it!

It is very easy to hook onto your stroller with it's velcro straps and elastic edges.

I love that it is made from a lightweight, black fabric to help shield the sun and keep your baby cool, while allowing them to sleep if they need to. There is a zipper opening that you can see above, as another way for you to check on your baby without disturbing them.

My favorite thing about the Original SnoozeShade is that it is so versatile. You can use it like I did above. You can also use it as an extendor on the top shade of the stroller to block the sun out of your baby's eyes. And I also love using it on my daughter's car seat, which I sometimes bring out to the garden for her to sit in while I am gardening. It keeps the bugs off of her and the sun off of her. Perfect!

The SnoozeShade is a great versatile product made by an understanding mom, and I know moms everywhere will love it!

You can buy the SnoozeShade for $34.99 online, or look for a store near you in the United States, UK, and many other countries.

*I was provided product to review, and I was under no obligation to review if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review in return for the free product.*

Body Image Issues

This is a sad topic. But, it is also an empowering topic.

How many times a day do you think about your body in a negative way? How many times a day do you express those thoughts aloud? How many times a day do you hear others say negative comments about their bodies?

Since I am in the fitness industry, maybe I hear it more than others, but I think this is a common problem - a problem that I personally struggle with and have for almost as long as I can remember. Sad, I know, but true.

Since, I always try to stay truthful with you all, let me take you on a journey in my mind as I look in the mirror. "Wow, why is that little belly pooch still there? Is that cellulite on the back of my thighs? Will I ever look like I did before I had two children? Are my hips fat?"

For those of you who have seen me in person, you may think, "What in the heck is wrong with her? She is the picture of what I am striving to look like. What does she have to complain about?" I know. Trust me, I know.

Lately, I have been struggling with my body image. I am not sure why. I have also been encountering some nastiness and opposition from several people in my church family. Perhaps, the stress that has caused has crosssed over into the way I think about myself. I honestly don't know. Maybe it goes back to what I talked about a couple weeks ago with personal addictions and my addiction to perfection. All I know is that my insecurity and continuous verbal abuse of my own body has got to stop.

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Psalm 139:14
This is a constant up and down journey, but I need to stop criticizing my beautiful and wonderful body. Can I walk with two strong legs? Can I see perfectly with both of my eyes? Can I hear the beautiful laughter of my children? Can I feel my husband's strong arms around me? Yes!!!! Can I do 50 pushups in one stretch? Can I run for miles and miles? Yes!!!! I am wonderfully made, and that is the direction I am vowing to turn to when I hear the negative thoughts cropping up.

Start with your own body image and watch the positivity spread. I want to walk down the street and hear, "I love my strong, healthy body!"

Wonder Pot Review

Many of you may not have the space, soil, or time to have a full bountiful garden each year. I understand that it is harder if you live in an urban area or have an extremely busy schedule. But, you can still have a few delicious veggies, herbs or beautiful flowers of your own by using the Wonder Pot.

The Wonder Pot is a wonderful indoor/outdoor gardening container that you can use to grow any variety of plants.

What makes it different than a ceramic pot? Well, the Wonder Pot is a lightweight, fabric alternative to heavy, breakable ceramic pots. Besides being lightweight, they are durable, economical, mold and mildew
resistant, portable, re-useable and made in the U.S.A. I love that all!

These pots are so easy to use. They come folded up. All you do is unfold them, and they turn into a wonderful container for you to use however you would like. We decided to use them to grow lettuce on our porch. We used up all the space in our garden, and we are planning on trying to have a little porch greenhouse this winter, so the Wonder Pot is perfect for that. Our lettuce is already growing great and looks very healthy!

I love that the Wonder Pot is lightweight, made of a non-biodegradable, non-water-absorbent, reflective fabric that keeps plant roots cooler than other pots. The fabric is breathable, as well as mold and mildew resistant, creating an envelope of aerated, sterile soil around the plants. It is so awesome! They each have this convenient little pocket on the side that you can use to store the seed packet, so you always have the information you need to know about that plant. One thing I will mention is that you do need to water your plants a little more than normal with the Wonder Pot.

Wonder Pots are available in a variety of sizes, so whether you want to go big or small, they have one to fit your needs. You can order your own Wonder Pots here. They are extremely affordable and work great!

*I was provided product to review, and I was under no obligation to review if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review in return for the free product.*

Winners!

