Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil Review and Giveaway

Tropical Traditions sent me a jar of their coconut oil to review.

Coconut oil is solid below around 72 degrees farenheight, and liquid when it hits around 73 degrees. You can see how pure this is in the picture. Tropical traditions has theirs hand made and it seems to be a higher quality from the brands I have tried locally. Its been cold here so I havent been able to see it as a liquid yet to see the purity of it in that form.

 

I use coconut oil in my hair, in cooking, on my skin, and for oil pulling. I cannot make any health claims on using coconut oil, but I feel better after using it. It tastes great in cooking and from the research I have done its better for you. Here are ideas on how to use coconut oil as well as some great content here.

Here are a few links to check out:

Tropical Traditions has a great information page on coconut oil itself and ways to use it. There is also a YouTube video on how they discovered it.

 

NOW - Enter to win a jar of your own. Please dont post things on their wall referencing to my referring you or having the contest. They will be removed.

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Win 1 quart of Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil!

Tropical Traditions is America’s source for coconut oil. Their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is hand crafted in small batches by family producers, and it is the highest quality coconut oil they offer. You can read more about how virgin coconut oil is different from other coconut oils on their website: What is Virgin Coconut Oil?

You can also watch the video they produced about Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil:

 

Tropical Traditions also carries other varieties of affordable high quality

coconut oil. Visit their website to check on current sales, to learn about the many uses of coconut oil, and to read about all the advantages of buying coconut oil online. Since the FDA does not want us to discuss the health benefits of coconut oil on a page where it is being sold or given away, here is the best website to read about the health benefits of coconut oil.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I chose. I was under no obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for free product.

UNREAL Candy- Review and Giveaway

UNReal Candy sent me a selection of candy to try and give my honest review. I dont eat much candy just because of the junk that is in it. My main concern is the high fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated oils, artificial ingredients, GMO's and preservatives  in the commercial products. Unreal has NONE of that!!  Read their story here.

 

First I tried the  Chocolate caramel peanuts and nougat. It was really good! The texture was perfect and i didnt miss all the "junk" in the commercial brand.

Next the Unreal chocolate with candy shells. Again.. delicious!! I would never miss the "junk" brand.

 

Now the Chocolate caramel nougat. This too was delicious.

I tried the other products as well, but was too excited to get pictures. I havent had candy in years and I have to say that these were amazing contenders. I probably will be a little more tempted to have a treat every few months because of these. The prices are a bit higher than the "junk" brands. However the junk brands are made to be mass produced and not an ounce of care is put into their ingredients. UNreal has pride and passion in making a great product.

They are giving you a chance to win a selection of their products!! Good luck and enjoy!

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Funbites Review and Giveaway

FunBites sent me one of their fun sandwich cutters. My daughter will not eat sandwiches, so I thought this would be an interesting product to try.

Their sites says" Each FunBitesfunbites^®funbites^®funbites^®funbites^®funbites Pack includes a high performance curved blade cutter that quickly creates small bites and a matching popper top that pops out food instantly so hands are clean, food is untouched. FunBitesfunbites^®funbites^®funbites^®funbites^®funbites is 100% MADE IN THE USA, BPA FREE, Mom invented, hand wash or dishwasher safe. "

The product comes in one piece. The square on the right gets inserted into the left piece with the handles. The are curved on the bottom so you can slightly rock the cutter and get a good clean cut on the sandwich.

First you put the rounded piece on the sandwich and rock it back and forth to cut. You then place the smaller square into the holes of the piece with the handles and push down. I like to put a bit of pressure on them before popping out the pieces to smash the sandwich together a bit. It helps keep the pieces from falling apart.

This is what the bottom looks like before you push out the pieces.

 

I peeled the excess off prior to pushing the pieces out.

 

As I was trying to take the picture, my daughter grabbed a little heart. She actually ate half the sandwich which is a huge thing for her!

This is a super fun product. I wish I would have received the square one though. The heart is fun for home, but it doesnt pack as well for her lunch. I might have to order the other shape!!

The only negative I have on this is they are a bit difficult the first few uses to get the two pieces to line up. That being said....it becomes easier after a few uses.

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The Country Barrel Mason Jar lids review/giveaway

The Country Barrel send me these fantstic DIY Tumbler lids for my mason jars.

They came packaged with straws and a little clip (not sure what the clip was for and lost it immediately).

