Events I’m Attending
I’m Participating
Subscribe
Follow Me
-
-
Blog Stats
Awards
Given by: Moody Mommy
Given by: Julie @ Coupon Saving Family
Given by: Mary @ Mother Nos Best
Given by: Mary @ Mother Nos Best
Given by: Lorie
Given by: Lorie
Given by: Lindsey
Giveaway Winners – Fancy Fortune Cookie & Baby’s First Year Calendar
July 31, 2009 | Filed Under Giveaway Winners | 5 Comments
It’s that time again where I get to announce two lucky winners!!
Baby’s First Year Calendar: Congratulations to Karen B.!!
Emails have been sent to the winners and as usual they have 48 hours to respond. A huge thank you to everyone who entered.
Simple Green Naturals Review and Giveaway (Closed)
July 31, 2009 | Filed Under Giveaways, Reviews | 317 Comments
In the last year or so, I’ve been really trying to live a “greener” lifestyle. But I have to admit, I’m finding it really difficult in some aspects and really easy in others. Simple Green has made cleaning “greener” so much easier. Look at all the goodies I got to try out.
I had heard about Simple Green products prior to reviewing them, but I had never purchased them or used them. To be honest, I didn’t know much about them so I just stuck with normal brands. Since I was reviewing the product, I thought I needed to know more about the product and how and where it all started.
Simple Green has been in business for over 30 years making “enviromentally friendly” cleaning products before being “enviromentally friendly” was cool! It took three years for them to perfect the biodegradeable, non-toxic, non-flammable and non-abrasive formula. Since then, the company has grown and is in the homes of millions all around the world.
When my box of Simple Green came I was so excited to try them all out. You know those days when you actually feel like cleaning and being productive, well that happened to be one of those days. For me, they don’t happen that often, so I took full advantage of my added energy and went to work.
If you’ve been reading my blog long enough you know that I hate cleaning the bathroom! I would rather do anything else, besides clean bathrooms. But since I had all these enviromentally friendly cleaners to review, with spray bottles in hand, I tackled the bathrooms.
Simple Green Naturals Bathroom Cleaner is a water-based, 100% naturally sourced cleaner that is very easy to use. It is designed to be used on water borne minerals and soap scum that is usually found in your tubs, toilets and sinks. The scent is unlike any bathroom cleaning product I have used before. The scent is derived from pure extracts and oils of rosemary, spearmint, grapefruit and orange.
I was impressed at how well the bathroom cleaner works considering it contains no harsh chemicals. It did as well of a job as those toxic cleaners I had been using. I used it to clean everything in my bathroom except for the mirror and the floor. I like when one product cleans multiple surfaces.
While still in the bathroom, I used the Simple Green Naturals Glass & Surface Care to clean my mirror. Just like the bathroom cleaner, it is water based and 100% naturally sourced.
Again, I was impressed. The instructions recommend using a lint free paper towel but since I didn’t have any I just used a regular paper towel and I still ended up with a streak-free mirror. It easily removed my children’s toothpaste splatter spots with ease. The scent is the same as the bathroom cleaner which makes it really nice because there isn’t all these different scents competing against the other.
I won’t say that I enjoyed cleaning the bathrooms, but Simple Green Naturals made it more enjoyable than before. I didn’t have to fight the strong odors of other cleaners and I didn’t have to worry about what chemicals were soaking into my skin while I was cleaning.
I also tried the Simple Green Naturals Dish Washing Liquid on some of my bigger pots and pans that don’t fit into my dishwasher. Right away I noticed the lovely citrus scent of the liquid. It performed great at getting the caked on food off of the pots and pans and left my hands smelling great. I also noticed that when I was done washing my dishes, my hands didn’t feel all dry and tight like with some other dish washing soaps.
Again, the dishing washing liquid is water based and 100% naturally sourced. Are you noticing a trend yet? Ha! It is naturally scented with extracts and oils of grapefruit and eucalyptus.
I absolutely love Simple Green Naturals Liquid Hand Soap! Really, I have never had a hand wash that smelled so unique. Most of the handwashes I normally buy are fruity or something but this is amazingly different. The scent is a blend of basil, sage, clary sage, rosemary and orange oils. I wish there were a way for me to let you experience the scent because I really like it. You know, like a scatch-n-sniff or something on the computer screen. That would be cool. Just sayin’.
