Ecostore USA REVIEW & GIVEAWAY

It’s no secret that I LOVE green, healthy products for my family and my home and I LOVE trying new green, healthy products out!  So, when a Green company comes knocking on my door (or in my inbox!) and asks me to test out a product and give my thoughts to all my friends (that would be YOU!)…I’m MORE than happy to do so!

Today I’m gonna introduce you to a great green company called ecostore USA….

ecostore NZ was founded more than 15 years ago by Melanie and Malcolm Rands from their home in an eco village in New Zealand.

All of the families that lived in the farm based eco village shared a commitment to organic growing and healthy living, making this an ideal environment in which a young, environmentally conscious business could thrive. Each household in the village was responsible for their own waste water, which quickly highlighted the problems caused by using regular supermarket cleaning products that relied heavily on cheap, petroleum-based, synthetic ingredients.

Faced with the challenge of protecting the pristine rural waterways of the eco village, Malcolm Rands began to research and seek expert help from scientists to develop household cleaning products using plant-based ingredients that would biodegrade safely and quickly. Achieving his goal, he eliminated the need to use toxic chemicals, leaving the eco villages water pure. His goal was more than accomplished as the product line of this home-based business began to grow, and an exciting future began to unfold.

Safe Products

ecostore USA has formulated its products without toxic petrochemicals, phosphates, nitrates, chlorine, ammonia, enzymes, synthetic perfumes, coloring or dyes, optical whiteners/brighteners or chemical preservatives. Instead, ecostore USA uses sustainable ingredients derived from plants and minerals, producing safer products that work equally as effectively as those that are chemical-based. Customers anecdotally have reported that, after using ecostore USA laundry products to wash clothes and linens, children’s eczema and dermatitis have disappeared, while allergies and asthma symptoms have decreased.

ecostore USA guarantees its products:

• are plant- and/or mineral-based and free of nasty chemicals (No nasty chemicals™)

• use safer ingredients from renewable resources

• are formulated with your health in mind

• are safely super-concentrated

• meet the highest environmental standards

• have not been tested on animals

• are GE free (free of genetically-engineered products)

• are packaged in recyclable packaging

Where to find ecostore USA

ecostore USA can be found online at www.ecostoreusa.com AND in exclusively in all 185 Meijer supercenters in five states.You can also connect with this amazing company online on Twitter, Facebook and their Blog.

MY THOUGHTS

I was given the choice of any 2 products ecostore USA has to offer to check out and being the green cleaning product lover that I am, I chose the Auto Dish Powder and Citrus Spray Cleaner.

I’m a real stickler when it comes to my dishes, so I was really checking the glasses and silverware as they came out of the dishwasher after using the  Auto  Dish Powder. (both that seem to come out yucky without a quality product)   They were clean and spotless!  I didn’t notice any food specs, film or streaks on any of the dishes.  They were just as clean as when I used my regular brand.  I loved that it was a powder that you only had to use a little bit of. Less product packaging, means less waste – and that’s a good thing!

The Citrus Spray Cleaner did an equally good job of cleaning off the stove, counter top, refrigerator doors and whatever else I could find to wipe down in the kitchen.  The smell was very light and almost barely noticeable.  There were no worries of using it around the kids or breathing it in while using it.  It wiped away clean and didn’t leave a film or streaks.  Everything “felt” clean after using it.  No sticky residue like you get from some non-green products.

I was VERY pleased with the performance of both of these products.  I would definitely recommend them to you and will be trying more from the ecostore USA line myself!

I would LOVE for you to be able to try them out as well and ecostore USA is giving 1 of you the change to try them out courtesy of their company!!

Here’s the deal:

WIN A $25 GIFT CERTIFICATE TO THE ECOSTORE USA WEBSITE!!

ecostore USA requires that you have not won a prize from them in the last 6 months to be eligible to win

MANDATORY ENTRY
Go to the ecostore USA website and check out their products.  Come back here and tell me which product you’d like to have!

Extra Entries:

* Tweet this post by just hitting the RETWEET button above – easy one!

* Subscribe to All Things Mamma through RSS feed or by email above.

