Living Green With Jerinda: Get Ready for Flu Season with CleanWell Botanical Disinfecting Wipes

Thank you to CleanWell for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon. All opinions expressed are my own.

Flu season is upon us and my family is always looking for ways to keep healthy, but to do so without harming ourselves or the environment with harsh chemicals. CleanWell is an answer to this problem. We received the CleanWell Botanical Disinfecting Wipes to try, which kills cold and flu viruses plus 99.9% of household germs. Because it contains no bleach or phosphates, it is safe to use around kids and pets.  I also like that its lemon scent is pleasant without being overpowering.

CleanWell Botanical Disinfecting Wipes are an EPA registered disinfectant.  Of course, I have no way to test whether it’s killing germs, but the wipes do a great job cleaning up messes and it isn’t chemical-smelling at all. Its thyme-based formula seems to work very well and the lemon scent is very nice and doesn’t leave me feeling like I can’t breathe. It also leaves no residue behind and I can use it on nearly any surface in my house. I am really pleased with this CleanWell product and have already used their website’s store finder to locate 3 local stores that carry this brand. If you enjoy using safe botanical cleaners, be sure to check if a store near you carries CleanWell’s line of cleaning products.

Living Green With Jerinda: New Technology Brings You All-Natural Tea in a Bottle with No Preservatives

Thank you to Tea of a Kind for providing complimentary product samples for us to base this review upon. All opinions expressed are my own.

Tea of a Kind is a super-unique new beverage that offers delicious tea in a new and exciting way. With their globally patented “Gizmo Closure and Delivery System”, the tea itself is stored in a nitrogen pressurized chamber where it stays until the cap is twisted and the tea goes spraying into the bottle. This method requires no preservatives to keep it fresh plus its all-natural ingredients and antioxidants are protected from degradation until consumers are ready to drink. Upon the twist of the cap, the Gizmo closure instantly released the tea into the water which producing a dramatic color transformation that is sure to “wow” anyone.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when this tea came. It sounded really interesting and I knew we would think it was cool based on the video we watched (see the Gizmo technology in action here), but I wondered if the tea would be good and if the transformation would really be as dramatic as their website says. The truth is, it is even more so! The video doesn’t do justice to how rapid and exciting it is to twist that cap. We all had so much fun trying ours and watching the tea spurt out into the water.


As for the tea itself, we all have our favorite flavors and ones we didn’t care for, but every flavor had at least one fan in our household. Tea of a Kind comes in 3 flavors: Peach Ginger, Citrus Mint, and Pomegranate Acai. My oldest son, Avery, and I really liked the Peach Ginger, my husband loved the Citrus Mint, and my youngest, Quinn, liked the Pomegranate Acai.  The tea is just sweet enough and the fruit flavor is neither overpowering nor too subtle; it’s just perfect. We really loved this tea and liked showing off the cool “technology” to our friends and family.

Tea of a Kind is really an interesting twist on beverages. To learn more about their products, including where to purchase, visit their website at www.teaofakind.com.

Living Green With Jerinda: Back-to-School With the CamelBak eddy BPA-Free Reusable Water Bottles

Thank you to CamelBak for providing complimentary product samples for us to base this review upon. All opinions expressed are my own.

Being an eco-friendly person, I love reusable water bottles either made of glass, stainless steel, or BPA-free plastic. Regular, disposable plastic water bottles are a huge source of pollution so we try to avoid them as much as possible. CamelBak has just release their redesigned eddy bottle which features a faster flow rate and is more durable than its predecessor. It comes in a .6L, 1L, or a .75L bottle, which is the size we received, with their patented flip-top bite valve that allows you to drink without tipping or spilling. Plus, its loop handle can be hooked to a carabiner or easily held with just a finger.

We love our stainless steel water bottles, but have been looking for something more lightweight and easier to carry when we’re out running errands, working out at the gym, hiking, or walking as a family, and the CamelBak eddy is a perfect fit for our needs. This bottle is very light - even full of ice and water - and the loop-top is really easy to carry and is ergonomic so it doesn’t leave harsh impressions on my finger. We very much love these bottles and always carry them with us everywhere we go. This also helps us all get in our daily recommended water intake, and that’s an added bonus. We all love drinking out of them and will be purchasing two more soon so we can each have our own and not have to share. The CamelBak eddy is also dishwasher safe.

My only critique would be that I really wish these bottles were insulated because they sweat quite a bit and leave wetness from the condensation everywhere. When we purchase additional bottles, we will be opting for the insulated CamelBak eddy.

You can purchase the .75L CamelBak eddy at www.shop.camelbak.com for approximately $15.00 and the .6L Insulated eddy for about $20.00.