Let's talk about the lucky winners for this week:

The winner of the Little Rose book was #5 - hbbs55

The winner of the Sprout Organic Baby Food was #82 - Beauty To Love

Congratulations to both of you! I hope you enjoy those great prizes, and good luck to everyone else on the upcoming giveaways!

Happy Friday!

What a Headache! Part 1

I have been thinking about doing a series on headaches for awhile. Most people get headaches quite frequently, and when they get bad enough, it can seriously affect your life in a negative way. I used to get weekly migraine headaches, stress headache and probably every other type of headache known. I was exercising, eating what I thought was healthy food, and living a pretty healthy life. Then, I changed my life by adding in Shaklee supplements and switching the products I use daily from conventional to organic. These two steps changed my life in a drastic way. I went from sick, tired, and stressed to happy, healthy and back to my energetic self!

It makes me so sad when I hear of others who are suffering in the same ways I was. I want to help, which is why I created this blog in the first place. For the next couple weeks, I will be tackling headaches and telling you what I know about them, what helped me and what you might want to try. I truly hope it helps you. As always, please let me know if there is anything I can do to answer questions or help you more. As those of you who have emailed me in the past know, I am availabe and really do want to help!

Today we will tackle...
STRESS HEADACHES


SYMPTOMS

1. Muscles in back of neck in knots

2. Ache begins in back of neck and moves upward over skull to forehead

3. Usually does not throb or pulsate

CAUSE

Muscular tension in neck and shoulders due to stressful situation OR physical position of neck. Tensed muscles in the neck/shoulder area constrict blood flow & reduce oxygenation of tissues in that area.

WHAT HAS HELPED ME AND OTHERS
1. Moist heat on neck area; I like to warm up a nice wet washcloth or rice pillow
2. Gentle neck rolls to stretch muscles; massage tissues
3. Ginger root compress (1 T grated, raw ginger root in cup of hot water; strain and use liquid on cloth on back of neck)
4. Nutritional helps: Vita Lea & protein provide a balance of nutrients to feed muscles; Calcium Magnesium to relax muscles; Vitamin E to maintain good circulation; B complex to support adrenal glands through stress

Stay well, and I hope you are headache-free soon!

Cara

Vegan Family Meals Cookbook Review

Vegan Family Meals: Real Food For Everyone is a new cookbook from Hollywood’s #1 Vegan Chef and owner of chic LA restaurant, Real Food Daily, Ann Gentry.

Now, I haven't quite gone completely vegan. I still love my baked goods with eggs in them and a little salmon from time to time, but I do see the benefits of taking out animal products from your diet - better digestion, beautiful skin, more energy, weight loss, and the list can go on and on. The author of this cookbook, Ann Gentry, herself has not gone 100% vegan. So, this cookbook is not just for vegans. It is for all health-conscious people who want to eat more plant-based meals. There are still huge health benefits to even just cutting back on meat and dairy.

Let's get back to the cookbook, Vegan Family Meals. I love so many things about this cookbook!

First of all, I love that these are meals that I would actually make for my family. The recipes are not too hoity toity or "out there." I love that there are pictures to go with most of the recipes, and boy, they look yummy! Here are some of my favorite recipes: Sesame-shiitake Tofu Frittata, Nutty Raspberry Muffins, Baked Kale Chips and Lasagna Rolls with Tofu Ricotta and Everyday Tomato Sauce. Hmmm...this review is making my mouth water.

I also love that throughout the book, Ann shares health and cooking wisdom with the reader, such as what good fats are, what the dirty dozen are and why you should care, and how to make a vinaigrette. She even shares how to make nondairy cheese. Some day I will get brave enough to try it!

I will say that quite a lot of the recipes had many steps and a longer list of ingredients that a busy mom may not have time to make on a regular basis. I recommend this cookbook to all of you who want to experiment with new healthy foods and want to make delicious meals that everyone will enjoy.

Check out Ann's blog for more great information about her. She is quite a fascinating woman, and she has a lot to teach us! You can find Vegan Family Meals at several onlines retailers like Amazon. Buy it here!

*I was provided product to review, and I was under no obligation to review if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review in return for the free product.*

Juppy Baby Walker Review and Giveaway

Tell me if you can relate to this - you are trying to teach your little baby how to walk, and after spending a few minutes holding onto their hands and bending over walking with them, you stand up to stretch and you feel some serious pain in your back. Ouch!!