*  Follow me on Twitter @AllThingsMamma or by just hitting the “Follow Me” button above.

*  Become my Fan on Facebook and on Networked Blogs

* Follow ecostore USA on Twitter, Facebook and their Blog.

*  Grab my button for your website and leave me a link on where to find it.

*  Blog about this post on your blog. – 5 extra entries

* Leave a comment on any other post on All Things Mamma – come back here and leave a comment telling me which post.  – 5 extra entries

Make sure to leave a comment on each of the entries you complete above.  The contest will run through Sunday, MARCH 14TH. The  winner will be chosen by random.org and contacted by email.   The winner will then have 48hours to respond.  At that time if no response has been given, a new winner will be chosen.

Good luck to everyone!!

*DISCLAIMER* I was provided with the product written about in this article for testing and review purposes.  The opinions expressed are my own.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

FEATURE FRIDAY – Helping Your Child Become Heathly & Fit

What causes children to be overweight?

Just like adults, children are overweight when they eat more calories than they burn through physical activity (in play and exercise). The CDC recommends that children get 60 minutes of activity each day to maintain good health. This is easy to explain, but hard to change because there are so many factors involved. Foods like fruits and vegetables may be more expensive or unavailable in certain communities. Safe spaces for children to play outside the home may be hard to find due to traffic or crime. Some communities have few affordable healthy lifestyle programs for families and children.

What can we do about it?

Teaching children about healthy eating and physical activity is necessary and we need to do it right away. We also need to make changes in schools and daycare settings, places where children spend a lot of time and where there is a great opportunity to promote a healthy diet and offer plenty of activity. By planting the seed of positive lifestyle behaviors at an early age, children will benefit with a lifetime of health and wellness. If children develop sound movement skills early, they improve their self-esteem and are more likely to practice healthful activities as adults.

This is where KID-FIT can help!

KID-FIT is a licensed curriculum that teaches children ages two through five the basics of healthy lifestyle habits. Through an age-appropriate physical fitness class, KID-FIT teaches sports skills, gymnastics, dance, rhythm and creative movement while enhancing muscular strength, endurance, heart health and flexibility. KID-FIT was founded by Michele Silence in Duarte, CA beginning in 1994. With little available in the form of preschool fitness programs and inadequacies in those that did exist, Michele decided to use her expertise to help children start developing healthy lifestyles from the start. This same year, KID-FIT classes began in the preschool where Michele’s child was enrolled. By 1998 KID-FIT was serving over a thousand children in Southern California, and the first instructor training program was designed and implemented. KID-FIT is now taught throughout the United States, as well as eleven different countries.

Children use fun equipment like scarves, bean bags, hoops and balls while learning about different parts of their bodies. At the end of one year, children will have learned a clear set of goals for each body system in addition to the importance of daily exercise and eating healthy.

More importantly, KID-FIT kids associate exercise with fun. This is an exciting first step to helping children enjoy long and healthy lives while decreasing their risk for obesity, diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

Why is KID-FIT different?

The educational component sets KID-FIT apart from other movement classes. Although other programs may mention that nutrition or teaching about the body is included, they have no set educational goals to meet yearly. KID-FIT has clear educational goals for each session throughout the entire year. Children are taught, through fun games and repetition, all about their bodies, organ systems, how to take care of them and why. Nutrition is a part of every class as are materials that reach into children’s homes such as newsletters, handouts, coloring sheets, recipes, class projects and more. In addition, parents receive detailed information at the start of each new session.

No other program produces these new, fresh materials each 6 weeks that involve parents and reflect what is currently going on in the world. Education is core to the KID-FIT program.

Lannette Wolford is a fitness professional, physical educator and mother. She considers herself a warrior in the battle of obesity. Lannette received her physical education degree from DePaul University and is nationally certified by the American Council on Exercise for Personal Training, the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America for Group Exercise, and the American Heart Association in First Aid and and Adult/Child/Infant CPR/AED. She also holds several specialty certifications in the fitness and nutrition arena.

