Juice Beauty is my favorite skin care company by far. I have been a huge fan for the past 8 months and was really excited when I found out their award winning Green Apple Peel is now a patented product!! I checked the Cosmetic Database and even though Juice Beauty is not listed, I did a search on all of the ingredients of the peel and they came back safe. 🙂

Juice Beauty has 2 Green Apple Peels, one for Sensitive Skin and the other is Full Strength. The Green Apple Peel is made to exfoliate, brighten, hydrate, and nourish your skin. You can actually watch your black heads disappear with just one use! This refining alpha hydroxy acid complex of certified organic apple, lemon, grape juices, and raw cane sugar exfoliates and brightens for visibly improved skin tone and texture. So yes, it is a miracle product! The Green Apple Peel is made with over 85% organic ingredients and really packs a punch. Even Hollywood celebrities are using the Green Apple Peel after days of heavy make-up. Check out the pictures on Facebook!

I took the Sensitive Green Apple Peel with us to the beach so I could exfoliate the night before my birthday. I wanted to at least wake up looking young! I loved watching my black heads rub off and my skin clear. You simply put on the mask and leave on for 10 minutes. It says to then rinse, but I like to rub off the peel and then rinse. I also love how sensitive the peel is. Ella decided to wake up before us one morning and got into my Green Apple Peel. She used the WHOLE sample on her face- which was at least 2 or 3 months worth of product. I was so scared she was going to have a horrible outbreak because she has such sensitive skin and I had no clue how long she had been wearing it. Luckily, nothing happened! This has made me believe in the Green Apple Peel even more. You just can’t find something that works as great plus is totally safe! It is truly worth the price of $39. Or you can always try a sample for only $5!!!

The Giveaway: Juice Beauty would like to give 1 LUCKY reader a Deluxe Size Sample of the Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel!! Rules: You have until 11:59 p.m. EST May 20, 2010 to enter. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced after they respond to the winning email. The winner has 48 hours to respond to the winning email, or a new winner will be chosen. You must leave your email address! This contest is open to the US and Canada

2. Become a fan of Mkokopelli on FB, Follow Mkokopelli on Networked Blogs, Follow Mkokopelli on Twitter, or Follow my blog (1 each)
3. Subscribe to my blog by email (on the right sidebar) You must verify and be active at the time of the giveaway- those who are unverified will become disqualified
4. Blog, Tweet or send a message on FB and leave a link here (1 entry per day)
5. Enter another giveaway I have going on and tell me which one or leave a comment on a non-giveaway post (1 entry total)
6. Become a Fan of Juice Beauty on Facebook
7. Sign up for the Juice Beauty Newsletter
8. Follow Juice Beauty on Twitter
9. Tell me something you learned on the Juice Beauty site
10. Grab my button and post on your blog, Facebook page, or myspace page and link back in a comment


New disclaimer: I was sent this item to review from Juice Beauty. This in NO way changes my opinions about the products or company. These are my thoughts, opinions and results.

Did you know that there are NO regulations on children’s shoes? That means your child’s shoes can contain lead, formaldehyde, cadmium, arsenic, chromium, mercury, and many other toxic chemicals! A baby doll’s shoes are more regulated. The CPSIA just started a lead reduction for shoes, but they are still allowing 300ppm in them. Think about how many infants put their feet in their mouths. Ella even put a shoe in her mouth the other day. I know…. gross. But the fact is that we all believe products are safe because they are on the shelf and are sold by reputable companies. And sadly, they are not.

The thing that disturbed me the most is knowing that your feet absorb oils and anything else they come in contact with. This means if your child is barefoot wearing toxic shoes, all of the chemicals will be absorbed into their body. If you don’t believe me, rub some garlic on your feet and in 20 minutes you can taste it! So, it is important to pay attention to what’s in your child’s shoes, especially if they won’t be wearing socks!!

I was introduced to Little Soles and I so wish they had Ella’s size in their new eco-friendly styles! They are working on older sizes but want to make sure they get the perfect soles for rough wear. Safety is their goal!! Little Soles does carry toddler sizes 3-8 and infants 0-9 months. I loved the company so much and wanted to share them with you while you are Spring and Summer shopping, so they sent a adorable pair of Squeaky Shoes for my friend’s daughter to try out.

