ecostore USA Review and Giveaway

We were recently approached by ecostore USA to do a review campaign for some of their products. As I began looking over their website, I was really impressed at their pledge to help families find safe alternatives to chemically dangerous household cleaners.

From their website:

The team at ecostore USA loves making a difference in people’s lives. ecostore USA does not compromise on performance, so customers can be assured of the efficacy of the products - they truly work. We offer more than 100 products, each one meeting the most stringent environmental and sustainability standards. The guiding principle of every formulation is and will always be that the end product must not only be good for the user, but good for the planet.

Our Experience:

We were sent a package- which arrived with a note stating that all packing products were environmentally friendly- that included their Citrus Spray Cleaner, Toilet Cleaner, and Dishwash Liquid.

The products themselves were packaged with very simple to read labels that included the ingredients, the directions, and what was NOT included in the products. On every bottle there is a No Nasty Chemicals guarantee which states that the following are NOT found in their products:

NO toxic petrochemicals, NO phosphates, NO bleach, NO nitrates, NO ammonia, NO chlorine, NO EDTA, NO preservatives, NO DEA or TEA, and NO synthetic dyes or perfumes.

If you are not familiar with any of the above chemicals- I suggest you Google them and spend some time learning about their harmful effects on people, animals and the environment. Then you will understand fully why ecostore USA is committed to making products that do NOT contain any of them.

We were so pleasantly surprised by both the gentle, almost sweet fragrance that came from these products as well as the great cleaning power we found with each one. The Dishwash Liquid was able to tackle a sink full of spaghetti filled dishes after they were left overnight (thanks to the hubby). The Citrus Spray Cleaner was great at daily cleaning of both the kitchen counters and stove and the bathroom counters and floors. The Toilet Cleaner could easily handle the bathroom used by both of my little ones which is always the hardest for me to clean.

We were very happy with the results of these products in our home. We will be purchasing more cleaning products from ecostore USA in the future.

We give ecostore USA a very sparkly

TWO THUMBS UP!!

To Buy:

Visit the ecostore USA website and purchase some great environmentally friendly cleaning products today.


To Win:

ecostore USA has generously donated $25 in products to one of our lucky readers.



To Enter:

• Fill out the form below including your name and email address- visit the ecostore website and find the name of the founders of the ecostore- enter the name into the Founder's box on the form-this is required.
• For additional entries you can:
• Blog about this giveaway including a link back to us- enter the link to your post in the appropriate box on the form.
• Follow us on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway- enter both your twitter name and the link to your tweet in the appropriate box on the form.
• Subscribe to our blog (or tell us you already do)- be sure to check the New or Current box under the subscriber question on the form.

Giveaway ends Tuesday, March 31 at midnight. Winner will be drawn at random and announced here next week.





Comments are welcomed but will not be counted as entries in this giveaway.

Homeschool Favorites- Phonics by Spelling

We have a great product to share with you for our Homeschool Favorite- Product of the Week this week!!

Phonics by Spelling is a great phonics program for early readers created by Nada Wilkins- a Early Childhood and Elementary school teacher and mom of four who found an area of need when teaching her children to learn to read.

In her words:

I created this book because I couldn’t find sound cards relevant for children of today. I didn’t want to depict words starting with the sound, but rather a picture of something making the sound. I wanted the sounds to be taught crisp and without an “uh” at the end, so the sound chants were created. Using these books and musical CDs for 10 minutes, two or three times a week, can be useful for parents and educators in teaching phonics and spelling, as well as English as a second language. Children as young as 2 or 3 can learn the music chants and enjoy the pictures, then when they are old enough to start reading the sounds and spellings are in their mind.

Phonics by Spelling offers a two level book set including CD and a student workbook as well as Learning Center Packs for schools, Wall Cards, Lesson Plans and a Multi-Sound Blends Flip Book. There are so many fabulous ways you can use these products and such a great, unique way to approach phonics.

Our Experience:

My little ones are working hard on learning their letters so this was a great product for us to try out. They absolutely loved the musical CD's included in the set and the little songs that go with each letter have been sung over and over at our house. They went through the entire first CD and book in one sitting- insisting on doing many letters two times or more.

My little guy is easily distracted and does not have a very long attention span, but he was attentive the entire time we went through the book. He was very proud to be able to "help" his little sister when she got stuck on a certain letter.

