Every year when we go back to school shopping I buy less and less ’stuff’. We’ve realized over the years how much of these supplies either go unused or get wasted just because we get caught up in the sales and the frenzy of back to school shopping. Do we really need to buy new stuff every year and throw out all the ones from last year just because we’ve been conditioned that kids ought to go to school every year with all new ’stuff’? All these waste has bothered me and my girls over the years and this year we have been very conservative with our shopping. We are either re-using things from last year or making smarter buys this year to ensure that what we buy will be put to good use rather than ending up in the landfill.
That’s why we were glad to see that some products have made an effort to make themselves more friendly to the environment. Paper Mate, for instance, just launched a new line of eco-friendly writing utensils which include biodegradable pens and mechanical pencils. My daughters love mechanical pencils and we usually buy a huge box of them during this time. Most of them get used, but it just bothers me that the spent cartridges are usually thrown away to the trash. Not to mention all the pens that we buy that usually end up drying out before they can be used then also tossing them into the trash.
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I have three daughters so the sample bottles I received for Sassy Shampoo, Conditioner and Body Wash did not last long. Here is the verdict from my girls… They like it!
Why? Because it doesn’t smell strong, not ‘perfumey’, they said. My oldest daughter also added that her hair didn’t feel ‘heavy’ after shampooing. It didn’t leave residue, just a clean, sleek feel and and a fresh smell. The biggest plus of all, they said the conditioner worked well at keeping their hair tangle free. They have very thick and curly hair and they said that they had no problems combing them out after washing.
Sassy products are targeted for ‘tween’ girls. The Sassy product line is natural and organic which is great but the image they project for girls is also commendable. Their tag line, ‘Be the Boss of Your Own Beauty’ is something that I have been trying to instill in my girls and any product that resonates with the message that beauty is individual, is ok by me. Not only are Sassy products promoting good self image for girls, are made of organic and natural ingredients, they also use eco-friendly packaging.
Check out their website and the gift packages. With the holidays coming up, these would make great presents or business gifts.
Complimentary samples were provided for this review.
My girls and I bring our lunches to school and work daily. Not only does it save money, we end up eating healthier, home-cooked meals rather than the fatty junk we would probably end up buying. We love bento boxes and cute water bottles and that’s how I first found Your Guide to Green. I subscribed to their newsletter and today while going through emails, I say the announcement for these bamboo utensil sets and I just had to post about it.
This cutlery is made from quickly renewable and natural bamboo. The holder is made from recycled pop bottles. And for a limited time the set is on sale for 8.99.
Oh I know it seems like a lot to pay for a single set of utensils, but think of the long term impact of this expense. For instance, when we bring disposable plastic utensils, we don’t normally re-use them. They get tossed in the trash where they will probably stay in the landfill for a couple of generations. The girls and I are not too crazy about that idea nor are we crazy about the cheap plastic things that I buy because they’re cheaper either.
So, we all end up bringing silver ware with our lunches. Yes, the same silverware that is part of the set we use at home. Guess what, I’ve had to buy additional forks for our set because we keep losing them! As careful as we try to be, the spoons and mostly forks, get tossed away with the trash or fall out of the bags never to be found again.
So I think these bamboo utensil set will work out well for us.
So throw away the brown bag and plastic bags. Check out the lunch sets and water bottles at YourGuidetoGreen.com and get your stylish lunch on!
Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this review nor did I receive anything free from Your Guide to Green. I just happen to be a fan of the site and their products. 
Remember when my kids were trading Granola Nut Clusters like casino chips? Ever since we got that batch of free samples, they have just been raving about Granola Nuts and haven’t missed a chance to beg for a pack whenever we’re in the grocery store. That’s why I like shopping alone
I you haven’t had a chance to try out these delicious snacks yet, here’s a coupon for $1.60 off on your next purchase. Click on the link below to print the coupon.
Print a Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters electronic coupon.
Today is the first day of school for my girls. Two of them are headed off to high school and the third is starting middle school this year. The one who is starting middle school is a bit apprehensive what with the new school, meeting new friends and all that. She is excited about one thing though, she’s going to get her own locker from now on!