For more information about KID-FIT, please contact our local Chicago area representative Lannette Wolford at Lannette@kidfitchicago.com or visit the website www.kidfitchicago.com.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

Leapfrog Leapster2 and Zippity REVIEW & GIVEAWAY (CLOSED)

CONGRATS TO SUSAN COMMENT # 75 – YOU WIN THE LEAPSTER2!!

CONGRATS TO MANDA PEEL COMMENT # 28 – YOU WIN THE ZIPPITY!!

As a mom of 2 small children, my experience with electronic games has been “zero”.  I have not even picked up an electronic game since the Nintendo Gameboy YEARS ago.  So, when Leapfrog contacted me and offered to send the Leapfrog Leapster2 and the Zippity Learning System for my family to try out AND 1 of each to giveaway here at All Things Mamma – I was all game!

LEAPSTER2

First off, the Leapster2 is not your Gameboy, by any stretch.  It has wonderful color graphics, sound that is actually easy to understand, a touch screen and comes with educational, yet FUN games.

From the Leapfrog Website:

“With built-in tutorials and levels that adapt automatically to each child’s pace, the Leapster2 system helps children get practice with school skills.”

“As children play on the go, they can earn rewards, then connect online to explore additional games, activities or the creativity studio. And Leapster2 is the only handheld preschool gaming system that connects to the LeapFrog® Learning Path — a free, online interactive tool that allows parents to receive detailed updates on the skills, games and even questions their child has been exploring.”

So, not only are your children entertained for hours (or not if you don’t let them play until they can’t hold their head up anymore!) but they are learning solid school skills that will take them through preschool into elementary school!  I was amazed at how fast Ella picked up on playing the game and playing it well!  She has learned to determine uppercase letters from lowercase letters, counting, order of events, and responsibility.

We have not even began to explore the online resources, but have set it up.  I am looking forward to checking it all out!

This is definitely a “toy” that you will want to purchase for your child that will give back to them in many ways that you can be proud of!

ZIPPITY LEARNING SYSTEM

The new Zippity Learning system is a fun, interactive game that your children play while hooked up to your TV.  Think of it as a Wii for kids.  Jumping, hopping, running and dancing all while learning are all part of this fun game!

From the Leapster Website:

“The Zippity system comes with eight built-in games featuring the popular Playhouse Disney characters from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, My Friends Tigger & Pooh, Little Einsteins and Handy Manny. All eight built-in learning activities bring the characters to life on your TV through high-quality animations and feature two levels of play for hours of active learning fun.”

“A built-in Learning Path lets parents see the skills their child is exploring as they play, or parents can create a personal LeapFrog® Learning Path online for more in-depth insights and learning ideas.”

While using the interactive bopper and mat, your child can stomp, swing, bop and march while playing along with the onscreen characters.  While there are the 8 built in learning activities, you can also buy additional games and activities to go along with it with your child’s favorite characters such as Disney Princesses and Cars.

The Zippity was enjoyed by all of us!  From my 19 month old who could easily “bop” the bopper or jump up and down like a frog to my husband who was getting down with Goofy’s dance moves!  Definitely a fun, interactive game that will keep your kids moving and grooving!

Would you like to win a Leapster2 or a Zippity?  WELL, YOU ARE IN LUCK!  I have one of each to giveaway! (courtesy of Leapfrog) I will choose two winners by random and will send them either a Leapster2 OR a Zippity!

Here’s the deal:

WIN YOUR VERY OWN LEAPSTER 2 OR ZIPPITY LEARNING SYSTEM

MANDATORY ENTRY
Go to the Leapfrog Website and check out their products.  Come back here and tell me which one you like the best and would like to have!

Extra Entries:

* Tweet this post by just hitting the RETWEET button above – easy one!

* Subscribe to All Things Mamma through RSS feed or by email above.

*  Follow me on Twitter @AllThingsMamma or by just hitting the “Follow Me” button above.

*  Become my Fan on Facebook and on Networked Blogs

*  Grab my button for your website and leave me a link on where to find it.

*  Blog about this post on your blog. – 5 extra entries

* Leave a comment on any other post on All Things Mamma – come back here and leave a comment telling me which post.  – 5 extra entries

Make sure to leave a comment on each of the entries you complete above.  The contest will run through Sunday, FEBRUARY 27TH. The  winner will be chosen by random.org and contacted by email.   The winner will then have 48hours to respond.  At that time if no response has been given, a new winner will be chosen.