My only (very small) criticism of this program is that the songs are so short, it would be nice if they were sung through twice at a time. Having to constantly repeat the songs was a bit troublesome as I was also holding the book and trying to help them with their little workbooks. Other than that we LOVED this program and I know it will be one that we use often.

We give Phonics by Spelling a very satisfied

TWO THUMBS UP!!

To Buy:

Visit the Phonics by Spelling website to find out all about their fabulous products and to purchase some for your little readers.

To Win:

Phonics by Spelling has generously donated a set of their books (includes 2 books and 2 CD's) to one of our lucky readers.

To Enter:

• Visit the Phonics by Spelling website then come back and leave us a comment telling us who you would like to win this for. Please leave a valid email address in your comment.
• For an Extra Entry:
• Blog about this giveaway including a link back and our Homeschool Favorites button at the top of this post. Leave us a comment including a link to the post and a valid email address.
• Follow us on Twitter and Tweet about this giveaway.
  

That's it!! So easy!!

Giveaway is open to US Residents only.

Giveaway ends February 25 at midnight. Winner will be chosen by random drawing and announced on this blog. Winner has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen in their place.

Good Luck!!

Homeschool Favorites- Word Walls Review and Giveaway

We have a neat product to share with you this week for our Homeschool Favorites- Product of the Week. Word Walls, created by MRM Classroom, are a new method of helping young children learn sight words in a creative and interesting way.

Word Walls are collections of 100 frequently used sight words embedded in a graphic design. The student is instructed to color the graphic design to reveal the word that is hidden. This helps the student learn and practice these very important words.

There are currently Word Wall packages for First, Second, Third and Fourth graders. MRM Classroom has also created teacher's kits and ABC pads to assist to take the Word Wall lessons even further.

Our Experience:

We were given a first and second grade Word Wall Kit to try out with our little learners. I do not have a second grader, so I asked a few friends in my homeschool community to try that set out with their students as well.

My little guy was intrigued with the pages as soon as I presented them to him, but being a typical ADHD little guy he had a bit of trouble with the follow through of completing the picture. He found the words right away and colored those first, so I know he had the practice with the words that he needed, but he didn't actually finish any of the pictures.

My little darling is only in preschool so I didn't have much hope that she would get much out of them except to have a good time coloring. Boy was I wrong- she LOVED them and actually finished a lot of the pictures I gave her. It was good practice for her to find the letters- name them and tell me the sound they made. She also learned a few of the words and remembers them even a few days later.

I got a few mixed reviews from my second grade parents- two of them LOVED the Word Walls pages and both of their daughters really enjoyed the whole process. I did have one parent who felt the words in the Second Grade kit were to simple for her son- he has always been a super reader. I also had one parent who was concerned that her child would not have a good experience because of his visual processing issues- and she was right. He was not able to work on them at all.

Overall- I think this would be a good addition to many homeschoolers (and even non-homeschoolers who are looking for some extra practice for their little learners) curriculum.

We give Word Walls

TWO THUMBS UP!!

To Buy:

Visit the MRM Classroom website and find the Word Walls kit that best works for your little learner.

To Win:

MRM Classroom has generously donated a first and second grade Word Wall kit to two of our lucky readers.

To Enter:

• Visit the MRM Classroom website and take a look around. Leave us a comment letting us know if you would like to win the first or second grade kit. Please be sure to include a valid email address in your comment.
• For an Extra Entry:
• Subscribe to our blog (or tell us you already do)
• Follow us on Twitter and Tweet about this giveaway. Please leave us a comment including a link to the Tweet.
• Go check out our new blog- Frugal Jenn- which will be officially launching on March 1st and subscribe to that blog as well. Leave us a comment letting us know what you think and that you subscribed.
• Follow Frugal Jenn on Twitter. Leave us a comment letting us know you did including your Twitter name.

That's it!! So easy!!

Giveaway is open to US Residents only.

Giveaway ends 2/20 at midnight. Winners will be chosen by random drawing and notified by email. Winners have 48 hours to respond to the email with their shipping information or a new winner will be chosen in their place.

Good Luck!!

Goose Grease Review and Giveaway

We have a fabulous new Etsy review and giveaway for you today- just in time for Valentine's Day!! Goose Grease's owners- Michelle and Kelly- are a wonderfully talented duo creating some of the sweetest and most amazing little people.

Goose Grease's little people are hand painted wooden dolls in a huge variety of characters including: bride and groom wedding cake toppers, family sets, and even pets. Their creations are sure to delight that someone special in your life.