I was going to give her this free 1590D Set-Your-Own Combination Lock that I received to review, but the school issues them their own lock that the school has a master key for. So, my oldest daughter got this new lock instead and she has been playing around with it at home. This morning, of course, it was packed into her book bag, all ready for school. Here is what she wrote about the Master Lock Set your Own Combination Lock. Read more…
Skin Free Skincare products are 100% natural and 100% non-toxic (as per Environmental Working Group evaluation). The Skin Free Extra Moisturizing Soap and Shampoo Bar has recently been awarded the National Eczema Association’s Seal of Acceptance.
Skin Free products were developed by Julie Hilton who is a compounding pharmacist and natural products manufacturer. The Skin Free products line were developed to be free from toxins, irritants, fragrances, colorants, petroleum derivatives and animal products; they are also affordable and effective.
Prior to hearing about Skin Free, I have been testing various over the counter moisturizers. I can’t afford the name brand products so I have been testing drug store lines that were under $30 to find a moisturizer that would agree with my skin and eliminate some of the problems I have. I have combination skin with a very oil T-zone. Add to that black heads, white heads and steadily enlarging pores and you’ve got me, a walking facial disaster at 45. Mind you, I have never been obsessive with my skin care. I was blessed with fairly good skin in my younger years. I didn’t ever have acne or the other problems that plague teens. Then middle age hits and BAM! everything starts falling apart. I noticed my skin started losing its elasticity (that’s a nice way of saying ’sagging’) and started losing its luster. Bottom line, my skin just started looking old.
Maybe if I took better care of my skin when I was younger I wouldn’t be having this problem now. But it’s too late for regrets now, isn’t it? All there is left to do is take care of what’s here and now. And in the ‘now’ my experiments with moisturizers were just not very successful. The last one I tried left a sticky, icky film on my face that felt like my face was a dust magnet. I couldn’t wait to get home at the end of the day and wash my face.
So when I got a chance to try out Skin Free, I chose to try out the Lite Moisture Cream Daily Use and the Nutritional and Anti-Oxidant Synergy for Face.
The Skin Free Daytime Light Moisture Cream is formulated to be beneficial for skin of all ages. It is a very light cream blended from organic extra virgin olive oil and macadamia nut oil to replenish facial moisture balance. I have been using it everyday and it’s perfect especially now that it’s hot. Even when I’m sweaty my face doesn’t get overly greasy. It feels light and I don’t feel like I have a mask on. This is exactly what I have been looking for!
Luckily, all Skin Free products can be purchased from CVS drugstores and Walgreens.
I also have the Nutritional and Anti-Oxidant Synergy for Face. Powerful essences are combined in this formulation to increase circulation, soothe sun damage and aging, and help reduce the appearance of wrinkles. It contains organic essences derived from oat seeds, sea buckthorn and red raspberry seeds which are all known for their soothing, healing and anti-aging abilities; suspended in organic macadamia nut oil and virgin olive oil.
I have been using the anti-oxidant once a week, on weekends when I do a thorough cleansing. It’s supposed to give your skin a more radiant and more youthful glow. I’ve only been using this product for a month, about three or four applications worth. I’m not looking like twenty something, but I can tell a difference when I do my weekend facial spa. I have syringoma on my face, right under my eyes. They are non-cancerous bumps like little benigncell towers that have sprouted up as I got older. There is no treatment for this other than to have them physically removed. Since I started using the Skin Free moisturizers, I’ve noticed that the bumps appear to be smaller soon after application. They eventually plump up as the day wears on, but this is still a better result than what I have been getting with other products. One product that I had to stop using immediately turned them red and raging! So overall, I am really happy with how Skin Free has affected my skin. I can’t wait to try out their other product.
Next time you’re at the drug store, check out the Skin Free line of products. They also carry soaps, scrubs, body lotion and other facial products. You can also check their blog at www.skinfreeskincare.blogspot.com for additional information.
