Category Archives: Product Reviews

GIFT IDEA: Health and Beauty Sample Subscription Service from Yuzen

  By Donna DeForbes | November 19, 2012 - 8:30 am | ,
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I did not know about the growing trend of beauty sample subscription services. Apparently, it’s very popular. Consumers sign up for a monthly delivery box of an assortment of beauty products in sample sizes. Why? People can try a range of brands and products to see what they like before purchasing the full-size item. And it’s really cool to get a pretty box of surprises in the mail each month, don’t you think? I was happy when I received my September sample box from Ted at Yuzen. Their twist on the beauty box is to make the products eco-friendly, which I like since green beauty products often cost more, and who wants to invest in an organic face cream your skin might not like? Owners Ted and Jen evaluate each product before choosing which ones to include for their LOHAS audience. (Something else I learned — LOHAS is an acronym for … Continue reading →

Product Giveaway: Clover the Self-Watering Dog Planter

  By Donna DeForbes | October 29, 2012 - 7:30 am | , ,
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I’ve never seen these cute little ceramic animal planters before. Popular in Japan, the Shippon self-watering planter features an animal whose fabric tail soaks up the cup’s water and feeds the plant growing from the animal’s basket. Thanks to Microempowering.org, I have the dog Clover to give away (clover is also the plant that comes with it).   This giveaway has ended. Thank you! Disclosure: Thanks to microempowering.org for providing a Shippon self-watering animal planter. As always, all thoughts and opinions are our own.

Product Review: Melissa and Doug’s Harvest Hop Counting Game

  By Donna DeForbes | October 23, 2012 - 8:46 am | , ,
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So the folks over at Microempowering.org sent me this toy to review. (Microempowering is an organization that empowers community groups, non-profits and social entrepreneurs by helping them implement fiscally and environmentally sustainable projects. Check out their online store, which includes eco-friendly, brainy and sustainable toys.) I thought this Melissa and Doug Press and Spin Game (ages 3+) might be a little young for my newly six-year-old daughter. But when it arrived in the mail, she begged for it. Must have been the poppin’ fun spinner that drew her attention. We like Melissa and Doug. They put out quality toys, mostly made from eco-friendly wood rather than cheap plastic. The Harvest Hop is four card games in one, including versions of Memory and War. Sofie and I are playing the Harvest Hop game in this video below. As you can see, she got pretty excited while playing. I was surprised that … Continue reading →

Sibu Beauty Product Giveaway

  By Donna DeForbes | September 10, 2012 - 6:03 am | ,
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Last week I reviewed the environmentally friendly business, Sibu Beauty, and promised a product giveaway. Their product line includes: skin cleansers, toners, masks, serums, raw puree and a daytime facial cream, which will be given away to one lucky reader in a random drawing! Please complete the 10-question Eco-Mothering survey below and provide your email in order to be eligible for the giveaway. (Winner to be contacted via email.)   This survey is now closed. Disclosure: Thanks to Sibu Beauty for providing the daytime facial cream. As always, all thoughts and opinions are our own.

Beauty Products That Keep the Earth in Mind

  By Donna DeForbes | September 6, 2012 - 11:09 am | ,
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Once upon a time, I bought beauty and hygiene products without much thought beyond their price and purpose. Since starting this blog, however, I find myself paying more attention to what goes into these products and what the companies behind the products stand for. Of course, I focused first on those items my daughter uses. (See my recent posts on choosing kids’ juice boxes and skin products.) Moms tend to put their needs way down on the priority list, but we deserve healthy products too. Since turning 40 last month, I’ve developed a deeper appreciation for pampering myself, and as the commercial used to say: “I’m worth it!” I often search for nontoxic hair and skin products on Vitacost.com. And then sometimes I am introduced to a product from my blog readers. That’s how I discovered Sibu Beauty. Founded in 2003, the company uses the sea buckthorn berry (you may … Continue reading →

Save Energy: Go To Bed With a Hottie

  By Donna DeForbes | August 22, 2012 - 7:22 am | ,
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I was recently introduced to the Hottie by a mother-daughter business team who follows this blog. (I love that the daughter in the company, Louisa, is the twelve-year-old entrepreneur behind the design.) Popular in Great Britain and Germany, the Hottie is a fabric-covered hot water bottle and an eco-friendly alternative to using electric blankets or cranking up the thermostat at night. The company, who call themselves Love at First Night, sent me a sample. This is not your grandmother’s hot water bottle. I recall the funky-smelling red rubber bottles of my childhood. My grandmother always seemed to have one around for soothing body aches or indigestion. The Hottie contains a modern Fashy water bottle made in Germany. It’s transparent and manufactured from thermoplastic, which is odorless, recyclable and keeps water warm hours longer. I can’t wait for winter to come just so we can try it. (And I’ll report back … Continue reading →

Nutrition vs. Sustainability: Comparing Kids’ Juice Boxes

  By Donna DeForbes | August 15, 2012 - 9:59 am | ,
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Today I found myself standing in the juice aisle at Target confused about which kind to buy. I rarely buy juice for Sofie, but we’re throwing a birthday party this weekend, and I decided some juice for the kids would be a treat. I was overwhelmed by the array of boxes and pouches facing me. I wanted the healthiest juice, of course, so I began by checking the ingredients and sugar content. Apple & Eve Fruitables ranked high with 66% juice, 6 grams of sugar per serving and additional doses of vitamins A and C. By comparison, CapriSun—the juice pouch of my childhood— contained only 10% juice and had 16 grams of sugar per serving. Their ingredients also listed high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) second. (When reading ingredients, the order in which they appear denotes their prevalence in the product.) CapriSun offered a “less sugar” option that also claimed less … Continue reading →

Bug Off! Eliminating Toxins in Kids’ Health Products

  By Donna DeForbes | July 20, 2012 - 8:37 am | ,
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I feel like I’m forever applying stuff to my daughter’s body. Soap for her bath, lotion afterwards, sunscreen for daytime, bug spray for evening… When you read the mile-long lists of ingredients in these products, you get a headache. When you find out that most of the chemical ingredients have never been tested for safety and many are linked to cancer, you’ll likely scare yourself from ever using anything except water and vinegar to clean yourself. Ingredients with names like Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and quaternium-15 can seep into your child’s skin and wreak havoc on their bodies. I never thought about this before I became a mother. Growing up, we lathered ourselves in all sorts of chemicals not knowing there were alternatives. But along with pregnancy comes expansive awareness. I decided to aim for nontoxic products from day one. My baby wish list included Burt’s Bees diaper ointment and Weleda calendula … Continue reading →