Our Experience:

We were sent both little people above, the little ninja and the little ladybug girl. My two children were thrilled to receive them both. My little guy is very into karate right now, so a ninja was a perfect fit for him. He has spent countless hours playing with this little guy and so far he has triumphed over knights, army men and even dinosaurs.

My little princess LOVED her ladybug girl from the moment she saw her. She took her to a spend the night party she had over the weekend- and apparently it was the hit of the party. She has named her "lady" and she sleeps with her every night. It is her new favorite "baby".

I was so impressed with the many ways both of my children have found to play with their little friends. We also received a do-it-yourself kit (seen above) and we had SUCH fun creating our own little friends. My daughter created a pink baby and a ladybug friend for "lady". My little guy has two more ninjas who are quickly taking reign over all the unruly toys in his room.

We give Goose Grease a very satisfied

TWO THUMBS UP!!

To Buy:

Visit Goose Grease and find something special for the little ones (or not so little ones) in your life. They are currently offering FREE SHIPPING on all Conversations Girls while supplies last.

To Win:

Goose Grease has generously donated a Conversation Heart Girl of your choice to one of our lucky readers (seen below).



To Enter:

• Visit Goose Grease and let us know your favorite little person (not mentioned in this post). Please include a valid email address in your comment.
• For an Extra Entry:
• Please go visit our fabulous web designer- Doodlebug Designs- and become a follower of her blog. She is celebrating her 1 year anniversary- so be sure to say congrats as well!! Come back and leave us a comment including a valid email address for an extra entry.

That's it!! So easy!!

Giveaway is open to US Residents only.

Giveaway ends Saturday, February 14, 2009 at midnight. Winner will be drawn at random using Random.org. Winner will be contacted by email and has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Good Luck!!

Sweetie Pie Tutu's Review and Giveaway

I LOVE Etsy!!! I am not sure if I have ever shared my Etsy addiction out loud here on my blog, but I am proud to admit- I am addicted. Etsy is a place where you can find so many treasures, handmade by some of the most talented people on the planet. I have one of those such people as part of our newest review -Sweetie Pie Tutus.



Sweetie Pie Tutus is your one stop shop for turning your little girl into a beautiful princess. They make beautiful tutus for all occasions, birthday, holiday, mondays.... anytime you want to bring out the inner princess in your little one. They also have a fabulous selection of hair accessories, pillowcase dresses, sweet little beanie hats, and so much more.

Their tutus range in size from 6 months to 6 years and are sure to delight every little girl in your life. They have a fabulous selection of ready made tutus to choose from or you can design your own custom tutu with your little ones favorite colors.




Our Experience:

We received a beautiful Strawberry Delight Tutu for my little one to try out. As soon as I opened the box I knew that my little one would just fall in love with her new tutu. I quickly pulled it out of the box and looked it over, knowing that as soon as my daughter saw it she would want to put it on. I was struck by how well made and durable it felt- and of course how beautiful it was.

I called my little one over and her eyes grew to the size of saucers as she began to jump around and clap her hands- she was truly enchanted. She quickly asked to put it on and immediately began dancing and prancing around the house. She was so proud of her princess tutu and has hardly taken it off since.

The tutu has been to the grocery store, the park, two restaurants, Grammy's house and even through a nap and it still looks brand new. My daughter even discovered that the sweet flower on the front of the tutu is actually attached to a hair bow and she has been wearing it in her hair for days.

Her assessment of her tutu was, "Mommy its the beautifulist thing I ever seed." Enough said!!

I took some sweet video of my darling dancing in the front yard with her new tutu, but I have been unable to load it here as of yet. I will continue to try... so stay tuned for that.

We give Sweetie Pie Tutus a very sparkly

TWO THUMBS UP!!

To Buy:

Visit Sweetie Pie Tutus and find just the thing to turn your little one into a dancing princess.


To Win:

Sweetie Pie Tutus has generously donated a Strawberry Delight Tutu- pictured above- to one of our lucky readers.

To Enter:

• Visit Sweetie Pie Tutus and find your favorite item (not mentioned or pictured here). Then come back and leave us a comment including your favorite item and a valid email address.
• For an extra entry:
• Blog about this giveaway including our button (found on our sidebar). Leave us a comment including a link to the post.
• Current Subscribers Only- leave us a comment telling us your favorite giveaway we have hosted thus far (other than this one, of course).

Giveaway is open to US Residents Only.