I have been there and done that several times with my first child, but now with my second child, I am more prepared, all thanks to the Juppy Baby Walker. What is this awesome invention? It is a safe, easy to use training aid for teaching your baby to walk and keeping your back pain-free.

The Juppy Baby Walker is availabe in blue or pink to fit with your son or daughter, and it is machine washable and easy to use!

Here is what you do - just zip down the zipper in the back of the seat part, put your baby inside, zip it up, pull the straps up and walk with your baby. The Juppy allows you to stand fully upright when you are walking with your child. Even for all you taller parents, the straps are adjustable, so you won't have to bend over either.

As you can see, my daughter loves her Juppy Baby Walker! She loves standing up and seeing the world as a big girl. I love that whoever is helping her walk is not straining their back. Grandparents, aunts, and uncles can all use this and not feel pain afterward.

I also want to mention that I love that the inside material of the Juppy is a felt-like fabric that is soft against your child's skin. I love how each detail of the Juppy is so well thought through.

You can use the carrying bag that comes with the Juppy to bring it with you. Whether you are going on vacation, to the beach, shopping or to visit relatives, bring it along! It will fit right inside any diaper bag and probably even your purse.

Get your own Juppy Baby Walker online here for either $29.95 or $19.95. You will love it!

For one of my lovely readers, we are giving away (1) Juppy Baby Walker for FREE!

Here is how to enter to win it:

**Become a public follower of Your World: Healthy and Natural on my right sidebar and tell me you did so in a comment.

For more entries:
Like Juppy on Facebook. (1 entry)

Follow The Juppy Walker on Twitter. (1 entry)

Post on your Facebook about this giveaway. Share the link in your entry.(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/day and copy the link back in your comment for it to be valid)

Blog about this giveaway and link back to this post.(2 entries)

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

Like Your World: Healthy and Natural on Facebook.(2 entries)

Comment on any of my posts about healthy and natural living that you have not commented on before. I love to hear your thoughts!! (1 entry)

The deadline for this giveaway is July 26th 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.

 * Juppy provided me with this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.*

RevAbs Update - Day 63

For the last 63 days, I have been adding RevAbs workouts to my daily routine. Brett Hoebel (from the Biggest Loser) has become like a friend in our home. My 3 year old son talks about him randomly, and I am like, "Who is Brett?" Then, I get it. It cracks me up, but I love that my son gets to see me exercise daily, and he loves showing me that he can do some of the moves too. It is beyond cute!

I am now into the last 30 days of the program. Brett just introduced two new workouts, Full Throttle Abs and Full Throttle Intervals. I have to say that Full Throttle Intervals is one of my favorite workouts from this program. It is four rounds of hard work, but it feels great! I will say, though, I was hoping Brett would switch up the stretching parts. It has been the same stretching routine almost every day for 60+ days, and I like variety, so it has been dragging on me for awhile.

Throughout this program, I have loved how hard these workouts are. I have loved Brett's motivational messages. I have loved seeing results in my body and in my husband's body. Just a tip for all of you - work out with your spouse! It is fun, motivational, and you get to see them half-clothed! :-)

I have less than 30 days until I am through with RevAbs, and I am really excited to complete this program and see how much my body has changed. I just looked at my before picture and my RevAbs update, and it is awesome to see how much I have changed already. It has been a lot of hard work, but hard work pays off!!!

Stay tuned to see what my final results are in 4 more weeks....

*I received RevAbs from Beachbody to review. All of the above review is completely my opinion, as always.*

Monday Winner!

Our winner of the Ancestry.com 1 Year Membership is......


#228 - Dan.m.n 

Congrats Dan! I hope you learn a lot about your relatives and discover many new things that help you understand where you came from.

As for everyone else, don't be too sad, because there are a lot of other low entry giveaways ending soon, and you all have a great chance to win!

Happy Monday!
Cara

What Is Your Addiction?

So, you might be wondering why I am asking about addiction to all of you, my healthy, happy readers? Don't get me wrong, while I do think you are all working on being your best self and getting healthy, I know that nobody is perfect and we all have our struggles each and every day. That is why I want to talk about addiction in a new way with you today.

Historically, addiction has been defined as physical and psychological dependence on psychoactive substances (for example alcohol, tobacco, heroin and other drugs) which cross the blood-brain barrier once ingested, temporarily altering the chemical milieu of the brain.
But.....addiction can also be viewed as a continued involvement with a substance or activity despite the negative consequences associated with it. Pleasure and enjoyment would have originally been sought; however, over a period of time involvement with the substance or activity is needed to feel normal.

