Product Review & Giveaway!

Hello!

I'm really excited about this product review & giveaway from PRK Products, Inc.!

I also had the opportunity to review their Baby Food Organizer last year which fortunately I still have to make this review and giveaway double the fun!  Now, you have the opportunity to own BOTH to keep yourself organized!

Wooohooo!

Last week, I received the Universal Bottle and Sippy Cup product from PRK Products, Inc. and I was so excited that first and foremost, it's an organizing product - and secondly, it's compatible with almost every brand of bottle and sippy cups that are widely available today. You can go here to view the full list of bottles and sippy cups it works with.

With two young kids now, I feel like my cabinets (and the house in general) are a sippy cup disaster area!  Something is forever falling out of the cabinets determined to kill me (death by sippy cup parts!) or lids go missing and straws or tops get misplaced.

Yeah - you know what I'm talking about.

Well, this product completely takes care of that!  It will take you from the bottle phase of babyhood right through the toddler years for organizing your cups and parts.

Image courtesy of PRK Products 

From PRK PRoducts, Inc. web site, the features of the organizer are as follows:

• Stores up to 12 bottles or sippy cups
• Loads horizontally and uses gravity to dispense bottles one at a time
• Takes up less of a footprint in your kitchen cabinet
• Compatible with over 30 brands of bottles and sippy cups 
• Adjustable, so you won’t have to buy a new product when your baby outgrows a bottle
• Dishwasher Safe
• Can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer
• Comes with basket to hold accessories

The organizer with some cups
on my kitchen table

I had a lot of fun fitting the different brands of cups I own currently - Playtex, Munchkin and Gerber.

However, I totally missed the part of the box which CLEARLY states that it's adjustable.  So, at first none of my cups fit.  (I blame mommy-brain!)

Doesn't Elmo look so happy sitting on the BPA-free plastic :)  I also love the PRK logo of the happy baby face smiling back at me.

Okay, okay - On to the fun part!

Again, you can win these two amazing products!  Just follow the easy steps below.  Good luck!


Remember, see my review here of the baby food organizer.

To enter the giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

EWG's Cleaning Product Hall of Shame - sneak peek!

I love Environmental Working Group. They are a fantastic resource for researching the harmful contents of what is in tons of products, skin care, shampoos, baby products and so much more.

I use their Skin Deep Cosmetics Database quite often.  If you haven't done so yet, I would do so immediately!

I received word last night that they are creating a new database of household cleaners this coming fall but are offering a sneak peek - I'm quite excited for this!  I've made a huge effort over the past five years to go very green in our home.  You can view my simple and easy tips here.  I use non-toxic cleaners and I've greened products that come in direct contact with our bodies - all the way to the sunscreen we use - click here for that post!

Okay - back to EWG.

According to their email:

"Environmental Working Group is giving you a tool to help you figure out which cleaning products don't belong in your house. The EWG Cleaners Hall of Shame provides you with the names of some of the worst offenders out there, so you can begin the process of purging your home of these harmful cleaners."

Not only is their goal to help educate about harmful chemicals found in everyday cleaners - but they are making it easy to help avoid them all together by naming names and brands.

For the sneak peek - please view it here.

For the complete current hall of shame PDF - please go here.

If you have any questions on how to go green in your home for your family, please contact me anytime.

Simple & easy ways to go green in your home

Hello!  I hope this post finds you well :)

It's a snowy morning here in Connecticut after topping the thermometer here at nearly 60 yesterday - crazy!

As it's been a fairly mild Winter here in the Northeast, we typically spend quite a lot of time indoors.  Like most people, you consider your home to be one of the safest places for you and your family, right?  You keep things tidy and as dust free as possible - but did you know that indoor air can be more "polluted" than outdoor air?

I came across a company's web site called GreenGuard with some information that was a bit shocking to me.  After reading it, it made sense, but like a lot of things in life - you really don't view things or realize things that seem like common sense until you read it!

For example (straight from GreenGuard's web site):

Facts You Should Know

Children breathe in a greater volume of air than adults relative to their body size.

Children's organs and respiratory, immune and neurological systems are still developing.

Children are much closer to the ground, and as a result, breathe in more of the heavier airborne chemicals than do adults.

Infants and young children breathe through their mouths, more so than do adults, which increases their risk of pulmonary exposure to particulates and fibers, that would otherwise be filtered out in the nose.

So of course, I wanted to share and write about this (in case you're just like me and have an A-Ha! moment or a OMG I should have known that!).

There are some incredibly simple and easy ways to keep your home as green as possible by doing just a few things differently in your home - which thankfully we already do, but it's never too late to start!

1. Take off your shoes - we have a no shoe policy in the house.  Think of ALL the places you walk during the day - public places, public bathrooms (blech), sidewalks, shopping centers, etc.  Do you really want those traces of these places tracked throughout your home?  Methinks not.  Not only does it keep toxins and grossness out of your home, it keeps your floors cleaner, also.
2. Get some green - Add some green houseplants to your home. Plants are amazing at removing toxins in the air and replacing it with cleaner air.  Here's a post from TreeHugger that I found on the best air filtering plants.  I personally love Gerber Daisy, Bamboo and the Peace Lily plants.
3. Don't be smelly - Steer clear of scented air fresheners, candles, harsh perfumes and other "smelly" products that you may use in your home.  They can inject harmful toxins into the air.  Try using things that are fragrance-free. 
4. Use non-toxic cleaning products - I am quite the clutter-bug, but I do love having a clean home.  Foreverrrrr, I thought clean meant brands like Clorox, Lysol, Windex, etc.  But harsher chemicals does not equal cleaner things.  I still use the "strong stuff" for certain places such as disinfecting the kitchen sink and the toilet where the germiest things may be - but everywhere else I use "green" products or natural products wherever possible.  A few products I love are Bona Floor Cleaners, ActiveIon, Shark Steam Mop and Seventh Generation.  You can also go to The Smart Mama for more information on making your own cleaners from Vinegar, Baking Soda, Lemon and more. 
5. Just be more aware - Read the ingredients and just increase your awareness.  Simply opt for bringing products into your home that are as natural as possible - use safe laundry detergents, soaps, shampoos and other products that you put on, in or near your body.  