Giveaway will end Wednesday, February 11th, 2009 at midnight. Winner will be chosen by random drawing using Random.org. Winner will be contacted by email and has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Good Luck!!

Skin MD Natural with SPF15 Review

If you read my blog with any regularity, you know that I recently fell and injured my ankle, requiring a semi-cast and crutches for a few weeks. SO much fun!! I have skin that becomes naturally dry in the winter normally and after I spent a few weeks without moving, washing (or shaving) my poor leg- it looked horrible. I was shocked by the dry, flaking skin and it began to itch constantly.

I tried all the lotions we had at home, hoping for some relief. Then I remembered that I was sent a bottle of the new Skin MD Natural lotion to review. I found the bottle and started using it daily- overnight the dry, itchy skin was gone and was replaced by smoother, much softer skin. I used it everyday for a week and the skin looked better and better everyday. I was so thankful that I had been given the opportunity to try this product and I was all the more excited to share it with all of you.

What is Skin MD Natural??

It's a totally new, revolutionary product in the skin care world. Our skin is subjected daily to irritants that invade our pores and rob our skin of it's natural moisturizers.

Skin MD Natural is a "Shielding Lotion" which is quickly absorbed into your skin allowing the outer skin to become a hydrating invisible shield. Irritants are kept OUT and moisture is kept IN making it the perfect dry skin care product. And it's great for all skin types- it gives the deep moisturizing that you need without the greasy feel of most normal lotions.




To Buy:

You can purchase Skin MD Natural online via their website or at many local pharmacies. They are so certain you will be pleased that they offer a unconditional guarantee on all bottles of Skin MD Natural.

We give Skin MD Natural a BIG

TWO THUMBS UP!!

List Plan It- Review and Giveaway

I am so excited about the product we are sharing with you this week. List Plan It is your one stop shop for all things list related. For someone like me who is addicted to making lists, this is a perfect place to fulfill all of your list making dreams!!

List Plan It was created by Jennifer Tankersley, a mom to 3 and wife for more than 13 years, she has truly grasped the needs of today's families. Her desire to help people get organized is the driving force behind her great organization.

List Plan It has over 350 printable lists and planning pages to help you organize your family, home, and even business. A Yearly Membership gives you access to everything that ListPlanIt.com has to offer (excluding ePlanners) for 12 full months. You'll find everything from grocery lists to to do lists, meal planning to birthday/holiday planning. Just type right into each page, or print and fill in by hand.

List Categories:

• Business Planning
• Club Organization
• Contact Info
• Family Matters
• Financial Planning
• Holidays and Special Occasions
• Home Management
• Meal Planning
• Memories Record
• Moving
• Personal Interests
• Time Management
• For Fun
• Relationships
• Student Planning
• Travel Planning

At List Plan It you will find all you need to create a fully customizable List Organization System to help you organize your lists as well as great articles and information about how to use the lists to organize your life. There is no better time than the beginning of a new year to resolve to finally get organized- and here is the tool to help you do it!!



You have two choices of access to the lists at List Plan It:

Membership Benefits:

• your own password to give you 24/7 access to everything ListPlanIt.com has to offer
• an unlimited number of downloads while you are a member
• full access to a range of lists & planning pages covering many areas of life
• full access to the growing List of the Month Newsletter archives
• members will receive a 20% discount on all products (except ePlanners) found on ListPlanIt.com
• All of the content is supplied exclusively over the Internet and is available 24/7.
  

Membership Fees:

Quarterly Access for $9.95 (3 months) **only $3.33 per month
Yearly Access for $29.95 (12-months) **only $2.50 per month

**Yearly Memberships are available currently for the low price of only $19.95- with the code athirdoff!!**

List Plan It also offers ePlanners for only $4.95 each. They are available for Baby, Birthday, Family, Financial, Meals, Moving, School Memories, and many more.

View some sample lists such as the Weekly Responsibility List, Debt Worksheet, Gift List, Shopping at Target List and more.

You will find so many fabulous lists at ListPlanIt.com, you will be organized before you know it!!

You can also check out the List Mama Blog for more great organizational ideas:

We give List Plan It a very organized

TWO THUMBS UP!!

To Buy:

Go check out ListPlanIt.com to purchase a membership or an ePlanner and start your journey toward organization today!!

To Win:

List Plan It has generously donated a One Year Membership to one of our lucky readers.

