Free Box of Mom's Best Organic Oatmeal!

Have you tried Mom's Best BetterOats Oatmeal?  These organic cereals are made with 100% whole grain oats, are a good source of ALA Omega-3's and contains no artificial preservatives, artificial color or high fructose corn syrup.  Sign up here for a coupon via snail mail for a free box!  Want to try it now?  "Like" Better Oats on Facebook and receive a Buy One Get One Free coupon!  We love Chai Spiced!  Yum!  Healthy breakfast in about two minutes!

It's Funky, Monkey!

There are a few ways to eat fruit. Most people eat it fresh or frozen. Then there are those who enjoy it dehydrated. But have you ever thought of trying it freeze dried? Freeze drying fruit is a unique process that maintains all of the flavor and nutrients but leaves the fruit with a fun crunch!

Funky Monkey Snacks makes a variety of fruit combinations that have no added sugar or sweeteners, artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. Each ounce contains 3 servings of fruit! What a great alternative to sugar filled gelatin snacks. Try a variety of combinations such as pineapple-guava, banana-cinnamon, apple-cinnamon, banana-acai and mango-orange. All of their products are gluten, dairy, peanut and tree nut free making it a fabulous snack for children suffering from food allergies.

Vegan Wednesday!

It's been 15 years since I've eaten meat, but the "Do you get enough protein?!?" question has never ceased. Even with the popularity of the vegan and vegetarian lifestyles, there are still those that believe that protein comes only from meat and eggs. This is so not true! In fact, it's this belief that has lead to so many health problems for so many Americans (heart disease, high blood pressure, etc.).

As babies, our mother's milk provides the protein we need to grow healthy and strong. Once solid foods are introduced into our diets, vegans can find many non-animal based sources of protein. There is no need to worry about vegans getting enough protein, as long as they eat a varied and nutritious diet.

Soy contains all of the essential amino acids a body needs and surpasses all other plant sources when it comes to protein.

Other great sources of non-animal proteins:

Legumes like lentils, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, split peas, etc.

Grains like barley, brown rice, millet, quinoa, rye, and wheat germ.

Vegetables like artichokes, beets, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumbers, eggplant, green peas, green pepper, kale, lettuce, mushrooms, mustard green, onions, potatoes, spinach, tomatoes, turnip greens, watercress, yams, and zucchini

Fruits like apples, bananas, cantaloupe, grapes, grapefruit, honeydew melon, oranges, papaya, peaches ,pears, pineapple, strawberries, tangerines,and watermelon.

Nuts and Seeds like almonds, cashews, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and walnuts.

Free Annie's Lunch Sack with/purchase!

Head over here to score a reusable and waste-free lunch bag from Annie's!  If does require a purchase of two Annie's products, but thankfully, there are a bunch of great sales going on in-store on their products!  While this makes a great lunch bag, it could also be used for a super, reusable produce bag!

Carob v Chocolate

Carob. It is featured in drinks, ice creams, recipes, and some of our delicious truffles, among other yummy treats. But what exactly is this chocolate alternative?

Carob comes from a leguminous pod (think along the lines of peas) native to the Mediterranean. Carob is caffeine free and lower in calories (in the raw form- make sure to watch ingredients in powdered forms!), and contains three times the amount of calcium compared to cocoa. It is also lower in fat. Amazingly enough, one cup of carob contains only two grams of fat!!!

Carob can be directly substituted for cocoa in recipes, although it is suggested that the sweetener should be reduced by about one fourth. Plenty of recipes are available online and we can supply you with all the materials you need to try some delicious new treats!

Wave hello to Earth Friendly's Auto Dishwashing Gel!

Sure, it's good for the environment and your health, but does it work?  Check out the indpendent tests below comparing Earth Friendly's auto dishwashing gel with a popular mainstream brand!  If you are ready to test it out at home, print a coupon out here for $1/1 Earth Friendly Auto Gel and hurry in!

INDEPENDENT LAB RESULTS PROVE WAVE® Auto Dishwasher Gel TWICE AS EFFECTIVE as Cascade®

Wave® as tested by an independent consumer testing laboratory has been evaluated as comparable in performance to Cascade® while using half as much and without any of those harmful ingredients.

When tested per client instructions, both samples of Gel Dishwasher Detergents are rated as Good and they both demonstrate generally comparable performance and consumer serviceability. Both samples performed generally comparably in tests for spotting, fi lming, and soil removal for one full cycle in the automatic dishwasher. Per client request, the Cascade® sample was tested by placing 20 grams of product into BOTH dispensing cups, PLUS A RINSE INHIBITOR in the appropriate dispenser, while the Wave® sample was tested by placing 20 grams of the gel into only ONE dispenser cup, with NO RINSE INHIBITOR added due to the Wave sample having a rinse inhibitor incorporated into the product.

The Results are in...

Brand:             Wave® 2X     Cascade®
Spotting:          None              None
Filming:            None              None
Soil Removal:   No Traces      No Traces
pH                   5.5                 11


Made from plants! Free of 1,4-Dioxane, phosphates, formaldehyde, chlorine, GMO’s, petrochemicals,
ammonia and so much more. pH Neutral. Safe for you. Safe for your dishes. Safe for the planet!

Self-Prescribed Self-Tanner

After seeing my kneecaps look like those of Oompa-Loompa's, self-tanners have been thrown into my "to be avoided" list. But with the summer keeping me indoors with floor fans turned on full blast, I haven't ventured out to gain my summer "glow". And with vacations looming on the horizon, along with the end of summer, many are turning to these products for a quick fix. Gaining a bit of courage, I decided to try a few products and gauge their effectiveness. To my excitement, and hopefully yours too, I developed a little tip as I found several self-tanners that gave me the results I desired!

"Alba", always one of my favorite lines, provides a self-tanner that doesn't disappoint. The Paraben-Free product is easy to use and soaks into the skin, moisturizing while it works its magic! "Nature's Gate" has also introduced a line of self-tanners that range from light skin tones to darker tones. Also Paraben-Free, it does an excellent job as well! But the trick to self-tanners, mix them with another lotion to build a more gradual tan. By diluting the self-tanner, results will leave your skin just a shade darker and without blotchy marks all over your arms and legs!

So, for those who need a quick fix for their tanning woes, arm yourself with a little trick and some self-tanner. Summer's still here, so enjoy your vacation without looking like an Oompa-Loompa!