Good luck to everyone!!

*DISCLAIMER* I was provided with the product written about in this article for testing and review purposes.  The opinions expressed are my own.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

A Day In My Life As A Mom And In-Home Daycare Provider

It has been a busy day!  This is just a glance at a normal day around our house.  It’s no wonder I am too exhausted to sleep at night!

First kids arrive at 7:30am.

Breakfast is at 8:00am.

Send two potty training daycare kids to potty at 8:20am.

Get Ella dressed at 8:30am.

Get Ella and Daycare child to preschool by 9:00am.

Back home.  Check email, Twitter, and Facebook. Clean up breakfast.  Send two potty training daycare kids to potty AGAIN.  Get Andrew dressed, make beds, spot clean upstairs.  Do some fun stuff with kids IF they are in the mood.  Sometimes they just want to play.

Snack time at 10:00am.  These kids eat every two hours between breakfast and snacks. (I don’t remember doing that when I was little!!)

Clean up snacks.  Send kids to potty again.

Check emails, Twitter, Facebook.

Pick up kids at preschool at 11:30am.

Lunch at noon.  Clean up.  Playtime.

Down for naps and quiet time at 1:30pm.  Hopefully sneak in an outside walk for about 20minutes.

Brian heads off for work and  I’m on my own for the rest of the day.  THANK GOODNESS he’s here during the busy time of the day to help me (or should I say…DO a lot to help me out!!)

I spend the remainder of quiet time catching up on emails, cleaning up, doing food menus, etc..

Kids up at 3:30.  Change diapers, send kids to potty, get snacks out.  Clean up snacks.

Kids start leaving by 4:30ish and usually gone by 5:15pm.

Start dinner, usually eat by 5:30pm.  Eat dinner, clean up, check emails, Twitter, Facebook, play.

Time for baths at 7:00pm.

BEDTIME by 8:00pm!!!!

I spend the rest of the night cleaning up, blogging and checking in with my fav blogs.

Throw in some grocery trips, doctor appointments and bank runs and my day is jammed packed!

Lordy….I am telling you!  I know that we are all busy, but I swear I am in a routine trap!  I do the same things day in and day out.  It works.  That’s why I do it that way.  The kids thrive on routine and it makes our day run smooth and less chaotic.

I know I would much rather wing it each day…but when I had my “routine” child, Ella…that all went out the window!

I look forward to summer when we spend most of the day outside.  We play outside, eat outside, do activities outside and I would take naps outside if I thought it would work!  Maybe I should try it this year!

What does your daily schedule look like or do you not have one?  Do you like to know what’s coming next or would you rather wing it and be more relaxed?

Leave me a comment and I’ll send someone a surprise gift!

Well, I’ll let you know what you’ll be getting before I send it…and I promise it will be something FUN and only for YOU!

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

A Princess Tea Party Is Coming

It was good while it lasted.  The sun that is.  It’s back to a gray sky and SNOW today.  Oh well.   I’m sure it will be back soon.

I’ve had enough to keep me busy to not worry about the dreary weather outside.  Watching 5 kids and getting ready for Ella’s 4th Birthday party this weekend, has been enough on my plate.

Ella is so excited!  I must say that this is the first year she’s really looked forward to it for a long time!  I bet it was June when she first started “planning” her little party in her mind.  She told me who she wanted to invite, what kind of decorations she wanted and what kind of cake.  She really hasn’t wavered much on the details since then.  This morning she asked me if I had started planning her party yet.  “Ummm…yes, honey.  It’s only 3 days away.”  I may not be the most organized mom around, but I have started planning her party.  I may or may not have purchased all the items needed for the party, but I promise it will get done!

I was able to pick up the cutest little serving dishes at TJ Maxx with cupcakes on them.  They’ll be perfect for the little heart shaped peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (that Ella picked out!) to be served on!  I’m also making little pinwheels made with white bread and Nutella.  (our new fav!!)

