Whole Foods Weekender Bag + Giveaway!

By Meg Hodson

I received a complimentary sample of products from Whole Foods in exchange for my post. All opinions remain 100% my own.

We may be nearing the end of summer, but there is still some time to sneak in some travel and fun weekends away. That is actually the primary travel my family has done this summer....day trips to the beach, hanging out in Seattle. Most have been with all my kids and husband, but I did manage to sneak one day trip in with just my daughter, which was fun.

What better way to stay fresh and fabulous during travel than with a bag from Whole Foods packed with all the essentials for a perfect weekend away. They are in stores now for the bargain price of $6.99. Trust me, this is a great deal! I know the prices of conventional travel sizes can be spendy; you are paying for the convenience. 

I would rather put that money toward eco-friendly, gentle products like the ones found in this bag. Here's what you get in the Whole Foods Weekender Travel Bag:

1. Juice Beauty Nutrient Moisturizer. Perfect for all skin types, it's filled with hydrating plant oils and botanicals.
2. Acure Repairing Shampoo. Filled with moroccan oil, it's moisturizing and smells great.
3. Acure Repairing Conditioner. This compliments the shampoo and leaves hair silky smooth.
4. Alaffia African Black Soap. Filled with essential oils, it can be used on the face and body.
5. Tom's of Maine Simply White Toothpaste. I have been a longtime Tom's fan and this is the perfect toothpaste.
6. Mineral Fusion Mini Nail Polish. This polish has noformaldehyde, toluene, or DBP.
7. Chico Travel Zip Bag. Sleek and easy to tuck into any travel bag, large or small. Bonus: it's made from recycled plastic bottles. 

You also get a few valuable coupons in the bag, too. It's available now through August 25th (or while supplies last).

Want to secure your bag now? Enter my giveaway below for your chance to win one!

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If you like what you're reading, I invite you to follow my blog.  Cheers!

Apothecary Extracts Tea Tree Oil Review + Giveaway

By Meg Hodson

If you are a regular visitor to my blog, you know that I lean toward healthy food choices and alternative medicine options occasionally. One of those alternative choices is becoming much more mainstream these days: tea tree oil. Do you use tea tree oil? What do you use it for?

I use it a lot in our household! Tea tree oil is a natural disinfectant, so I add it to household cleaners and sprinkle some in my kitchen sink. I love that clean, fresh smell that it lends, too. I also use it topically on skin to treat my children's eczema and for my husband's dry, itchy feet (sorry hon, the secret's out now!). It's great for itchy scalps and as a massage oil, too. I even wrote a blog post awhile back for an eco-friendly wasp spray that gets rid of them fast. I'm a fan.

I recently was given the opportunity to try out a new tea tree oil from Apothecary Extracts. It is a pharmaceutical grade oil. What does that mean? You are not getting a lot of additives and fillers in the oil; it is pure and undiluted and thus very concentrated. A little goes a long way.

Tea tree oil is a pure oil harvested from the leaves of a tree native to Australia. It was traditionally used by aborigines as a topical agent for the skin. It's gained popularity in the USA as a household cleaner. Little did I know that it could be used for a multitude of ailments beyond what I list above: acne, toenail funfus, lice, yeast infections, skin tags, cold sores, dandruff, ringworm, fleas, warts, psoriasis, and more. You can also make your own shampoo, lotion, soap, face cleaner, body wash, and toothpaste. 

The tea tree oil from Apotheary Extracts has a pleasing scent that is not overpowering, like some tea tree oils are. I applied it to some problems areas that are recurring on my children with eczema and it noticeably helped in 2-3 days. It's not greasy feeling at all on the skin and absorbs fairly quickly. I even made a homemade air freshener with vinegar, distilled water, the tea tree oil, and a few drops of lavender oil. It's perfect for bathrooms and stinky shoes!

Want to win a bottle to try? I've got a giveaway for just that! You've must have an Amazon.com profile. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

I'd love to hear what you use tea tree oil for? What have been your successes? What did it not work for?

Follow along:

Pharmaca Expands In Portland

By Meg Hodson

Want to walk into a beautiful store that smells amazing and has the most helpful staff ever? Then you definitely want to drop by the new Pharmaca that just opened in Beaverton. Like all Pharmaca locations, the Beaverton store will offer traditional pharmacy services combined with a broad selection of wellness essentials, natural beauty care, eco-friendly household products and unique cards and gifts. Customers can also receive free guidance and advice from Pharmaca's team of licensed professionals, including pharmacists, naturopathic doctors, homeopaths, herbalists 

and nutritionists.