I have to say these Bloom Mary Janes are the cutest baby shoes I’ve ever seen. I love the flower detail with the stripes!! I would have never bought a pair of shoes that squeak, but after watching her run around for an hour having a blast, my mind was changed.She would kick her feet up and stomp around just to hear herself! This was also great because we could keep up with where she was by the sound of her shoes. If you love the style and not the squeak, you can always puncture the squeaker. 🙂 The Bloom Mary Janes are high quality and are great for chubby little feet. The soles are suited for pre-walkers and early walking. The heel also offers extra support. You can get these for only $32.95!!
The great thing about the Squeaky Shoes, Urban Infants, and Baby Soles is that they are free of harmful dyes and toxins; premium materials are sourced to surpass the standards in footwear; the materials have been tested for 7 toxic elements plus formaldehyde and AZO colorants; and Little Soles is a socially responsible and environmentally aware company.

The Giveaway: Little Soles would like to give 1 LUCKY winner 1 pair of shoes from their site in any style and size!!

Rules: You have until 11:59 p.m. EST May 18, 2010 to enter. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced after they respond to the winning email. The winner has 48 hours to respond to the winning email, or a new winner will be chosen. You must leave your email address! This contest is open to the US and Canada

2. Become a fan of Mkokopelli on FB, Follow Mkokopelli on Networked Blogs, Follow Mkokopelli on Twitter, or Follow my blog (1 each)
3. Subscribe to my blog by email (on the right sidebar) You must verify and be active at the time of the giveaway- those who are unverified will become disqualified
4. Blog, Tweet or send a message on FB and leave a link here (1 entry per day)
5. Enter another giveaway I have going on and tell me which one or leave a comment on a non-giveaway post (1 entry total)
6. Become a Fan of Little Soles on Facebook
7. Join the Little Soles Newsletter
8. Follow Little Soles on Twitter
9. Tell me something you learned about Little Soles on their site
10. Grab my button and post on your blog, Facebook page, or myspace page and link back in a comment


New disclaimer: I was sent this item to review from Little Soles. This in NO way changes my opinions about the products or company. These are my thoughts, opinions and results.

When we were at the beach we stayed in a awesome condo that had all of the amenities. We knew we would be able to wash our clothes, so I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to try out our new NaturOli’s Soap Nuts.

Soap Nuts are found in the Himalayan Mountains and are used as an alternative to chemical detergents. The soap nuts contain a substance called saponin that produces a soaping effect. They have been used for centuries as laundry cleaners, soaps, and as cleaners. Farmers take out the nut (actually the seed) to replant. It’s the actual shell that contains the saponin that will leave your clothes fresh and clean. You are given a small bag to place the soap nuts. You then place them into the wash and as they are rubbed against one another, they release the saponin. They break down the surface tension between the water and oil in the wash water, reducing the surface tension between water and oil aiding it in freeing dirt, grime, and oils from clothes.

Important points about Soap Nuts:

• Effectively clean laundry – leaving it softer and fresher that you may have ever experienced.
• Antimicrobial properties. Removes microbes from laundry.
• Natural anti-fungal properties.
• Hypoallergenic. Most allergic reactions to detergents are due to the chemicals and fragrances in them. – Great for removing odors.
• Mild and gentle on fabric structure and colors.
• Low sudsing: Good for all washers. Excellent for high efficiency (HE) washers.
• 100% biodegradable.
• No animal testing.
• Requires no manufacturing processes. No chemicals or fossil fuels needed to produce.
• A primary product from a sustainable source.
• Does not pollute our water systems.
• Good for septic and grey water systems.
• Environmentally safe.

Ella got chocolate cake with raspberry preserves on her white dress, so I knew NaturOli was up for a challenge when I put it in the wash. And amazingly, it passed with flying colors!! Her dress was stain free, soft, vibrant, and smelled fresh. I was really impressed!

Our 5 soap nuts lasted 4 washes until they became mushy. We then were able to use a trial size of the Soap Nuts Liquid, which is a concentrated form of the soapnuts. 8 ounces replaces 17 pounds of conventional laundry products! The Soap Nuts Liquid received its second Greendot award this February!! I’m not sure which I liked more. They both did an outstanding job getting out tough stains on Ella’s clothes. She was pretty rough, especially running around with 4 dogs most of the week.

The Giveaway: NaturOli would like to give 1 lucky winner a 4 oz. bag of Soap Nuts! That’s 40 loads!!

Rules: You have until 11:59 p.m. EST May 17, 2010 to enter. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced after they respond to the winning email. The winner has 48 hours to respond to the winning email, or a new winner will be chosen. You must leave your email address! This contest is open only to the US

2. Become a fan of Mkokopelli on FB, Follow Mkokopelli on Networked Blogs, Follow Mkokopelli on Twitter, or Follow my blog (1 each)
3. Subscribe to my blog by email (on the right sidebar) You must verify and be active at the time of the giveaway- those who are unverified will become disqualified
4. Blog, Tweet or send a message on FB and leave a link here (1 entry per day)
5. Enter another giveaway I have going on and tell me which one or leave a comment on a non-giveaway post (1 entry total)
6. Join NaturOli today (this is free)
7. Become a fan of NaturOli on Facebook
8. Tell me something you learned on the NaturOli site
9. Tell me a publication that has featured NaturOli
10. Grab my button and post on your blog, Facebook page, or myspace page and link back in a comment


New disclaimer: I was sent these items to review from NaturOli. This in NO way changes my opinions about the products or company. These are my thoughts, opinions and results.

