Sunday, January 24, 2010

Eco Store USA Review and Giveaway (Ends 2/7)

I am now a little bit farther along with my attempts to go green thanks to EcoStore USA. I recently got the chance to try their Citrus Based Spray Cleaner and their Pure Oxygen Whitener and was pleasantly surprised with both.

Eco Store was originally started in New Zealand by Melanie and Malcolm Rands from their home in an eco village. I love the story, here’s an excerpt from their website:
“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.”
Ecostore is a great eco-friendly company that makes products with “no nasty chemicals,” I love this.

When I received the box, I opened it and saw packing peanuts. My first thought was “Wow, THAT can’t be very eco friendly. But as it turns out, it is. They use soy-based packing peanuts and all recyclable materials. Being used to the old foam packing peanuts, I had no idea that these even existed. I tried holding one under the faucet (What can I say, I love testing things!) And sure enough, it “melted” away. How cool is that! I love that the company is totally eco-friendly, not just with their cleaners, but even when it comes to the way they ship them to you!


Citrus Spray Cleaner
I love the Spray Cleaner. It works great, and is "naturally antibacterial." It has a pleasant citrus smell that is not over powering. Before learning about eco store, I had never thought about the fumes that common surface cleaners leave in the house. I love that I can use this, get things clean, and not have my family exposed to those chemicals. I also love the photo on the bottle. I actually don’t like cleaning at all, but the label of the bottle makes me smile every time I pick it up.




Pure Oxygen Whitener

I was pleased with the way this worked too.  Now, the instructions say for best results, dissolve the powder in the water and then let the clothes soak for a couple hours. The first time I tried it, I didn’t follow the instructions (I was feeling rebellious that day, I guess) I just tossed it in with the detergent and ran the wash normally, and honestly I didn’t see much of a difference. The next time I used it, I followed the instructions and noticed a big difference. It seems to whiten as well as, if not better than, regular bleach. And it does it without that strong bleach smell.  I also love the fact that I don’t have to worry about ruining what I’m wearing. (I have ruined more than a few shirts and a pair of jeans over the years by accidentally splashing a few drops of bleach on them.)

In addition to household cleaning products, Eco-Store USA also has a line of products for bath & body, haircare, baby care, and pet care.

 
Eco Store is going to give one STM reader a 25.00 Gift Certificate
MANDATORY ENTRY
Head on over to Eco Store and then leave a comment here saying what you would buy.
BONUS ENTRIES
2 Entries- Follow STM on google friend connect(left sidebar)
2 Entries- Follow STM on twitter
2 Entries- Follow STM RSS feed
2 Entries- Newsletter Sign Up via google newsletter connect(left sidebar)
2 Entries- Comment on any non-giveaway post
2 Entries- Follow on bloglovin
2 Entries- Tweet this giveaway @smartandtrendy #giveaway
(Can be done 2 times daily, Min 2 hours apart )
3 Entries- Grab our button
5 Entries- Blog about this giveaway
(Must have giveaway and Sponsor Link)

This Giveaway is open to U.S and ends 2/7


Smart and Trendy Moms finds products, ideas, projects, recipes, and other information that we have personally found helpful or interesting.  As always, it is up to you to determine what is appropriate for you, your children, and your situation.  See our Disclaimer



Soap That Makes Scents Giveaway(Ends2/7)

I am a avid handmade soap lover and when I visited the Soap That Makes Scents site my senses came alive.A few words that come to mind- luscious, yummy, addiction, heaven.
Amazing lip balms and soaps and so many other things. I think I could smell it from the screen:) If you love handmade soap and body products as much as I do you would love to know that they have a Soap of the Month Club. Where you can get a new soap every month. I love that idea. There are even selections fro that special man in your life. That would make a awesome Valentines gift for him. Gift Certificates are also available for a gift any time. (Hope my husband is reading).  With over 1700 sales on ETSY alone I think its safe to say that they rock!

 Here is a bit more from
Soap That Makes Scents
A bar of soap is the simplest and most environment-loving way to get yourself clean.


At Soap That Makes Scents, we believe in minimal packaging. We believe in small batches to ensure freshness. And we believe that using high-quality ingredients should not mean that we have to sacrifice low pricing for you.


Soap That Makes Scents is a handmade bath and beauty company run by Canadian transplant Karina Gallo and her American-born husband, Richard. They live and play in New York City, one of the best places to network in the world. All of the high quality ingredients used in their products are found right in the Tri-State area. Soap That Makes Scents was chosen to be Featured Entrepreneur of Business Owners Idea Cafe in 2008.


All of our soap bars are Vegan-safe and free of parabens, SLS/SLES and skin-drying chemicals.




Always take care when buying soaps and lip balms online. Remember your own allergies and any special skin concerns you may have. If you have any questions about an ingredient in one of our products, please do not hesitate to ask and we will be happy to share any further information.



 
Karina is going to give one STM reader any one bar of her amazing soaps.Your choice!
MANDATORY ENTRY
Head on over to Soap That Makes Scents and then leave a comment here saying what you like in her shop.
BONUS ENTRIES
2 Entries- Heart♥ Soap That Makes Scents on ETSY
2 Entries- Tweet one of their shop items
(This is unlimited so please go crazy!!Must have 50+followers Leave tweet link in comment
2 Entries- Follow STM on google friend connect(left sidebar)
2 Entries- Follow STM on twitter  and STMS
2 Entries- Follow STM RSS feed
2 Entries- Newsletter Sign Up via google newsletter connect(left sidebar)
2 Entries- Comment on any non-giveaway post
2 Entries- Follow on bloglovin
2 Entries- Tweet this giveaway @smartandtrendy #giveaway
(Can be done 2 times daily, Min 2 hours apart )
3 Entries- Grab our button
5 Entries- Blog about this giveaway
(Must have giveaway and Sponsor Link)