 

 

Here is a closeup of the lid. It has a rubber piece to hold the straw in place. This was a great thing since my 4 year old has stolen these from me. She has declared them as HER new cups. Since we have hardwoods we have a rule that only lidded cups are allowed away from the table. These are great for a big kid choice.

 

The Country Barrel is based out of Oregon and has many other items that I want to have. Check them out!! Just a few things that are on my wish list... Hanging Mason Jar Garden Lights, Mason Jar Flower Vases, Potpourri Filled Jars With Frog Lids, and Mason Jar Solar Light Lantern Lid.

These make great Christmas gifts that are unique! Go order ASAP to get in time for Christmas!!

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True Lemon/Lime/Grapefruit Review and Giveaway

True Lemon Sent me this variety for my honest review.

I am a terrible water drinker. I have to juice a lemon and do not like it overly cold or plain. This was PERFECT! For my large reusable container i even combined a lemon and a lime to change things up a bit. Grapefruit orange was a pretty outstanding combination as well. The product is a fine powder that just needs a quick shake or stir once added to your water. I even added half a pack to my green tea. SO GOOD.

I have used this product before, but it is truly better than I remember. Its not loaded with fake sugar or chemicals like other products.

Real Flavor From Real Fruit
* 100% natural ingredients
* No artificial preservatives or colors
* Gluten-free
* 0 to 5 calories per serving
* 0g carbs, 0g sugars, 0g fat per serving
* 25 percent RDA of Vitamin C per serving

Here is a listing for their products on their site.  Nutrition info can be found here.

The only things I dont like in the ingredients are the soy and the asorbic acid. Asorbic acid can be difficult for the body to absorb.
Edited to add: I was just informed that in 2013 they will be going to a soy free version! YAY!

Overall, I love this product!!

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Bitsy's BrainFood Review

Bitsys Brainfood review

I was sent two boxes of these to review. They were suprisingly tasty. When I saw them at first I wasnt so sure. My daughter freaked out and wouldnt share with me. I guess that means they are a hit. This makes me happy because she is getting good food disguised as a treat. Check out the nutrition info. We try not to eat to much processed food but this will make it in our cart for special treats.

The website states "bite-sized treats packed with the good stuff to help support developing bodies and brains, like vitamins and Omega-3, and packaged with content that's educational and oh-mega cool. Plus, we've yet to meet a kid who doesn't love snacks or a parent who doesn't crave nutritious, on-the-go options. "

Office Candy Review and Giveaway

Due to some technical difficulties with Rafflecopter I may have lost all entries on this giveaway. I will be relisting a new rafflecopter in the morning (if this is the case).  I will be extending the giveaway also, and listing a new giveaway this weekend as usual. stay tuned and Thank you for your patience.

Office Candy sent me reusable wall pops to review for you all!

 

They came packaged in bright green paper with a sucker. Nice touch!

Zinnia Wall Pops Monthly Calendar looks like this out of this package. 4 wall pops in varying colors. You can use these for multiple schedules/kids! What a great way to keep homework in check!!

I have one for our monthly calendar, and one for menu planning. These are removable and re-usable. They add such a fun pop of color to my office area! I will spare you the messy view of my office. ;) Because i am so particular about them being straight....its a good thing they are repositionable!

*Dimensions: 13 x 13 inches

*Repositionable
*Removable
*Easy to apply (and take down)
*Comes with a Wall Pops marker

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Daddy Scrubs review and giveaway!

Daddy Scrubs sent me these scrubs to review for the expectant dad in your life. How fun!

Make sure you enter the Daddy Scrubs Daddy Diaper Pack giveaway also!

This was the navy blue scrub set. What a great daddy to be gift! These are huge with celebrities right now!

Check out their YouTube Video and Press kit.

This is the product feature list from their site:

Product Features:

• 65/35 Poly Cotton
• Machine Wash & Dry
• V-neck Collar
• Left chest pocket
• Drawstring pant with one hip pocket & two slash pockets
• Style: Edgy
• Sizes: Small, Medium, Large, X Large, 2x Large, 3X Large,4X Large, 5X Large

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the back view and the side of the pant leg. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is Mr. CrazyLifeAsMom and little B hiding in front of him. They scrubs have pants pockets which is great. This set of scrubs was a large and the Mr wears a medium. So order a size up in the blue edgy scrubs! They look big at first, but they fit fantastic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the view of the scrub set. The only down side that my husband mention is they could be softer and he didnt like the logo on the right pant leg. We have not washed the scrubs yet, so perhaps they will soften up after a few washings.

Overall, these are awesome. They will be great for the delivery room, middle of the day winter loungewear with a new baby, expectant father gift or just for fun!