It hasn’t taken me this long to read a book since I was a child. And, this is really a good thing! I majored in Creative Writing and English when I was in college, so getting through 32 novels in a semester was quite common. I learned how to speed read and still get what the book means. But, Slow Death By Rubber Duck was packed with soooo much important knowledge, I had to read it very slowly to catch everything. And it was written in very simple terms. You should see how many pages are folded with underlined material!!

Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie, 2 amazing Canadian environmentalists, got together and locked themselves in a room for 48 hours, intentionally exposing themselves to 7 toxic chemicals. They tested their blood and urine numerous times throughout the experiment to see how much of the chemicals their bodies had absorbed. They did limit exposure to these chemicals (as much as they could) weeks prior to the experiment, plus tested their levels beforehand. The scary part about the experiment is that every chemical they exposed themselves to are in products that we use every day. Some examples are: they sat in a room that had just been STAINMASTERED, drank coffee from a polycarbonate french press, ate white tuna from a can, washed their hands with antibacterial soap, ate food microwaved in Rubbermaid tupperware, used lotion, brushed their teeth, drank out of a Coke can, sat in a room with air fresheners, and ate pineapple from a can. The amounts of toxic chemicals that turned up in their bloodstream and urine is disgusting!!

Slow Death By Rubber Duck goes into major details about phthalates, PFC’s (Teflon), PBDEs (flame retardants), mercury, triclosan, 2,4-D, and BPA. You will learn the history of the chemicals, what dangers they possess, hear scientists research, see the results from the 48 hour experiment, learn about things you should avoid, and so much more. I highly suggest giving this book to someone who doubts why you have made any life changes when it comes to chemical exposure. It will blow their minds!! I thought I knew it all before I read Slow Death By Rubber Duck, but I was extremely sick to my stomach after putting it down. I say this in a good way, because with knowledge comes power. And from all of this disturbing knowledge, I will be able to pass along a greater message.

After reading the history of these chemicals and how most were spawned from other dangerous chemicals, I now understand why they are in the things that they are. Greed has created powerful marketing giants and allowed fear and convenience to keep the consumer purchasing them. The sad thing is that none of these toxic chemicals are truly needed, yet billions of dollars are made each year because we still buy them. Why do we feel the need to smell good all of the time? Why do we need a toothbrush handle that is antibacterial? Is it that hard to cook slower on a cast iron than it is with non-stick pans? Can’t we just use glass or steel instead of lining cans with BPA? I about lost it when I found out BPA lined the cans of Ella’s formula and that food wrappers, pizza boxes, and popcorn bags are coated with PFC’s. If you’ve ever wondered why your burger was so greasy but it didn’t soak the wrapper, that’s why.

Some people just don’t want to know. I get it. But, these chemicals are affecting our children’s children without us knowing it. If we want to live in a healthy world, then we have to take a stand. Thankfully, the Safe Chemicals Act 2010 was just introduced into congress this week, so maybe our voices will be heard. You can always do your part by Asking Congress to pass the act by clicking here. I was able to write 3 NC congress members in a pre-written letter in 2 minutes. It’s that simple!

You can get Slow Death By Rubber Duck at Amazon for $16.50!

Sorry I am behind on announcing winners! I am still waiting for a few to respond.

Congrats to Nelsby for winning the ecojot giveaway!!

Congrats to Kim for winning the Putumayo CD!!

Thanks to all that entered! Here are the current giveaways:

• Earthlust 20 Oz. Stainless Steel Bottle Ends 4/22
• KidsCraft Playhouses Cottage or Shuttle Ends 4/22
• I Can Save The Ocean Book (4 Winners) Ends 4/30
• Wonder Pets Save the Tree! Book (4 Winners) Ends 5/1
• This is Our World Book (4 Winners) Ends 5/1
• Mama Miti Book (3 Winners) Ends 5/2

I had intended to do a book review for Slow Death By a Rubber Duck tonight, but I haven’t quite finished it yet. So, I’m going to get back to reading so I can tell you all about it tomorrow. This book is beyond amazing so far and is packed full of facts. I haven’t read this slow in years! But it’s a lot to take in. Hope everyone has had a happy day!

