Citrus Lane May 2012 Box Review and 50% Off Your First Box!!!

 

If you'd like to check out Citrus Lane for yourself, you can click this REFERRAL LINK and get 50% off your first box!!!

 

WooHoo!!! Its our FAVORITE day of the month!!! - Citrus Lane day!!!! Our Citrus Lane box arrived today! May's them was "Fun In The Sun" and it DID NOT disappoint!!! We will be having tons of awesome, safe "Fun In The Sun" with the contents from this box!!!

If you haven't yet read my reviews of our past Citrus Lane boxes, you can check out March's "Dining Out" box review HERE and April's "Bath and Bedtime Fun" box HERE.


Each Citrus Lane box is filled with beautiful, cheery, citrus-yellow tissue paper!  What a lovely addition!  Also, evey box contains an information flyer that tells you all about that month's theme, the products in the box (including retail value) and helpful tips and hints that focus on the box's theme...

Every box also has a special little "gift" for mom.  Sometimes its a little snack, or a beauty sample, etc.  This month's gift was a $15 giftcard to joyus.com!  Awesome!  I was able to use it to buy some lovely bracelets!  (Happy Mother's Day to me!!!)  ;)

These boxes are always filled with SO MUCH FUN!!!!!!

 

Architec Housewares Review

2 things that I LOVE LOVE LOVE are kitchen tools and color! So, when Architec Housewares sent me a package of products to review, I was ECSTATIC!!!! They have some great kitchen tools - in some great colors!!!  You can find Architec products in a wide variety of stores, from Bed Bath & Beyond, Target, and Williams Sonoma to Cooking.com and Amazon.com.  (To see a full list of online retailers, click HERE.)

The company very graciously sent me a wonderful box full of goodies, including 3 kitchen clips, a 1-quart colander, a set of nylon cooks tools, a "gripper" cutting board, a recipe rock, and a set of mixing bowls.

The kitchen clips are large and colorful...

Lunchskins Review

I received a wonderful little package in the mail today & just couldn't wait to tell you all about it!!! -   Lunchskins!!!  These little bags are just amazing!!! - And so is the story of how they were invented. 

Their website states:

"While sitting around a kitchen table in 2008, we heard a staggering statistic - every day, more than 20 million sandwich bags from school lunches go into landfills in the US. We knew that many families were looking for easy, convenient ways to be green and avoid this kind of waste. So we put our passion and energy together and 3greenmoms was born. Our mission:to design a colorful, fresh alternative to the plastic baggie."

Did you see that statistic?  TWENTY MILLION sandwich bags EVERY DAY!  That just blew me away!!!  What waste!!!  Our society has become one of "disposable" products.  And, while these can be very convenient, they can also be VERY expensive - in addition to their effect on the earth.

Here's a couple of other interesting statistics:

1.) "Each child who brings a “brown-bag” lunch to school every day will generate 67 pounds of waste by the end of the school year - that's 18,760 pounds of lunch waste for an average-sized school. (EPA)"

2.) "Each high quality reusable bag you use has the potential to eliminate an average of 1,000 plastic bags over its lifetime. The bag will pay for itself over time."

To see more info on plastics, check out Lunchskins' "Plastic Page" HERE.

Lunchskins are a GREAT alternative to plastic sandwich bags!  They are made from a thick cotton fabric that is coated with a food-safe polyurethane liner.  They are also grease-proof and moisture proof making them ideal for messy sandwiches and snacks!  They are lead, Bisphenol-A (BPA) and phthalate-free - which is a HUGE deal to me!!!  (Many of those plastic baggies contain harmful chemicals!)  And one more thing - and this one REALLY THRILLS ME! - They are dishwasher safe!!!  What?!?!?!  You mean I can just pop them in the dishwasher???  How easy is that!!!

The Orange Owl Shop Review



As I've mentioned before, I LOVE to find new products, stores, services, etc. - I love to be the one to tell all my friends!  One new store that I found recently and LOVE is The Orange Owl.  The Orange Owl is a lovely little store in Vermont owned by Akshata Nayak.  Akshata was born and raised in Bangalore, India.  The Orange Owl sells handmade soaps, lotions, lip balms, etc. that are a lovely mix of Akshata's Indian AND American lives.

As her website states, "We find the inspiration for our products in a myriad of places. From the smell of early morning coffee with a hint of cinnamon, hikes along some of the most beautiful trails in New England, to a plethora of experiences in India, we have epiphanies all the time. This can result in some of the most random note making known to man."