Hmmmmmm....how does that sound to you? Let that sink in for a minute and think....what is my addiction?

I was thinking about this topic yesterday, and my own personal thought is that everyone has an addiction. Do you agree?

Let me start with myself, since I do believe that you have got to dig the plank out of your own eye, before you look at the speck in someone else's eye.  After thinking about it awhile, I think that I am addicted to being perfect. I think I feel the need to be perfect in everything, and it really gets me down when I don't meet my high expectations. I will admit it, and I will admit that this behavior does have negative consequences. It is a screwed up way of living...always trying to be perfect in every little way. In fact, it has sort of led to other mini-addictions.(if such a thing exists)

When you think about what your own addiction(s) may be, also think about how they affect everything else you do. Maybe that explains many of your behaviors, moods, or patterns in your life.

The first step is identifying your addiction. I think that the next step is deciding what to do to get out of your addiction, and the third courageous step is taking the actions necessary to change your life! This is not an easy thing. Right now, I am thinking about what I need to do to step away from the perfectionism, and it is not easy.

Let me end this discussion with these words by Bill Blackman, "Great changes may not happen right away, but with effort, even the difficult may become easy."

Be inspired! Take some time to think about this and take action.

Have a great weekend!
Cara

Complete Idiot's Guide to Gardening Books Review

Gardening is tricky. I think that every year we have a garden, we learn something new, and we learn something that we should have done better last year. It is a constant learning process. But, I think it is a fun and exciting journey.

One of the best ways to learn more about how to garden is from other expert gardeners. The Complete Idiot's Guide has published several books on this topic written by gardening experts such as: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vegetable Gardening by Daria Price Bowman and Carl A. Price and my other favorite The Complete Idiot's Guide to Year-Round Gardening by Delilah Smittle and Sheri Ann Richerson.

Let me take each book and tell you some of my favorite things about them. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vegetable Gardening is so comprehensive, covering topics from soil types and how to turn bad soil into good soil to safe weed control methods. The authors are master gardeners with tons of experience on these topics. I especially loved the chapter on growing herbs, because I love, love, love fresh herbs. I learned that I have to divide my chive plant every 3-4 years in order for them to produce more and to keep the clumps healthy. I just wish they would have given me some ideas on how to use the million mint plants that have cropped up all over my garden. Any ideas, anyone?

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Year-Round Gardening is another fabulous gardener's must-have! Who wants to only enjoy fresh produce and herbs during the summer? I dream of having a year round garden, but in Michigan where I live, that is nearly impossible. That is why I was very excited to get some tips and ideas on how to grow fresh produce longer. This book covers everything from composting and fertalizing all year round to seed-saving methods (which I have been dying to do) to year-round greenhouse techniques for growing produce and ornamentals. Perfect! What I found out was that the key to winter gardens is choosing cold-tolerant varieties, sowing seeds at the right time, adn using inexpensive covers to protect plants. Intrigued? Excited? You have got to read this book and extend your garden. I am still a bit nervous about how this will all work out for me, but I want to try!

Another thing I love about these books is that they are not stuffy or boring, they are organized, interesting, and hold your attention. Since they are Idiot's Guide books, you know that they are easy to follow and, dare I say, fun to read? They are fun to read!!

I highly recommend both of these books whether you are a new gardener or have been gardening for years! I know you will learn a lot regardless of how much experience you have in the garden. You can purchase them both at the Idiot's Guide bookstore online.

*I was provided product to review, and I was under no obligation to review if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review in return for the free product.*

Tea Winner!

Our lucky winner of 2 Teatulia canisters is.....

#50 - Michelle Dippel

Congrats, Michelle! Enjoy your tea and enjoy your day.

Happy Thursday, everyone!

Cara

Vacation Anti-Drought Treatment Review

Do you ever go on vacation and worry about all your plants dying because they aren't getting enough water? Or do you hate the hassle of finding someone to come over and water them? Well, I have the perfect solution for you - Vacation!

Vacation is an all-natural, anti-drought, liquid plant treatment perfectly suited to take care of your plants while you are away. Mix Vacation with water and apply to your plant as a normal watering. Your plants will remain in a state of drought resistance for up to two weeks as long as they are not watered. Vacation is an effective tool to protect against drought and plant transplant shock.