One last resource I love is the Environmental Working Group and their Skin Deep Cosmetics Database.  You can search thousands and thousands of products in tons of categories for harmful ingredients and they rate them on their safety scale.

Thanks for reading and stopping by and please feel free to share this with your friends and family!
~Carly

What to do with those "banned" cribs?

If you're like, oh, say most households today, you've got one of those now "banned" drop-side cribs not in use for one of many possible reasons.

Either you decided to stop using it (right choice), you gave it away awhile ago before the banning, you no longer have a baby that needs the crib, etc., etc.

Either way, it's probably taking up valuable storage space somewhere, right?  Now, you are unable to donate it, sell it or do much of anything with it.

So, if you're crafty (or think you're crafty, like me) I've found two solutions of what to do with those cribs.

I must of course thank Pinterest and my love of crafty blogs :)

An old crib turned into a work bench - via Apartment Therapy and created by A Little Learning For Two

Image courtesy of A Little Learning
For Two of the finished project

I could totally see my two kids sitting there nicely together!  Coloring. Using the dreaded Play-Doh. Reading books.

According to the original post from A Little Learning For Two, she created this space and did not lose the ability to turn it back into a crib should she require it again - which is amazing.

As you can see from the picture, the end result features a large work space that doubles as a chalkboard and has little hooks and nooks to hang scissors or any other accessories your little ones will require to be the creative beings they are.

This is just beyond adorable and looks quite easy to make.  They show you step by step in the blog.  I think one of the best parts is you don't even have to take the crib completely apart to make it.

I totally want to attempt to make this.

But then - just when I think I want to make one thing from the old crib, I come across another idea that I seem to love.

This project is an older antiqued headboard (not a crib) salvaged and re-purposed as a bench!  It comes from Scissors & Spatulas.   However, even though it was not a crib - the parts they used can easily come from your old crib.

For the record, my style is not country - at all.  But this bench just screams "I'm so country and cozy! Sit on me!"

Image courtesy of  Scissors & Spatulas blog

The pillow, the distressing of the white paint, the added swoop detail at the bottom - I love it ALL.

When I make this bench make my husband make this bench for us (he-he) I would likely make a cushion to go length-wise over the bench - and of course have a pillow, too.

I'd also grab some baskets to stick under it for extra storage.

Oh, the ideas just keep coming :)

Darn you, crafty people of the world and Pinterest!

So, there you have it.  Two great, yet different, ideas for re-purposing that old crib that's taking up space (or making you get that baby lust!)

But whether or not you choose to be crafty with your crib or are need of searching for a new one - have no fear.  I'll be here to help you!

Thanks for stopping by!

Product Review: Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner - free & simple

First, so sorry it's been so long for a post - things have been crazy around here! 

Anywhooo - I had an amazing opportunity from  Healthy Child to use and review Bona's new free & simple product from their line of products. 

I was introduced to the Bona brand a few years back when I did some freelance work for a hardwood floor company.  The owner provided me with a sample and I was hooked.  At the time I had much less mess to clean.  :sigh:  

image courtesy of Bona web site



Fast forward to life now with a bigger home, more to clean, two kids and a dog - it goes without saying that our hardwood floors get messy fast. 

Fortunately, I have some wonderful products that make cleaning these messes easier - and that includes this new line from Bona. 

The free & simple cleaner is quite effective and powerful - despite the misconception that green cleaners are not as effective as those with harsh chemicals.  The free & clear product is just as it's name states: free of dyes and scents, hypoallergenic and is non-toxic and completely biodegradable. 

I can use this product and not have to wrangle my two toddlers to ensure they are at a safe distance from where I'm cleaning.  And, if the dog walks through a wet or freshly cleaned area (as she always does!) I do not have to worry about her tracking her chemical-laden paws through other areas of our home.  I don't have to worry about her paws being irritated by harsh cleansers, either!

After using the product on my floors, the wood felt so fresh and comfortable to walk on - you know that feeling of freshly cleaned floors.  Even though I couldn't "smell" the clean as it is unscented, I surely could feel it underfoot.  I'm truly trying to dis-associate that smell association with cleaning products! 

As I type this review, I am thinking of my list of to-do's for the week and beyond and cleaning our hardwoods is on that list.

So if you're in the market for a new cleaner or know someone who may benefit from this product, please share and let them know about it!  

And, if you have questions about any easy and simple steps to greening your home, visit Healthy Child for some excellent information! 

NOTE: I was given the Bona free & simple product for free.  However, I was not paid to write a positive review.  This review is of my own experience and honest opinion.  

A healthy baby starts with a web site?

What?  Yes, you read that right.  Well, technically, a healthy baby starts with educated parents and caregivers...and also a web site. 

Healthy Child is a wonderful resource overflowing with helpful information on how to protect our children and keep their environment as non-toxic and healthy as possible. 

Unless you live under a rock, "going green" is the thing of the moment.   And yes, while some take going green to the extreme, Healthy Child on the other hand, makes it realistic to make easy changes. 

Easy?  That's right.  Coming from a mother of two (currently under two) if I say it's easy...it is E.A.S.Y. 

So take a quick break in between nursing sessions or during your lunch break to head over there. 

Wait, I know how busy you are - here, I'll save you the effort.  Just start with this link with their 5 Easy Steps program.