I was going to buy some tea cups and saucers while at TJ Maxx…but I remembered that I had a whole box of my Grandmother’s China in a pretty blue floral pattern called “English Garden” that will be perfect on the table with pastel Princess Decorations.  Yes, it is real China….but what is it good for if you can’t use it at a 4 year old’s Princess Tea Party??  The little cups are small and will be just right  for little hands to hold as they drink their “tea” out of.

I still have a lot to do to get ready..but it’s not as much as in year’s past.  We were going to have Ella’s little school friends over on Saturday for the Tea Party and then on Sunday, the family over.  Being as my family all lives 6-8 hours from here, so obviously they won’t be making it this year…and Brian’s family has other plans and other issues and won’t be attending….SOOOOO…I canceled the Sunday party.  I’m just going to have the Saturday party be her big day and then on Sunday (her actual birthday) we’re going to do something special with her.

I haven’t the heart to tell her that nobody is coming to her family party on Sunday.  I just can’t.  She’s so excited and would be DEVASTATED to know that her family isn’t coming for reasons that have nothing to do with her.  I’m just going to try and blow it off and tell her all the fun things we’ll do that day.  She won’t understand.  It’s not fair for her and it upsets me.

It’s OK.  It’s always been the 2 of us…then the 3 of us… and now the 4 of us.  We are family and we here for each other no matter what (or who) is in our lives (or NOT).

I’m looking forward to the weekend and my baby girl’s big day!  She is so excited and I will do everything I can to make it just as special as she is!    I can’t wait to show you all the fun that I AM SURE will be had by all!

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

A Surprise Visit

Living far away from your family is hard and can be really lonely at times.  I know that a lot of you have moved from home, leaving behind those you love for whatever reason and understand what I mean.

Most of my family lives in West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky, while I am in Illinois.  Not exactly close to everyone, but not too far either.  Having two young children, it makes it hard to just jump in the car and head out on a 6 – 9 hour drive on a whim one weekend.

So, this past weekend..my sister, Kari, who lives close to me, headed to Kentucky to surprise our younger sister, Katie for her 16th Birthday party blowout!  We left the men and children at home and took off on a 6 hour road trip. I haven’t been there in over 2 years, so this was huge for me!

Katie was REALLY excited to see us sitting at her kitchen table when she came up from working on finalizing her guest list for her party. (yes, there really was a guest list of 70 kids!!)  I’m pretty sure I saw tears in her eyes.

The party was really fun and we spent a lot of time feeling old.  I’m telling you…girls these days look much older than we did and are MUCH taller than I am.  My dad and step-mom hired a DJ from a local station that the girls swooned over.  He was such a cutie and was perfect for the party.  They played songs I never heard and danced for 3 hours straight!  It was a lot of fun for everyone!

The next night we had a nice dinner at a local Italian restaurant before heading to downtown Cincinnati to see Spring Awakening.  Would you believe that we got the times mixed up and showed up right before the 2nd act??!  HAHA!  It was OK though…I really enjoyed it and I’m sure we’ll get a chance to see the 1st half some other time.

I had a chance that night to sit with my sisters and talk about all that “sister” stuff that we don’t have the luxury of doing normally.  It was really nice and I was sorry that we don’t get to do it more often.

Two days after getting there, it was time to pack up and head home.

Leaving your family is always bitter sweet.  You know you’re heading home to your home, but leaving a familiar home as well.  I love where I live and love my home, but it’s also sad that family is not close.  Family has always been a huge importance in my life and I want my children to know that feeling and experience  it as well.  It seems that now, Ella is really starting to understanding who her grandparents, cousins and aunts and uncles are and wants to spend more time with them and asks about them all the time. It’s hard for her to understand that we don’t see some due to distance and others due to…well…that’s another post all together, but one that heavy on my heart and will be posted one day soon.

But, life is what it is and we do the best we can do and that’s all we can do.  As long as I know at the end of the day that I did everything I can to make my husband, kids and home a happy one…that’s all that matters!

I do hope that one day, when the time is right….to move closer to those I love so that my children experience a large, loving extended family.  They deserve it.  As do I.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

A Jumpin Good Time

WHAT

IN THE WORLD

AM I DOING??!!