To Enter:

• Go visit ListPlanIt.com and leave us a comment with the list that would be most helpful to you. Be sure to include a valid email address.
• For additional entries:
• Blog about this giveaway including our button. Leave us a comment including a link to the post and your email address.
• Subscribe to our Review Blog (or tell us you already do).
• Follow us on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway.

Giveaway is open to US Residents only.

Giveaway ends Friday, January 30, 2009 at midnight. Winner will be chosen randomly using Random.org.

Winner will be announced on this blog and contacted by email.

and for more giveaway fun- go check out the Bloggy Giveaway Carnival!!

Good Luck!!

Homeschool Favorites- Boca Beth Review and Giveaway!!

**This giveaway is now closed. Winner will be announced soon!!**

We have a fabulous Homeschool Favorite- Product of the Week this week: Boca Beth is an easy and affordable solution for bringing Spanish and English together in a fun and inspiring way. Boca Beth's amazing selection of products, geared toward young children, allows parents the joy of watching their children learn Spanish and have FUN!!

Boca Beth was created by Beth Butler, a bilingual educator of young children who has lived in both Chile and Mexico, allowing her the time and opportunity to perfect a second language. She has also spend many years working with young children and out of those experiences, she has written and recorded four bilingual music CDs in Spanish and English, produced two bilingual educational movies and four children's music videos, published a fun coloring/activity book in both languages and speaks nationally with parents and educators – encouraging second language fun.

The fabulous Boca Beth language learning series has garnered various parenting awards including but not limited to the following: 2008 Editors' Choice Award/Family Review Center, Learning Magazine 2007 Teachers’ Choice Award for the Family, Best Educational Product of the Year (2005 & 2006) –Parent to Parent/Adding Wisdom Award.

The Boca Beth line of learning products include:

Language Learning Sets:

• Boca Beth Beginner Set
• Boca Beth Grande Bag
• Boca Beth Gigante Bag
• Boca Beth Backpack Set

Music CD's:

• My First Songs in Spanish
• Sing Along with Boca Beth
• More Boca Beth
• Sing Praise for Children

DVD's:

• Boca Beth Music Video Collection
• My House
• I Like Animals

Activity Books:

• Boca Beth Language Learning Book
• My First Songs in Sign with Spanish

Puppets & Musical Instruments:

• BOCA puppet
• Mini Maracas
• Egg Shakers

Go check out their amazing selection of products and pick some out for your little one. You'll be amazed at how fast your child will pick up a second language (and you might too)!!

Our Experience:

We were given two of Boca Beth's Music CD's for review: My First Songs in Spanish and Sing Praise for Children.

The very first day we tried the My First Songs in Spanish, my children were singing and dancing around the living room, trying to imitate the words on the CD. I was very impressed with the clarity of the words on this CD as well as well as with the child friendly music. Even as I sit here now, I hear my little guy singing one of the songs he learned on this CD. It truly warms a mom's heart!! Listen to sample songs from this CD here.

The second CD we tried out was the Sing Praise for Children CD- which is a sweet selection of praise songs sung in both English and Spanish. Again, the lively and inspiring tunes won over my children the first time they listened to it and it is now the first thing they ask for when we get into our van. The only "problem" with teaching my children a new language is their insistence that they are now proficient Spanish- speaking people and they often make up words and say them proudly with a strong Spanish accent. It keeps us laughing for sure!! Listen to sample songs from this CD here.

We give Boca Beth a very happy

TWO THUMBS UP!!

To Buy:

Boca Beth products can be found on their website, which is full of great tips and information as well. You can also check out the Boca Beth Blog for the most recent news and updates.

To Win:

Boca Beth has generously donated a Boca Beth Beginner Set including a bilingual music CD, a bilingual DVD, BOCA the puppet, a coloring book, and an easy reading How to Guide to one of our lucky readers.

To Enter:

• Go visit the Boca Beth site, then come back and leave us a comment telling us which Music CD is your favorite and why. Please include a valid email address in your comment.
• For Extra Entries:
• Blog about this giveaway including our Homeschool Favorites button at the top of this post and leave us a comment including the link to your blog post.
• Subscribe to our Review Blog (or tell us you already do).
• Follow us on Twitter and Tweet about this giveaway.

Giveaway is open to US Residents only.

Giveaway ends Tuesday, January 27, 2009 at midnight. Winner will be drawn at random using Random.org.

Winner will be notified by email and has 48 hours to respond to the email with their shipping address. Failure to do so will result in a new winner begin drawn.

For more giveaway fun go check out the Bloggy Giveaway Carnival!!

Good Luck!!