I received 2 wonderful products for review:

Handmade Soap in Neembu Paani

I chose to try the Neembu Paani soap because, as the website states, Neembu Paani is "a tribute to two cultures via a combination of Indian lemonade (called Neembu Paani and made with a hint of cardamom) and lemon poppy seed muffins. The blend of zesty lemon scent with the spicy zing of cardamom, makes this an exceptional combination!"

No Throw Review

My daughter is in that stage where, when she doesn't want something, she just lets it drop - her toys, her sippy cups, her food, etc.  The problem is, in a minute or two she wants it again.  This can be problematic when we are in the car & she throws her sippy & I can't get to it.  Or when she's in her stroller and throws her sippy and it gets dirty.

That's why I was SO excited when NoThrow sent me one of their bottle tethers AND on of their paci clips to try out! 

The bottle tether can then be attached to your child's carseat, stroller, or high chair.  (I was inside when we tried it out, so I attached it to one of our dining room chairs.  It attaches very easily and very securely!

The bottle tether is SO easy to use!

Simply thread it through the loop on your child's car seat, stroller, high chair, etc.

Then attach the cup to the tether using the velcro strip.

Bathing In Grace Baby Bath Towel Review

I still remember when we first brought our little one home from the hospital - nearly 2 years ago.  That was the greatest - and most terrifying - drive I've ever been on.  ;)  I was SO scared.  I had this perfect little person and now I was responsible for her care.  Her first few baths were some of the scariest moments for me. - Hoping the bath products, washcloths and towels weren't too harsh for her delicate little skin. - Praying that her little body didn't slip out of my hands when I got her out of her little tub. 

Then, as she got older and I became more confident, the fear of bathing went away.  What didn't go away? - The fact that I got soaked!  I'd wrap one towel around my sweet little girl and drape another towel over myself - trying to avoid "the soak."  But, inevitably, my towel would move out of place or fall to the floor and I'd get soaked anyway.

These towels are SO pretty and SOOOOO soft!!!!

Boy do I wish I'd had the Bathing In Grace Baby and Me Bath Towel Set back then!!!  Lynette Moore, the inventor of Bathing In Grace, began her company with 2 things in mind - her sweet daughter, Grace, and the environment.  And I would say they have both benefitted from these incredible towels!  The towels are made from 100% Moso bamboo, which is not the same species consumed by pandas.  Bamboo is naturally hypo-allergenic and antibacterial, so it helps prevent skin irritations, allergies, and odor.  It can also absorb THREE TIMES its weight in water - which makes it the perfect material for an item, like a towel, that has to be washed frequently!  To read more about the benefits of bamboo, click HERE.

 The Bathing In Grace Baby and Me Towel Set includes 1 bib towel (for mommy) and one hooded towel (for baby).  (It also contains one organic bamboo terry washcloth - as Lynette's special gift to you.)  The genius of this set is that the bib towel drapes over mom - to keep her dry.  But that's not all!  The hooded towel actually buttons to the bib towel to keep your little one all wrapped up in luxurious bamboo cloth!  :)

Ecopiggy Review - RiNGLEY Teether

I love finding a cool, new shopping websites!  What can I say?  I love to shop!  Ecopiggy is one of those great new shops that I've recently found!  As their website says...

Ecopiggy is a national distributor of natural childrens products. From reusable lunch bags, to organic teethers, to wellness products; we closely research each brand, confirming quality of product and fair trade practices. Then we test out the products on little-piggies and receive parent feedback.  Ecopiggy offers quality service. We think carefully about how our actions not only effect our family, but how they effect the families around us.

Ecopiggy has lots of really cool natural products.  They also really seem to care about their customers and strive to handpick every product that they sell.  One of those products is the RiNGLEY Natural Teething Toy.  And the wonderful people at Ecopiggy very graciously sent my little one one of these teething toys to try!

SPIband Review



I wanna start this post off with a little story from my childhood.  My dad used to work hard and save up to take us on a family vacation to Disney World every couple of years.  Man, I LOVED that!!  But it was always packed.  My dad would always warn us, before we got out of the car, to keep our belongings close and keep an eye on our money.  So, I was smart.  I would split my money up.  Some of it went in my bag, and some of it went in my tennis shoe!  That's right!  I hid money in my shoes. - Somebody would have to work pretty hard to steal that money!  ;)  The only problem was, when I wanted to spend it, I had to find a place to sit down, dig in my show (sometimes take it off) just to get to the money.  It was kind of annoying.