Living Green With Jerinda: Good Earth Beauty Natural Organic Shampoo and Insect Repellent

Thank you to Good Earth Beauty for providing complimentary all-natural shampoo and insect repellent product samples for us to base this review upon. All opinions expressed are my own.

Good Earth Beauty is a company that specializes in selling products that are safe: natural, organic, and never tested on animals. Their commitment to safety is obvious when you see their products. They carry products from many well-known brands like California Baby and some lesser-known ones too and they even have their own brand. Good Earth Beauty was kind enough to send me two of the items from their store to try out.

The Shampoo Wheatberry Cream Restorative is a Good Earth Beauty Exclusive product that carries their brand name. This shampoo helps to restore and moisturize hair using natural ingredients such as aloe vera and olive oil with a “scent that is reminiscent of morning dew and a fresh meadow.” This shampoo does leave my hair very soft and supple and I have noticed a definite increase in shine and body, that is for sure. Also, it only takes a little of the shampoo to get a nice, rich lather which is another plus. I’ll be honest and say I do not care for the scent. I think it smells too “grassy” and it just doesn’t suit me. That is a personal preference though and doesn’t deduct from the fact that this shampoo does, in fact, restore and moisturize hair. If you like more earthy scents, you probably would like it. I double checked all the ingredients as well, which are fully listed on their website, and all are completely safe. This is a great shampoo that I would buy in another one of their scents for sure.

The other product I received was Bug Mist Natural Insect Repellent made by Medicine Flower. This bug spray contains many essential oils such as lemongrass and cedar and is very effective! We’ve used it several times now and didn’t see any biting bugs on any of us. The ingredients are safe as well and can be used on children without worry. It smells great, is free of pesticides, and it really works well without all the added chemicals. We are very happy with this bug repellent and will definitely keep it in mind for when we need to purchase more.

You can see these all-natural products and all that Good Earth Beauty carries on their website, www.goodearthbeauty.com. The Shampoo Wheatberry Cream Restorative comes in an 8 oz. bottle for $15 and the Bug Mist Natural Insect Repellent comes in a 4 oz. spray bottle for $11.89.

Living Green With Jerinda: An Organic Sun Spray for Protecting Hair & an Effective All-Natural Bug Repellent

Thank you to Fairy Tales Hair Care for providing complimentary product samples for us to base this review upon. All opinions expressed are my own.

My family spends a lot of time outdoors, so any products that help to protect us when outside is useful to us. When Fairy Tales Hair Care offered us some products to try out, I was excited to see how they worked. Fairy Tales is a company committed to good quality products for affordable prices that are free of harsh chemicals, toxins, paraben, pesticides, and sulfates.

CoCo Cabana Spray can be used before any outdoor activities for protecting hair from being damaged by the hot sun. It also includes vitamins and minerals to restore softness and shine to water or sun damaged hair. This bottle is convenient to take to the beach or pool and works every bit as well as they say. The extracts and vitamins in this spray really leave our hair feeling soft and not at all damaged from a day of swimming. This is truly a “must” in our swim bag and we use it every time we swim to keep our hair healthy.

Bug Bandit is a natural, yet super-effective, bug repellent that uses lemon eucalyptus, soybean, citronella, peppermint, and rosemary oil along with cedar bark to repel mosquitoes, flies, fleas, gnats, and other biting insects. When we used this spray, we didn’t have any trouble with bugs around us. The spray is not greasy or chemical-smelling, so I was happy to use this on myself and my kids and was very pleased with its effectiveness.

Both of these and all the other Fairy Tales brand products can be purchased on their website, www.fairytaleshaircare.com. The CoCo Cabana Spray comes in an 8 oz. size and retails for $9.95 and the Bug Bandit in an 8 oz. size retails for $13.95.

Living Green With Jerinda: Bumkins Reusable Wet/Dry Bags, Laundry Bags, Snack Bags, and More

Thank you to Bumkins for providing complimentary product samples for us to base this review upon and for providing additional products for our contest prize. All opinions expressed are my own.

Wet bags are widely available nowadays, but many people do not know what wet bags are or how handy they are, or they think they are only used for cloth diapering. The truth is, wet bags can be used by anyone and can be an extremely useful item for any household. Wet bags, or waterproof bags, are used to hold items and keep to keep those items dry or to store wet things to keep them from getting all your other things soggy. Bumkins has a new line of awesome wet bags and they were kind enough to send me a sampling to review.