I love that it really works and it is safe and nontoxic for people and pets. It is biodegradable and contains no polymers or other toxic chemicals. We used this when we left four our week and a half vacation in mid June, and it worked fabulously! The effects of Vacation wear off gradually after two weeks. Watering the plant or lawn will also eliminate the effects of Vacation immediately.



So, how does this work? Well, Vacation causes the plant to enter a self-induced state of suspended animation. If the plant was blooming at the time of treatment, the blooms should remain in the same state until after the Vacation wears off. And they really do!!

This is just genius! I don't know who invented this or how they did, but I love it! Can you imagine not having to water your Christmas tree, except for one application of Vacation. How awesome would that be?
You can find Vacation from Natural Industries online or find a retailer near you.

*I was provided product to review, and I was under no obligation to review if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review in return for the free product.*

Postcards From The Hedge Book Review and Giveaway

Good morning, all you great and gifted gardeners, do I have a good book for you today! It is titled Postcards from the Hedge - Seasons in a Suburban Garden. It is written by Jill Appenzeller, who is not only a great writer, (in my opinion) but is also a passionate gardener, speaker, and landscape designer who has been featured on HGTV. This is her first book, and I think it is just delightful.

Postcards from the Hedge is not just a book about gardening, it is a reflection on life, family and human nature. I like that the book is broken up into little vignettes that take you through all four seasons, span generations and travel through many memories.

With titles like "How to Make a Turkey Trot" and "No Birds Just Bees," Jill's book is comical, thought-provoking and takes you to a simpler life. When you are feeling stressed and need a little down time, this is the perfect story to grab a cup of tea and sit down with to escape for a few minutes.

I am certainly not a great flower gardener. Actually, I am far from it, so I didn't recognize all the plants she mentioned in her book, but I still related to her stories of family and life. Jill has a wonderfully calming way of writing, and I appreciated her insights and the pictures she created for me to enjoy.

You can find Postcards from the Hedge on Amazon. This is the perfect gift for a friend or family member who loves gardening or reading. I am so glad that I get to share this book with one of you, because we are giving away (1) copy of Postcards from the Hedge to (1) lucky reader.

Here's how to enter this great giveaway:

**Become a public follower of Your World: Healthy and Natural on my right sidebar and tell me you did so in a comment.

For more entries:

Check out Jill's blog and become a follower. (1 entry)

Like Postcards from the Hedge on Facebook. (1 entry)
Post on your Facebook about this giveaway. Share the link in your entry.(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.(2 entries)

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

Like Your World: Healthy and Natural on Facebook.(2 entries)

Comment on any of my posts about healthy and natural living that you have not commented on before. I love to hear your thoughts!! (1 entry)

The deadline for this giveaway is July 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.

 * New Year Publishing provided me with this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.*

Happy 4th of July and Cystex Winner

Happy 4th of July everyone!!! Happy Birthday to America!

Thank you to all the men and women who have kept our freedoms safe! Thank you to all of you who make our country an awesome one to live in! God Bless America!

We have a winner today! The winner of the Cystex Cranberry Liquid Complex is #13 - Kara Sceviour

Congrats!!

Happy Monday,

Cara

How To Spot GMOs In Your Produce

First of all, yes, GMOs are dangerous. If you want to read more about this topic, check out my last post about the dangers of GMOs.

Second of all, the government is not holding companies responsible for letting you know that there are GMOs in their products. The FDA does not require genetically modified food to be labeled. That’s because the FDA has decided that you don’t care if the tomato you are eating has been cross bred with frog genes to render the tomato more resistant to cold weather. That leaves it up to you as an educated consumer to figure out which products are safe for you and your family. 

For those of you who take your food and what you put into your body seriously, here is how to determine if the fruits and vegetables you’re buying are (GM) genetically modified. For conventionally grown fruit (grown with chemical inputs), the PLU code on the sticker consists of four numbers. Organically grown fruit has a five-numeral PLU prefaced by the number 9. Genetically engineered (GM) fruit has a five-numeral PLU prefaced by the number 8. Example: A conventionally grown banana would be 4011. An organically grown banana would be 94011. A genetically engineered banana would be 84011. Easy enough to figure out, right? Now, who has a trick to help us remember that 9 is good and 8 is bad? I guess you can just remember that any produce with a 9 is good, and anything else is not great.