I personally lean toward taking an alternative approach to healing. But the store is more than that. Whether you want make-up with no artificial dyes, reusable water bottles, toys for the kids, or naturally sourced vitamins, Pharmaca is your go-to store. 

The grand opening is this Saturday, February 7th. Goody bags will be handed out to the first 100 attendees. You can visit Pharmaca in Beaverton at 240 NW Lost Springs Terrace in the Timberland Town Center.

What is your favorite alternative beauty or holistic product?

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Be Easy On The World With Seventh Generation

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Seventh Generation for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

By Meg Hodson

I have always been an eco-conscious consumer. I recycle a lot, I try to reduce my use of plastics and other non-compostable items when I can, I take short showers. When I had my first baby 10 years ago, I definitely wanted to keep this mindset in the choices I made as a parent. I used cloth diapers, glass bottles, and tried to make my own baby food as much as possible.

There were sometimes when I would choose to use disposable diaper products. If it was an extended trip, disposable was easier to clean up than cloth diapers. When my children reached the potty training stage (especially the overnight potty stage), I found eco-friendly disposable pull up's were more effective. On those few occasions when I would choose to use disposable diapers, I always turned to Seventh Generation.  

 

Above all, I like Seventh Generation's message: To inspire a consumer revolution that nurtures the health of the next seven generations. I am given this gift of a child, the least I can do is protect the world they are going to live in.

Seventh Generation Presents "Touch of Cloth"

The "Touch of Cloth" diapers use a chemical-free cotton cleaning process. It's part of a project with cotton growers who are deeply committed to being sustainable in their industry. The outer cover of these diapers are actually made with cotton and other plant-based materials, ditching the need for a petroleum-based cover! I love this trait of the diapers---it makes them about as close to cloth as you can get, providing super soft comfort for your little ones. Sounds like a much better choice, considering traditional diapers take 300 years to decompose.

You can read more about Seventh Generation and their new Touch of Cloth diapers on their website. You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter.

Eco-Friendly Lunch Box Options + Giveaway!

For many of you Moms out there, you are in the full swing of back-to-school.  And with that comes a focus on lunch for your kids.  My 2 oldest children attend public school; they occasionally get the prepared lunch in the cafeteria, but most of the time, I pack their lunch.  My youngest is in preschool 3 days a week, so that is exclusively packed lunches.

In the stores, we are bombarded with prepackaged, individual portions for lunch box convenience: small little bags of cookies and crackers, fruit roll-ups, juice boxes, string cheese.  While I do occasionally splurge on a few of these items (the healthiest choices, of course!), I try to steer clear.  In the long run, these products end up costing more than if you just bought them in bulk.  Also, the amount of packaging is fairly excessive, contributing to unnecessary waste.  

So, what are some ways to be eco-conscious with our kids lunches?  

1.  Re-Usable Water Bottle.  I've spoken many times about my love for stainless steel water bottles (like the cute ones from Klean Kanteen).  It's imperative to make his a regular, everyday habit, both in lunch boxes and at home.  We take our bottles everywhere and refill them at water fountains and restaurants.  My kids barely know what plastic water bottles and Capri Suns are.

2.  Invest In Quality, Reusable Containers.  There is every size and shape imaginable when it comes to compact, portable food containers.  I'm in love with the "Kids Konserve" line .  They've got everything you need to complete your eco-friendly lunch box, with items like water bottles, divided food containers, food "kozies" (in lieu of plastic baggies), and the cute mini containers seen below.  

My kids also love "crushers", pureed food in squeezable containers.  But buying prepared ones are very expensive! That's why I also love the cute, reusable pouches from Yummi Pouch (also see below).  They come in tons of cute designs, are dishwasher safe, and BPA free. I'm hosting a giveaway of the ones seen in the photo below, so be sure to enter at the end of this article!

3.  Make Your Own Versions of Snacks.  So many of those prepackaged items that kids love can be made at home.  Toss your own trail mix together with a mix of nuts, chocolate chips, sunflower seeds, and dried fruit.  Cut out your cheese with mini cookie-cutters in place of string cheese.  Use a kabob stick to stack fruit instead of fruit leather.

4.  Teach Your Kids To Love The Earth, Too.  Make sure that your children are reusing what they can from their lunch boxes.  Have them save that plastic spoon for one more use.  Have them save baggies or containers that can be used again.  Give them one napkin, not 3.  Make them an important part of the process.

And now the best part....the giveaway! Up for grabs is a set of 3 Yummi Pouches (as seen above) in the brights line.  They are perfect for pureed fruits, smoothies, baby food and applesauce.  This contest is open to residents of the USA only.  

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If you like what you're reading, I invite you to follow my blog.  Cheers!