Jump Pics…that’s what!!

My 16 Year old sister, Katie, introduced them to us at her house while  I was there over the weekend.  I feel really silly, but hey…It was REALLY FUN too!

I’ve been resting up and getting settled after my long weekend away last weekend.  I have a full recap post coming up to fill you in on all the fun!

But, now…it’s FRIDAY and I’m ready to start my weekend!!  Hope you’re starting yours soon as well.  Any plans?  We don’t really….but I hope it involves some outside time and sunshine.  We need it!!

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

I’m outta town!

HI Everyone!

Just checking in from my family’s house in Kentucky! 

My sister and I (alone with no kids!) packed up and headed to surprise our sister at her Sweet 16 Party last night.  She was shocked and got all choked up!  So sweet!  We had a blast and boy do I feel old!  I have lots of photos to share once I get back home. 

We had a great dinner tonight at a lovely Italian restaurant and I am stuffed!  Back home and resting before we hit the town for drinks and a Broadway show.  Boy, we’re living it up here with no kids!  haha! 

I sure miss my husband and kids, as I’ve never left them before.  But, they are doing great and I’m enjoying some much needed downtime. 

We’ll be heading home on the 5 1/2 hour drive tomorrow and I’ll fill you in all the whole weekend! 

Talk soon!!

Kasey

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

Wordless Wednesday – Feeling Blessed

I hardly ever get a photo with all of us in it since I’m usually the one taking the picture.  But, we got one this past week!

It makes me smile when I look at it and see what a beautiful family I have been blessed with.  I am very thankful!

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

Focusing on Quality Of Life, NOT Quantity In The New Year

Happy New Year everyone!

For most of us, it’s back to work and school today and the temps outside are frigid.  It’s awesome that some of us get to stay inside and stay warm.  My kids (Ella and my daycare kid, Eva) don’t start back to school till the end of the week, so we still have a few more days to relax and hang out before we get completely back in gear.

At this time of year, we tend to think of New Year’s Resolutions and what we think we can accomplish in the year to come.  I think most of us make the same ones year of after year: lose weight, stop smoking, get out of debt, etc…  And, those are great goals to have and I think they’re very attainable, if that ’s your thing.  This year when I thought about my resolutions/goals for myself, I decided that I’m focusing on “Quality of Life”, NOT “Quantity”.

We tend to spend our days cramming in as much as we possibly can from the time we get up to when we go to bed at night.  It causes high blood pressure, stress, insomnia and bad moods. It’s not good for us and it’s not good for our families.  Yes, we may think we’re doing a good thing for all those around us when we fix the perfect breakfast, get the kids to school, play groups, doctor’s appointments, lunch/play dates, do the dishes, the laundry, fix dinner, get the kids a bath and a story and then the kids to bed, more laundry and so and so on, all in one day.  We end up falling in bed late at night and not getting quality rest and wake up fatigued, stressed  and more tired than we were when we went to bed the night before. I’m guilty, I admit it and it’s not good for anyone – especially us!

So, my goal this year is to cut back on the “stuff” and spend more time on creating a more relaxed quality of life for myself and my family.  So maybe the dishes will sit in the sink for half the morning while I have a cup of coffee that isn’t cold, it’s OK.  Maybe we have cereal for breakfast one day instead of eggs, toast and fruit or pancakes.  The kids won’t care and may actually prefer it sometimes!  And, we must remember that life will go on if I have to do all the laundry in one day instead of breaking it up over the week. It’s all OK!

It’s OK to be a little selfish and take time for ourselves too.  Maybe head to Starbucks on a weekend afternoon while the kids are resting and hubby hangs out. (my fav thing to do!)   Maybe get a pedicure or manicure once a month or even just head to the library for a little quiet time with a good book or magazine.  Carving out a few minutes a week for ourselves will do a world of good for us all!  We end up calm, more patient and better moms.

So, I invite you to join me this year in focusing on your “Quality of Life” instead of “Quantity of Life”.  It may be a little hard in the beginning to calm down and let a few things go or to give up a few things, but I think it won’t be long before we’re saying NO a little more and saying YES to ourselves!

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

Next Page »