It is very gentle on your skin and will not strip your skin of the natural oils which makes it perfect for a every day hand wash.
Simple Green Naturals Multi-Surface Care can be used on a variety of surfaces such as tables, countertops, walls, doors, appliances, etc. When trying it out for the first time, I used it in the kitchen. If you’re as lucky as me, then you have white countertops. Do you sense the sarcasm? I hate having white countertops. I constantly have to wipe them down because every little thing shows up.
Simple Green Naturals Multi-Surface Care doesn’t make me have to wipe the countertops off less, but it does make it more enjoyable. Rather than smelling a strong chemical smell in the kitchen, you smell a nice lemon scent when using Simple Green. Don’t get me wrong. I like the smell of clean. However, I don’t like the smell of chemicals.
I was happy with how well Simple Green worked at removing drink spills or food stains. Again, it didn’t work better than my other products, but it did work just as well. If enviromentally friendly cleaning products work so well, why do companies keep selling products that aren’t good for families? Just wondering here.
Simple Green Naturals Floor Care is safe for all types of flooring including laminate, porcelain tile, slate, linoleum, etc. I used it on my porcelain tile in the kitchen and it worked beautifully. The area around my kitchen table seems to always look dirty. Especially around where the two boys sit. Just now before I sat down to write, I cleaned up chocolate milk splatters and no telling what else was down there. I simply sprayed the areas and wiped it up with a cloth. The spots were easy to remove and didn’t take much muscle from me.
The scent reminds me of a Pine-Sol type scent just not as strong. It is a blend of extracts and oils from fir, Valencia orange, patchouli, rosemary, amyris oils and oakmoss. Out of all the Simple Green Naturals products, this one has to have the strongest scent.
The last of the products that I got to try is Simple Green Naturals Carpet Care. We only have two rooms in our house that are carpet and I can’t wait to get rid of it. I love having hardwoods and tile because I can clean them and know that they are clean. With carpet I can’t do that.
We had a stain on our bedroom carpet and I’m not sure what it was. It was brown so it was more than likely dirt, mud or something along those lines. I sprayed Simple Green Naturals Carpet Care a few times on the area and I let it sit for a couple of minutes. I then used a white washcloth and rubbed the area until I could see that it was gone. I can’t tell you that it will work on every stain, but I can say that it worked on mine. As I’m sure you know, it is best to treat the stain as soon as you notice it. The faster you start working on it, the better your chances at removing it.
Simple Green Naturals Carpet Care is “Free & Clear” and is 100% naturally sourced with no added scent or color.
Simple Green uses 100% recyclable bottles with 25% post consumer content. The labels on the bottles are printed with soy inks and there is an ingredient disclosure on all the labels. Simple Green does not use are beloved four-legged friends for testing.
While reading up on Simple Green I learned that in 1989 Simple Green founded the EGBAR Foundation. EGBAR is an acronym for Everything’s Gonna Be All Right. A percentage of Simple Green sales go towards a national education curriculum that teaches children about our enviroment and how they can care for it. If you would like to learn more about the EGBAR Foundation, I encourage you to visit their website.
Buy It:
You can purchase Simple Green Naturals products directly from their website as well as at some national retailers.
Giveaway:
Simple Green has graciously offered to give one Simply Being Mommy reader a full set of the same products that I got to review. You will receive:
- Simple Green Carpet Care
- Simple Green Floor Care
- Simple Green Bathroom Cleaner
- Simple Green Multi-Surface Care
- Simple Green Glass & Surface Care
- Simple Green Liquid Dish Soap
- Simple Green Liquid Hand Soap
How to Enter:
Visit Simple Green and leave me a comment letting me know which product besides the ones that I’ve mentioned that you would like to try.
Want Extra Entries?:
After you have completed the first entry, you are eligible for additional entries. Make sure you leave a separate comment for EACH entry. Each counts as one extra entry unless noted otherwise.
- Blog about this giveaway with a link back to Simply Being Mommy (www.simplybeingmommy.com). Leave the URL to your blog post in the comment. {3 extra entries}
- Subscribe to Simply Being Mommy by reader or email.