Man!  I wish I'd had a SPIband back then!!!  The AWESOME people that invented the SPIbelt have done it again!!!  They've come up with another nifty product to keep your valuables safe.  The SPIband fits on your wrist or your ankle and can hold money, a credit card, license, a key, etc.  It comes in 3 different sizes (which is great because we don't all have the same size wrists and ankles), and comes in black, black with hot pink trim, black with turquoise trim, or black with reflective trim.  Its also made of a breathable, soft-stretch material!

The nice folks at SPIbelt sent my hubby and I each a SPIband to try.  His was a large SPIband in black and mine was a medium in black with turquoise trim. 

Eco Vessel Adult Straw Bottle and Toddler Sippy Cup Review

          

       

The wonderful people at Eco Vessel were generous enough to send me a couple of products to review!  I was SO excited about this review!  To be honest, I had seen their kids products on amazon.com, and they looked so nifty and cute, but I had NO idea that they had adult products as well!  Yippee!!! 

Their website states:

"Eco Vessel is based in Boulder, Colorado at the base of the Rocky Mountains. We are dedicated to developing products from safe, sturdy, sustainable materials while offering innovation and practicality. Our complete product line provides options for both children and adults with all of these in mind.  You can feel secure knowing that our 100% recyclable, BPA Free products are made of high quality, non-leaching materials and are designed for your safety, ease of use and convenience. Using plastic water bottles is expensive, wasteful and unnecessary. Sadly, more than 80% of these bottles are not even recycled but simply thrown away, which creates more than a million tons of waste each year. Treat yourself and your family to our good looking, Eco-friendly products while you help heal our planet."

I have to admit, I've bought quite a few plastic bottles of water, and until recently, I haven't really given too much thought to recycling them.  But my desire to try these bottles was about more than just the environmental aspect.  For one thing, think of all the money you can save if you don't buy all those plastic bottles!  But also, these bottles are insulated, which means the water stays cooler longer!  If there's one thing I CAN'T STAND its warm water when I'm thirsty!  :)

The good folks at Eco Vessel were kind enough to send me this awesome bottle for review -

The Summit Insulated Straw Bottle - 17oz

"The Eco Vessel Insulated Straw Bottle is the perfect bottle for those of you constantly on the go. Like our other bottles, this Eco Vessel will keep your beverages cold for hours. The new straw top makes drinking easier so you can drink from the bottle without unscrewing the cap or tipping the bottle back. And, because of its specially designed handle, the straw won't open accidentally in your car, lunchbox, or bag. The detachable silicone straw makes cleaning the bottle easier, too. As always, our Eco Vessel Insulated Straw bottle is made from the highest quality, premium grade #304 Stainless Steel, are 100% recyclable, and of course, BPA Free. Rest assured knowing that your bottle was crafted safety, ease of use, and convenience in mind."

"and God knew..."

As I have mentioned several times, I've been reading through the Bible with my little one.  It has been an AMAZING journey!!!  I find things every day that I either didn't know or had forgotten.

This past Wednesday we finished the book of Genesis.  Thursday we went to Chick-fil-a for breakfast to celebrate our accomplishment.  (I want my little one to get excited about reading the Word and to realize how important it is!)  We also started Exodus on Thursday.

I thought for sure that there wouldn't be anything new for me in Exodus.  After all, I'm an expert (at least in my own eyes) on the story of Moses.  (I love when God decides to prove me wrong!)  I didn't get past chapter 2 before a phrase hit me for the very first time! I would imagine I have read that passage 100 times during Bible study throughout the years, yet it seemed completely new to me!

The passage was Exodus 2: 23-25...
During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God.  And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel—and God knew. (ESV)

"And God knew."  The chapter ends right there.  Nothing else.  I actually turned the page thinking that it wasn't finished.  When I realized there was no more to chapter 2, I thought, "That's weird - and sort of abrupt." (It skips ahead to Moses tending his father-in-law's flock in chapter 3.)

And then I realized why God would stop the story there.  That's all that had to be said.  "And God knew." That's all that was needed.  The people of Israel were being abused and broken - crippled by slavery and hated by a paranoid Pharaoh.  They felt like they had been forgotten by God.  They needed reassurance.  And that's what they got!  God reminded them that He "knew."  He didn't tell them how He was gonna fix the situation. - They didn't need to be filled in on that yet.  All they needed to know was that He "knew."

Have you ever felt like that?  I know I have.  I remember when my Mama was had cancer.  I drew great strength from the fact that "God knew."  He knew my pain, my Mama's pain.  He knew what we "wanted."  He knew what we "needed."  He just "knew." 

He knows what you are dealing with too. And He cares.  He may not fill you in on the answer just yet.  But that's ok.  Sometimes you don't actually need to know the answer. - You just need to be reassured that He knows.  :)