Bumkins Wet/Dry bag is a genius design that has two zippered compartments to keep your belongings wet or dry. Each compartment is very large and roomy and this bag (12" x 16") would be perfect for cloth diapering on-the-go or for using while swimming. The Waterproof Laundry Bag is a very large wet bag (17.5" x 21") perfect for household use. I use mine for my cloth napkins and other kitchen towels. I love this bag because it will hold days worth of towels easily and then I can throw the whole bag into the washer instead of having to touch all the soiled items.

The Reusable Snack Bags (small, 2 pack) is a nice alternative to plastic zippered bags. These bags keep foods dry, even in a cooler of ice, and will keep any loose items contained and prevent sogginess all day. Finally, the Everyday 3 Pack set contains 3 different sizes of smaller wet bags that can be used for a variety of things such as snack bags, on-the-go cloth diapering or potty training, and more. These bags would be useful in so many ways and would be a great addition to any household.

These bags come in fun prints sure to suit any style, are very well made, and are reasonably priced starting at $4.95. Learn more about them at www.bumkins.com/bags.

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This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. A random number drawing will be held shortly after the contest closing. The winner will be announced here and will be contacted via email. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Living Green With Jerinda: Rooibee Red Tea . . . an Organic, Caffeine-Free, and Low-Calorie Bottled Tea

Thank you to Rooibee Red Tea for providing complimentary product samples for us to base this review upon. All opinions expressed are my own.

Eating healthy is one thing that is very important to my family and me, so when I was offered an opportunity to try Rooibee Red Tea, I was excited to taste test this organic bottled tea. This tea is made from the rooibos bush, which grows only in South Africa. Tea made from the rooibos has always been popular in its native land, but has picked up a following in other countries now because it is very healthy and provides many antioxidants. Plus, it is naturally caffeine-free and low calorie.

I had never heard of the rooibos bush or red tea so I was very intrigued and didn’t have too high of expectations for something so healthy. I was pleasantly surprised by how truly delicious this tea is! We were sent 2 bottles of each of their 5 flavors which are unsweetened, watermelon mint, cranberry pomegranate, peach, and vanilla chai. Every single one is absolutely amazing. My personal favorite is the watermelon mint, which, ironically, I figured would be my least favorite, but I loved all 5 flavors. I thought it tasted amazing and I loved the health benefits for myself and my family. I will definitely be purchasing Rooibee Red Tea is the future.

You can learn more about Rooibee Red Tea at www.rooibeeredtea.com. It can be purchased at many retailers such as Kroger and Whole Foods. See a complete list here.

Living Green With Jerinda: Using Probiotics to Improve Digestion, Energy Levels, the Immune System, and More

Thank you to Ultimate Flora for providing complimentary product samples for us to base this review upon.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Probiotics are very good for you for many reasons; they help you digest and utilize nutrients, protect from toxins, and build your immune system. Unfortunately, many people just don’t know how healthy high potency probiotics are and how imbalanced the average person’s intestinal tract is and therefore just live with digestive problems as if it’s part of life. Ultimate Flora Probiotics are an excellent way to stabilize and replenish those healthy digestive bacteria and help reduce or eliminate belly upsets.

Ultimate Flora Probiotics can help with a variety of unhealthy gut induced problems such as constipation, heartburn, gas, bloating, indigestion, and more and can even help with skin problems, raise energy levels, as well as strengthen your immune system. The Ultimate Flora Extra Care Daily Probiotic boast a 30 billion live probiotic cultures, which is extremely good for this type of product. One pill per day can give you all the benefits listed above. I have been taking this daily for almost a month and have noticed a huge improvement in my stomach issues. I am lactose intolerant and have to be mindful of my lactose intake or I start having major cramping and worse.  Throughout this month, I’ve had no stomach upsets at all, which is pretty rare for me. Plus I have noticed a major upswing in my energy level as well as my complexion being really good. Also, when the probiotics came I was battling a cold and within two days of starting taking them my cold symptoms were completely gone. I will definitely be buying more of these very soon.

Ultimate Flora also has a kids version, which offers the same benefits in a tasty, 3 billion live cultures, chewable pill. Ultimate Flora Kids Probiotic is a great way to balance children’s intestinal tracts and I have noticed many of the same good changes in my children that I’ve noticed in myself. Both my kids are lactose intolerant as well so it’s good to be able to trust this product to help regulate their digestive systems when they are accidentally given too much dairy. They think the pills taste great too, so I don’t even have to fight them to take them.

I have been very pleased with the results of Ultimate Flora Probiotics and will be purchasing them in the future for my entire family. You can learn more about Ultimate Flora and their many products by watching this video and by visiting their website, www.ultimateflora.com, which has information about where to purchase. Many major retailers such as CVS, Walgreens, Kroger and more carry this brand.