Actinovate Organic Fungicide Review

I don't know about you, but I hate it when all my hard work in the garden is erased by some evil fungal disease that just crops up out of nowhere. Black spot, late blight, root rot, powdery mildew, turf dollar spot, rust, grey mold and other fungal diseases can damage and even kill garden plants and lawns. Although there is no foolproof way to keep fungal pathogens out of your yard, an organic fungicide called Actinovate effectively suppresses and controls a wide range of foliar and root diseases.

Actinovate contains a patented beneficial microorganism (Streptomyces lydicus) that grows on plant roots and leaves, living off a plant’s by-products while at the same time attacking harmful disease pathogens. Once Actinovate powder is mixed with water, the solution can be used as a soil drench or a foliar spray every two to four weeks throughout the growing season to suppress late blight and other fungal diseases. A two-ounce package of Actinovate makes enough solution to treat up to 550 plants or 5,000 square feet of turfgrass.

We have never used any kind of pesticide, herbicide or any other -icide in our garden. The only thing we have ever used to keep the insects and pests away is Shaklee's Basic H all-purpose spray, which is completely safe and nontoxic. However, last year, we didn't get that great of a pepper or cucumber crop because of some nasty fungus, so I was itching to try out the Actinovate to see if it will help.

It was quite easy to make. We just put two teaspoons of the Actinovate in a big bucket and added 2 gallons of water. Then, we poured it over specific plants in our garden that we wanted to protect. It works better when the soil is damp, so we watered a bit before we put it on. So far, so good! We don't have any nasty fungus showing it's ugly head yet, so we will see.

If you want to protect your garden from harmful fungi in a safe, organic way, I would recommend Actinovate. Actinovate is available at independent garden centers and online at http://www.naturehills.com/ and http://www.highcountrygardens.com/. 

*I was provided product to review, and I was under no obligation to review if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review in return for the free product.*

The Firm Express Review

As a fitness professional, it is not only my job, but my passion to help others get fit and healthy. This is the same mission of The FIRM. I have to tell you, when I first heard about The FIRM Express Weight Loss Workout, I was a little hesitant, because for some reason I had a preconceived idea that they were "old school" and a bit outdated. As I have used their Express program, I have found the exact opposite. In fact, I would say that The FIRM methodology of combining cardio and sculpting exercises in intervals is almost identical to my own methodology, which I think is the most effective way to get fit and stay fit.
So, what is The FIRM Express? It is a 30 day fitness program designed to help you lose weight and get in shape with four cycles that progress in intensity as you move through them. Each cycle has three unique workouts, so there is a lot of variety, which I love.

The FIRM Express also offers you these fun mini bursts, which are quick blast intervals combined with cardio and sculpting. This is the best way to burn calories even after your workout is over! I use the same techniques with my clients, and it is awesome! It actually helps you to burn up to 9X more fat than traditional cardio workouts.

This program includes 12 all-new DVDs, a Fitness Guide with a 30-day mix and match meal plan and workout calendar, FREE 30 day VIP web club membership, 7-Day supply of Lifemax vitamins, a bonus DVD to help kickstart metabolism, and more.

I appreciated their Fitness Guide booklet. It has great recipes and calorie plans to keep you on track. There are also other great tips and tricks for getting healthy and fit as fast as possible.

Since these workouts are only 20 minutes, they are jam-packed with energy and great calorie burning fun! The instructors are motivational and explain things well. It may take you a time or two to get the hang of all the moves, but I prefer that to a slow explanation you have to then listen to every other time you do the workout. My only small criticism is that I was a little turned off by the trainer's over-tanned bodies, and all the participants in the DVDs were ultra skinny, very muscular women. I like women of all shapes and sizes to be represented, since most of the people who will be following these videos will not look like the women on the DVDs. I would like the trainers to be more relatable, since they are role models.

I absolutely love these workouts and recommend them to all of you as a great way to exercise at home if you have limited time and like variety. Since they are only 20 minutes long, three times a week, there are no excuses as to why you can't fit them in. They don't require any equipment besides a few weights, so that excuse is out the window too. You will enjoy these workouts, and I don't doubt that you will see great results!

Watch the trailer on their website to get more of a feel about The FIRM Express. You can buy the program here for $89.97 plus shipping and handling.

*The FIRM provided me product to review, and I was under no obligation to review if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review in return for the free product.*