- Leave me a comment on a non-giveaway post and then let me know where you commented. {up to 5 extra entries}
- Follow Simply Being Mommy on Twitter AND Tweet about the giveaway. Leave the URL to the Tweet in your comment. You can tweet once a day, but remember to leave the URL to each tweet. It would also be appreciated if you could also include @simplybeingmom.
- Add Simply Being Mommy to your Technorati Favorites. (Look for the green Technorati button on the left sidebar.)
- Stumble this post (not the site) and leave me your StumbleUpon Name in your comment.
- Add the Simply Being Mommy button to your sidebar. (Let me know where I can find it in your comment.)
This giveaway will end on August 14th at 10:00 PM Central time. Winner will be chosen via a random number generator. Giveaway is open to US entries only. The winner must contact me in 48 hours to claim their prize. Good luck to everyone!
The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely that of the blog owners. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider.
Shopping at T.J. Maxx & Marshall’s
July 31, 2009 | Filed Under Shopping | 7 Comments
You all know that I love a bargain and I love designer clothes. But, I’m sure you also know that usually those two terms don’t complement each other well. I’ve been given the opportunity to shop both of these stores to see what I can find. I am so excited because it has been years since I have stepped foot into a T.J. Maxx or Marshall’s store.
I’m not sure what to expect since it has been forever, but I’m excited about what great deals I might find. Since it is back to school time, I’ll probably shop for the little princess. Although, it would be nice to shop for myself for a change.
If you have any experience shopping at either of these stores, I would love to hear from you. If you’ve recently scored some great deals, I’d love to hear about those too!
I recently received a copy of Jennifer Taggart’s book Smart Mama’s Green Guide: Simple Steps to Reduce Your Child’s Toxic Chemical Exposure to review. In this book, Jennifer alerts us to the dangers of all the toxic chemicals that are in our homes and offers us simple solutions to reduce our exposure to them.
Parents often feel overwhelmed and defenseless against a never-ending recall list of toys and baby products. Deciphering unpronounceable chemicals they encounter every day can be daunting if not impossible. With environmental exposures being closely linked to 70 percent of birth defects, new parents faced with the overwhelming responsibility for their babies’ health frequently turn to organic products. But they quickly find they don’t have the time to practice a completely green or natural lifestyle.
THE SMART MAMA’S GREEN GUIDE delivers the information busy parents want and the tools to make informed, individual choices without the demand to go all-out green. Packed with practical tips on eliminating or reducing the hidden dangers of toxic chemicals that lurk everywhere, this book will empower readers to control what comes into their homes and make informed decisions instead of relying on government regulation of harmful chemicals.
I found Smart Mama’s Green Guide to be a very valuable source with practical and simple tips for me to reduce the hidden dangers that I didn’t even know existed. She goes room by room and teaches you how to reduce the harmful toxins and chemicals that can be present in each room.
I think the section that I was most interested in was breastfeeding. I had no idea that my breastmilk could contain toxins and chemicals. I’ve breastfed each one of my children and it is scary to think that I could be poisoning them. While Jennifer doesn’t discourage breastfeeding, she just wants to make sure you are aware of the potential of certain chemicals in breastmilk.
Throughout the book you will find “Smart Mama Tips” that I found to be extremely useful. Here are a couple of my favorites:
- I would use baby wipes to wipe down critical surfaces in the nursery after changing a diaper. I’d just fold as I went to make sure I had a clean surface.
- Keep a pair of indoor shoes or slippers for each member of the family by each entrance to your home.
Jennifer provides you with practical, easy solutions to reducing exposure to BPA, Lead, Mercury, Perchlorate and many others. I highly suggest that read this book and be informed of the simple things you can do to protect your family.
Buy It:
You can purchase Smart Mama’s Green Guide: Simple Steps to Reduce Your Child’s Toxic Chemical Exposure
For a complete list of coupons that will be in this Sunday’s paper, visit Taylortown Coupon Preview for a sneak peek. You can also place an order for just the coupons you will need, rather than buying full inserts in the Sunday paper.
Here is a small list of some of the best coupons that I see.