Living Green With Jerinda: Gobblet and Fastrack . . . Two Fun New All-Wooden Board Games

Thank you to Blue Orange Games for providing complimentary product samples for us to base this review upon.  All opinions expressed are my own.

We have long loved Blue Orange Games. They are a company that strives to be eco-friendly and provide games that are fun, long lasting, and usually compact as well. So when Blue Orange offered me the chance to review more of their amazing games, I naturally said yes.

Gobblet is a wooden game that reminds me of a mix of checkers, tic tac toe, and Connect 4, but with a fun twist: the wooden pieces can “gobble” their opponents smaller pieces in order to win the game. This game is fairly simple to learn but mastering the strategy could take years! Both my kids (11 & 6) love playing it even if they are not evenly matched. This game is very well made of solid wood that will likely never wear out with proper use. This game has quickly become a favorite in our home.

Fastrack is super fast paced game where you launch wooden discs and try to get them through the hole to your opponent’s side before they launch all of theirs onto your side. Both players play at the same time and the fastest fingers win! Again, both my kids love playing this one and Quinn (the 6 year old) is surprisingly better at aiming on this game than I would have thought. It is also well made from wood but the elastic band could wear out over time and use.

Both Gobblet and Fastrack can be purchased on Blue Orange Games website, BlueOrangeGames.com. Gobblet retails for $29.99 and Fastrack retails for $19.99.

Living Green With Jerinda: Speedeebee! . . . a Fun Party Game to Play on Earth Day

Thank you to Blue Orange Games for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon. All opinions expressed are my own.

If you’re looking for a fun and fast-paced game to play with your family on Earth Day or any other day of the year, Blue Orange Games, winner of the first ever Dr. Toy Green Company Award, has come out with another sure-favorite game for 2 to 6 players called Speedeebee!. Be the brightest bee in the bunch and you could win this entertaining game, a recipient of the Teacher's Choice Award.

Speedeebee! contains 50 cards with the different challenges on each, 4 colored dice, and instructions all packed up compactly into a round tin. First you roll the dice to find out your challenge then you complete the challenge based on its instructions. For example, “Name a game containing none of these letters (throw all 4 dice).” Whichever player finishes the challenge first, wins that card. The player with the most cards at the end, wins!

This is a great family game! It is designated for ages 8 and up, but my 6 year old can play pretty well since he can read some. Some of the challenges are a bit difficult for him, but over all he can complete most. He loves playing it and using his brain to try to beat us, which he succeeds at sometimes. We all love playing this game together and it requires cognitive speed, a vast vocabulary, and good reaction time so it really gets us thinking. I also love that it’s easy to set up and stores away very neatly so we can even take it on-the-go. If you love to play games that make you and your family think, Speedeebee! would be great for you!

You can learn more about Speedeebee!, other fun games, and Blue Orange Games' Tree Campaign on their website, www.blueorangegames.com. This game retails for $14.99.

Living Green With Jerinda: OraMD is an All-Natural 3-in-1 Oral Hygiene Product

Thank you to OraMD for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon. All opinions expressed are my own.

Dental hygiene is something most people are concerned with and OraMD is a new product to help keep your mouth healthy. OraMD is an all-natural answer to all oral hygiene needs because it is a toothpaste, mouthwash, and a breath freshener all in one small, concentrated bottle of liquid. This is unlike any product I’ve ever seen and it is highly effective.

One small bottle of OraMD is enough to last one person at least one month, depending on how often you use it. For brushing teeth, use 2-5 drops directly on your toothbrush and then brush as usual. For mouthwash, put 2-5 drops in one ounce of water and swish or gargle or use as a breath freshener by putting 2-5 drops directly onto the tip of your tongue then using your tongue to spread it along the gum line. This product kills germs and can help to combat gingivitis. As I said before, it is highly effective and really leaves your whole mouth feeling clean and fresh and keeps bad breath at bay when used as directed. It is very strong tasting though and it really takes some getting used to. The first few days my eyes watered every time I used it, but as I used it longer, it did not have that effect on my any longer.

OraMD is a very different product, but much safer to use than typical toothpaste and mouthwash. It does not contain any harmful ingredients and is, by far, the safest oral hygiene product I’ve ever seen. Their website can give you more information about why mainstream toothpastes are harmful so I won’t go into that here, but they are correct in what they claim and I have full confidence in this little bottle of OraMD. In the month that I’ve been using it, my teeth have felt cleaner, my gums healthier, my breath much fresher, and my teeth even seem to be whiter. And all of this without ingesting or absorbing any toxins or other chemicals such as bleach. I am very happy with this products and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a much healthier alternative to typical mouth products.

You can purchase OraMD on the website www.trustedhealthproducts.com.

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