This Giveaway is open to U.S and ends 2/7

Smart and Trendy Moms finds products, ideas, projects, recipes, and other information that we have personally found helpful or interesting.  As always, it is up to you to determine what is appropriate for you, your children, and your situation.  See our Disclaimer

Girls Like Trucks Giveaway(Ends 2/7)CLOSED

I think the first thing I love is the name Girls Like Trucks. What a great name and even better she makes items for little girls in typical "boy" themes. Cause lets face it not all little girls love pink and fluffy right? My daughters included. And what better way for a little girl to express that than with great accessories! I want you all to meet Jen from Girls Like Trucks. She is sponsoring a awesome giveaway right here on STM. I only wish I could enter this one myself. So make sure you all do an extra entry for me;) For sure follow her new blog listed below and she just started a fan page, so lets get her some fans and followers!

Here is a little blurb from Jen
Hello from Michigan! My name is Jen. I am a stay-at-home mom to Anna, an adventurous little girl who likes dresses and dinosaurs. When I am shopping for Anna, I often find myself in the boy's department because that's where I find the things that interest her- fire truck pajamas, helicopter shirts, etc. A few months ago I had a thought, "Wouldn't it be great if they actually made things like this for girls?" and Girls Like Trucks was born. Currently I am focusing on ponytail holders in boy themes- cars, bicycles, dinosaurs, etc. I hope to expand to clothing items as my little business starts to grow. You can find my shop at girlsliketrucks.etsy.com.


My blog address is: http://girlsliketrucks.blogspot.com
My facebook page is: http://www.facebook.com/search/?q=girls+like+trucks&init=quick#/pages/Girls-Like-Trucks/326383160042?ref=search&sid=100000492595712.3711373072..1





 
Jen is going to give one STM reader
Vehicle ponytail holders, fabric covered buttons, the complete set..Nice!! 
MANDATORY ENTRY
Head on over to Girls Like Trucks and then leave a comment here saying what you like in her shop.
BONUS ENTRIES
1 entries- Follow her new blog
2 Entries-Heart♥ Girls Like Trucks on ETSY
2 Entries- Tweet one of their shop items 
(This is unlimited so please go crazy!!Must have 50+followers Leave tweet link in comment
2 Entries- Follow STM on google friend connect(left sidebar)
2 Entries- Follow STM on twitter
2 Entries- Follow STM RSS feed
2 Entries- Newsletter Sign Up via google newsletter connect(left sidebar)
2 Entries- Comment on any non-giveaway post
2 Entries- Follow on bloglovin
2 Entries- Tweet this giveaway @smartandtrendy #giveaway
(Can be done 2 times daily, Min 2 hours apart )
3 Entries- Grab our button
5 Entries- Blog about this giveaway
(Must have giveaway and Sponsor Link)

This Giveaway is open to U.S and ends 2/7

Smart and Trendy Moms finds products, ideas, projects, recipes, and other information that we have personally found helpful or interesting.  As always, it is up to you to determine what is appropriate for you, your children, and your situation.  See our Disclaimer


Dainty Creations Custom JellyFish Onesie Giveaway(Ends 2/7)CLOSED

Dainty Creations is a darling ETSY shop that I came across. As you all know I love handmade anything. And what I like about this shop is the great mix of different and unique things.
Paola is behind all the fun things at Dainty Creations. What originally caught my eye was the custom book marks. But then I saw her jewelry/treasure boxes, those are perfect for little treasures. Her tile coasters are very colorful and unique and can be used as wall art or paper weights. Paola also has an adorable blog. I hope you will take to follow her while you are here!



Other items available are
- Jewelry Treasure Boxes- Clutches- Gift Tags- Envelopes with Seals- Scrapbook Layouts - coming soon.- Coasters- Embellishments for Scrapbook pages and more
Head on over and visit her shop and all the cool handmade things!
Here is a little from Paola

I am a 25 year old SAHM to a 2 year old boy named Evan. We are a family of 4 residing in Brookfield, CT. Originally from NYC, we lived in the Riverdale section of the Bronx for a good 5 years. We have a maltese named Schatzi, who has been a good companion to Evan. I love crafting, reading, traveling, riding motorcycles with my partner and spending time with my family. My leisure time is usually spent in my craft room, or reading a book when I can.
Tweet Tweet Twitter me - http://www.twitter.com/daintycreations
Blog - http://shyoctober.blogspot.com
You can add me on myspace - http://www.myspace.com/shyoctober








Paola is going to give one STM reader their choice Custom Jellyfish Onesie
MANDATORY ENTRY
Head on over to Dainty Creations and then leave a comment here saying what you like in her shop.
BONUS ENTRIES
2 Entries- Heart♥ Dainty Creations on ETSY
2 Entries- Tweet one of Dainty Creations items
(This is unlimited so please go crazy!!Must have 50+ followers Leave tweet link in comment
2 Entries- Follow STM on google friend connect(left sidebar)
2 Entries- Follow STM on twitter and Dainty Creations
2 Entries- Follow STM RSS feed
2 Entries- Newsletter Sign Up via google newsletter connect(left sidebar)
2 Entries- Comment on any non-giveaway post
2 Entries- Follow on bloglovin
2 Entries- Tweet this giveaway @smartandtrendy #giveaway
(Can be done 2 times daily, Min 2 hours apart )
3 Entries- Grab our button
5 Entries- Blog about this giveaway
(Must have giveaway and Sponsor Link)

This Giveaway is open to U.S and ends 2/7




Smart and Trendy Moms finds products, ideas, projects, recipes, and other information that we have personally found helpful or interesting.  As always, it is up to you to determine what is appropriate for you, your children, and your situation.  See our Disclaimer