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Daddy Scrubs Daddy Diaper Pack review and giveaway

Daddy Scrubs sent me this awesome backpack to review and give one away to my readers!What a great daddy-to-be gift!

I am so excited about this. Make sure to enter my other review of their scrubs. This is the Daddy Scrubs Overview on the company itself.

This company seems to be all the rage with celebrities now. I find it great that a company is including the expentant daddies also!

The Daddy Scrubs website states the following features:
Features• Two roomy compartments for diapers, wipes, clothes, and toys
• Insulated cooler pocket for snacks
• Organizer pocket for keys, money, pacifiers, and small toys
• Fleece lined pocket for sunglasses and more
• Mesh side pockets for extra baby bottles and water bottles
• One Size: 19 x 12 x 9"
• Materials: 840D polyester Dobby (black)

*Accessories sold separately

The inside is one large compartment with alot of room.

 

The front has two separate pockets. The top has small compartments and the bottom is one large pocket which would be great for a wallet/keys or extra wipes/diaper.

The straps are slightly curved for ergonomics whigh is helpful. It has a clip to keep the straps from slipping.

 

The Daddy diaper pack has extra large side pockets for water bottles!

This is a great bag for dads or even an extra backpack stuffed full with baby needs. This is definitely better quality than the bags you get at an inexpensive retail location. I went through 3 diaper bags and this bag should last much longer.

Enter to win a new dad gift today!

 

 

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Kidorable Review and Giveaway

 

Kidorable sent me these super adorable boots and umbrella in Lucky Cat. I have very excited to try these.

 I have been hesitant to order because I didnt know if the sizes matched the us sizing of my daughters every day shoes. I am pleased to say YES they do. I held them up bottom to bottom and they are identical in size from the outside. Once on the feet they seem to run about 1/2 size larger. This is perfect if you have boot liners.

The boots have an odor of plastic at first but it wears off quickly. The Lucky Cat design has cats on the toe a fish on left boot with air bubbles, and a mouse with paw prints on the other. If you look at the tab on the back... it looks like a tail! ADORBS!

The umbrella is equally as cute and is much better quality than i expected. It is also the Lucky Cat style. It has ears and paws that come up off the umbrella itself and the mouse, pawprints and butterfly that matches the pattern on the rainboots.

Another cute detail is the handle of the umbrella. Its a tail! Every detail of this umbrella is done extremely well.

Kidorable states on their website "In 1997, Kidorable sprung from the minds, hearts and efficiency apartment of Liping and Jonathan Domsky. They proclaimed, "The world needs someone to create children's apparel and accessories that are both functional and fun. We can do that."

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SantaMedical No contact Thermometer Review and Giveaway

Santa Medical (by IRoams Network) sent this thermometer to me to review (and yes there is a giveaway).

This thermometer was of interest to me because I have a child. When she is sick I do not want to disturb her to take her thermometer when she is resting comfortably or actually sleeping at night.

When i put the thermometer touching my head it read 98.8, subsequent readings slowly moving away from my head were 98.1. It seem very accurate. We were sick this last week and it showed us as having a slight temperature and matched the oral digital thermometer that we have.

There is a mode button for room, surface temp, and body.The room temperature read 3 degrees higher than my indoor digital thermometer.

If you have small children I think this is beneficial.

This is what the description states:
- Automatic shut off design
-0.3 degree accuracy in less than 1 second.
- Temperatures (Fahrenheit or Celsius) are displayed on a back-lit LCD screen
- Adjustable audio alarm for high temps
- temperature detection from a 1"-4" (5-15cm) distance with an 89-109 F(32.0-43.0C) temp range
- stores 32 temperature readings for future reference.
- 2 AA batteries (included)
-water resistant design

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Wacky Fingers Review and Giveaway

Wacky Fingerz sent me these super fun finger bracelets!! They are soft, rubber silicone that can be worn on any finger. Great party favor, silly fun, or trade them with friends!

 

These are a mood changer for sure! Whip out one of these babies with a grumpy tot and you are sure to get smiles.

 

Here is Mr Panda with an upside down mustache.

Here is princess Cinderelly with liptick on her lips.

Wacky Fingerz has vampire teeth, duck bill, zipper, cat whiskers, and many other fun versions! These gave my daughter gut busting laughs. She put them on EVERYTHING but herself!


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Bobo's Oat Bars Review and Giveaway

Bobo's Oat Bars sent me 4 bars to sample and give you my honest review.