SMARTSOURCE
Beech-Nut Stage 3 Homestyle Fruit FREE up to .99 (12-31-09)
Clean & Clear Product, any $1 (10/18/09)
Johnson & Johnson Red Cross Product (excludes trial size) $1 (11/30/09)
SMARTSOURCE #2
Glade Fabric & Air Odor Eliminator B1G1F to $4.29 (9/12/09)
Glade Plugins Scented Oil Lasting Impressions Holder $3 (9/12/09)
Glade Plugins Scented Oil Warmer FREE wyb a Refill to $3.99 (9/12/09)
Oust Air Sanitizer B1G1F to $3.49 (9/26/09)
Skintimate Cream Shave or Gel $1 (9/26/09)
RED PLUM
All Liquid Laundry Detergent, 96 load+ $2 (10/25/09)
All or Surf Laundry Detergent $1 (10/25/09)
Blink Tears or Blink GelTears Lubricating Eye Drops, any $4 (10-24-09)
PROCTER & GAMBLE
Gillette Clinical Strength AND Secret Clinical Strength $4 (9/30/09)
Head & Shoulders Shampoo or Conditioner $1 (8/31/09)
Pampers Diapers or Pants $1 (8/31/09)
Venus Embrace or Venus Breeze Family Razor $2 (8/31/09)
It’s Award Time Baby!
July 30, 2009 | Filed Under General | 6 Comments
Since I’ve been blogging, I’ve met some amazing people. I’ve recently been given two awards from Lorie and I’m so grateful! Lorie is just a fantastic person and I truly appreciate these awards!
Here are the rules for these awards:
- Include the award logo in your blog or post.
- Nominate as many blogs which you like.
- Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
- Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
- Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.
The first award is “The Adorable Blog Award”.
I pass this award along to:
Tara @ Through Hazel Eyes
Bridgette @ The Not So Blog
Rhea @ Mommy23Monkeys
Staci @ Momma’s Gone Over the Wall
Sarah @ My Charmed Life
The next award I got was “The Uplifting Blogger Award”. Lorie, you are a sweetheart! Thank you.
I pass this award along to:
Brandy @ Happily Blended
Cascia @ Healthy Moms
Lindsey @ A Kindred Spirit’s Thoughts
Cat @ 3 Kids and Us
Thank you again Lorie for these awards!!
Winner Redraw – Earth Mama Angel Baby
July 29, 2009 | Filed Under Giveaway Winners | Leave a Comment
Since the winner of the Earth Mama Angel Baby giveaway never responded back and claimed their prize, I have drawn a new winner.
I have sent an email and as usual you have 48 hours to claim your prize. Thank you to everyone who entered!!
For the Love of Jackson Tee Review
July 29, 2009 | Filed Under Reviews | Leave a Comment
For the Love of Jackson is a clothing line that is all about 9 year old Jackson. He’s the cute golden on the shirt. It’s not known when he became a star, but its happened and now his smile will adorn the bellies of babies everywhere.
For the Love of Jackson tees are made with organic cotton right here in the USA!
My little one, Peyton, has worn this shirt a couple of times and it has been through the washer and dryer and still looks brand new. It holds up well and is soft on babies skin.
Jackson also has his own book, postcards and magnets.
Buy It:
You can purchase any of the above products directly from For the Love of Jackson website.
Free $15 Babies R Us Gift Card when you buy Pampers Diapers
July 29, 2009 | Filed Under Freebies | Leave a Comment
When you purchase 2 boxes of Pampers Diapers at Babies ‘R Us on Friday, July 31st and Saturday, August 1st, you will get a free $15.00 Babies ‘R Us Gift Card at checkout.
Only valid on 92 count or higher boxes. You will be given your gift card after purchase.
Winners – Tidy Kidz, Guiltless Gourmet & Big Eye Dummies
July 28, 2009 | Filed Under Giveaway Winners | 2 Comments
I am so behind in drawing winners and I’m so sorry. Things have been incredibly busy around here. So on to the winners…
Tidy Kidz: Congratulations to #25 – Kerri!!
Guiltless Gourmet: Congratulations to #116 – ELV!!
Big Eye Dummies: Congratulations to #130 – Andria!!
Winners have been sent emails and as usual have 48 hours to claim their prize. Thank you to everyone who entered!!
Grab My Button
Simply Great Blogs:
-
You can find me here:
-
-