The almond was the one I tried first. It smelled great!

The almond bar was a bit dry and crumbly for me. The coconut was PERFECT. It was so moist and wasnt overwhelming with coconut. The cinnamon and peanut butter were also more moist and a great texture.

Little B and I are mostly gluten free to keep things easier for hubby. They have 4 gluten free bars and some wheat free bars. So if you are celiac, make sure to read the label. Here are the products and nutrition info.

Also upon reading the label these bars are actually TWO servings. OOPS! ;) I guess that little "nugget" of goodness was a lunch and not a snack.

Enter to win a 4 pack of your very own!!
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Baby Gourmet Review and Giveaway

Baby Gourmet sent me some awesome pouches of fruit/veggie combos! My daughter is four but these are great to keep in the car for a quick snack. We get so busy that sometimes we just forget to grab a snack for her purse/backpack.

I tasted a couple and they are very good. The texture is just perfect for kids and not too thick and not too runny. Little B only likes cucumbers and bell peppers right now, so using these to get some veggies into her has been very helpful. She doesnt even realize there is veggies in them (and I am not going to tell her). :)

The fact they are organic and there is no fillers or high fructose syrup makes me happy to feed these to my child. The flavor combos are appealing also!

Organic

No thickeners or fillers

No added sugar

No added salt

Kosher

BPA-free re-sealable packaging

USDA, FDA and organic certification

Had these been available when little B was younger I would have LOVED the portability in a BPA free pouch. Just like jarred food though these need to be used within 24 hours of opening.

Now enter to win their signature nine pack!
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Mattie Cakes Fingernail Polish Review/Giveaway

Mattie Cakes sent me their rainbow sprinkle pearl with beautiful glitters to review. My daughter loved it. Her nails are pretty small so I used mine for the picture.

This is a great polish, though I think for my daughters small hands the creme polish would be better. One coat of the polish looks like this.It has a slight pinkish base. It goes on very smooth and you have to move the brush around to get more of the sparkles on. That being said, this is a wonderful polish. I put a coat over my blue toenail polish and a week later it is still there!! I will spare you the pictures of my toes since I havent had a pedicure in years. ;) Hey, I'm a mom of a tot! Who has time for that? Im too busy writing this up for you in the wee hours of the night!

 

My favorite thing about Mattie Cakes Polish is this:

"water-based, quick drying, non-toxic, non-carcinogenic, animal friendly, free of formaldehyde, toluene, phthalates, bisphenol A, camphor, alcohol, nitrocellulose, acetones/acetates, synthetic colors, FD & C dyes or any artificial dyes, and there are no toxic fumes or synthetic preservatives. Our nail polish is safe for pregnant women, dogs, cancer patients and cancer survivors."

This is a definite must have for those concerned about chemicals on their children, pets, or themselves.

Now for a giveaway courtesy of Mattie Cakes!!

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CUPPOW Review and Giveaway

 

What a fun product!! Cuppow allows you to drink mess free from a canning jar! This may just replace my fancy smancy lidded containters at home.

Here is the top view. It looks exactly like a coffee store disposable lid.  

 

Here is a side view of my green tea in a one pint wide mouth mason jar.  Check out there in the news section. I did not think of putting a straw in the opening.

Cuppow is made in the USA, it’s phthalate and BPA free AND its recyclable. Although I dont think I will ever recycle this bad boy. It is so awesome!

Now go enter to win your very own CUPPOW!!


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Skoy Cloth review and giveaway

 

 

Skoy Cloth sent me this cute package of reusable "paper towels" to try out. They are biodegradable, reusable, absorbant and super fun.

Skoy Cloth also has school fundraisers on their site.

At first I didnt see the huge deal. Boy was I wrong!! These handy little towels are pure genius. One towel replaces FIFTEEN rolls of paper towels. Brilliance!

My first test was to see how much liquid these could hold. I layed it on the counter and poured 2 ounces of water and waited for the magic. It turned from a cardboard texture into a super soft towel.

I poured a litle bit more water on it (2.5 ounces total) and lifted it up, this is what i got.

I squeezed the water out and cleaned away. I gave my daughter one with 50/50 vinegar and water. I let her go to town cleaning. It cleans windows like a breeze with no paper towel lint behind! I also cleaned shower scum, sinks, dashboard of my car (which I thought was clean - NOT), counters, toys and so many other surfaces. These little towels are very deceiving and such an AWESOME product.





 
This is what they look like after they dry. All you do is wet and reuse.

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