I know some of you don’t have children and so far this week I’ve only done children’s book reviews. If you don’t have a young one running around, you can always enter and if you win you can donate them to your local libraries, schools, children that you see crying in a store and need a distraction, save for gifts, or take to a family in need. Books are always welcome and passing along the message of loving our planet is just as important as planting trees and recycling. It’s important to bring awareness for there to be change!! I took one of the books I will be reviewing tomorrow to the DMV today and 3 people wrote down the title so they could learn more. It’s all about getting the message out there, and it can start with you!! 🙂

There aren’t many large books that can keep Ella’s attention. She is a on the go kid and moves from one thing to the next like most typical 3 year olds. So I was interested to see how Mama Miti would grab her attention. I read the book before reading it to her so I could get a feel on how it should be read. I like to do voices and get animated and this was 40 pages. I was truly amazed at how this captured her attention and how we both had a history lesson.

Wangari Maathai is an actual person who was the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004. She has accomplished amazing things in her life! She is especially known for introducing the idea of planting trees for peace to Kenyan citizens in 1976 and starting the Green Belt Movement. Since then, more than 30 million trees have been planted in Kenya and in other countries in Africa thanks to her efforts.
Here is a glimpse into the book written by Donna Jo Napoli: In 1940, Wangari was born in in Mount Kenya where she learned to love and respect trees through African folklore. Wangari was wise in Kenyan traditions and carried them with her as she ventured into the city for work. One day, a visitor came to the city and found Wangari to seek her wisdom since she could no longer feed her family. Wangari gave her seedlings and told her to plant them and eat the berries. Soon after, another poor woman came to Wangari and needed her help to find firewood. Wangari gave her some seedlings that would grow to make good firewood. Word passed through Kenya about Wangari and more and more people came to visit her as the years passed by. And soon, Kenya was filled with trees like it once was before. Wangari changed a country seed by seed and brought peace to her people through tradition.

Mama Miti is beautifully illustrated by Kadir Nelson and is a piece of art in itself. As you turn the pages you are totally captured by the fine details of African art. The patterns are vibrant, whimsical yet real, and bring you fully into the story. Even if your child doesn’t want to sit and hear a 40 page book, they will enjoy looking at each page. And they will still get the concept!

Mama Miti teaches the importance of trees and how each variety can be used for survival. You see how Kenyans live and depend on nature and their community to survive. The book shows that Kenyans don’t have the pleasure of driving to the store to buy firewood like we can. These are things we take for granted and this allows your child to see how others live.

Mama Miti also teaches African words which your child can look up in the back of the book. I highly recommend this book for all ages. Children will love the story as adults will appreciate the art and history. You can get this amazing book at Simon & Schuster for $16.99 in a hardback copy.

The Giveaway: Simon & Schuster would like to give 3 lucky winners a copy of Mama Miti

Rules: You have until 11:59 p.m. EST May 12, 2010 to enter. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced after they respond to the winning email. The winner has 48 hours to respond to the winning email, or a new winner will be chosen. You must leave your email address! This contest is open only to the US

2. Become a fan of Mkokopelli on FB, Follow Mkokopelli on Networked Blogs, Follow Mkokopelli on Twitter, or Follow my blog (1 each)
3. Subscribe to my blog by email (on the right sidebar) You must verify and be active at the time of the giveaway- those who are unverified will become disqualified
4. Blog, Tweet or send a message on FB and leave a link here (1 entry per day)
5. Enter another giveaway I have going on and tell me which one or leave a comment on a non-giveaway post (1 entry total)
6. Follow Simon & Schuster on Twitter
7. Become a Fan of Simon & Schuster on Facebook
8. Tell me your favorite page, picture, or passage in the preview of Mama Miti
9. Sign up for the Simon & Schuster Monthly Update
10. Grab my button and post on your blog, Facebook page, or myspace page and link back in a comment


New disclaimer: I was sent this item to review from Simon & Schuster. This in NO way changes my opinions about the products or company. These are my thoughts, opinions and results.

Yes, I love Little Green Books! I was so excited that they came out with 2 new titles this month because Ella really enjoys reading them. They are fun, educational, visually appealing, and have that touch of innocence that every book should have. Plus, the earlier you teach your children about doing simple things to help the planet the likelier they will be to continue the routines.

Earth Day is next week and we are planning on planting our garden this weekend and cleaning up trash at our local park next week. Since Ella is only 3, I’ve had to talk about what the day entails so she will understand why we are cleaning up trash, planting a garden, and creating reused projects. She did understand picking up trash on the beach because of Max the green monster. And now she’s getting the concept of Earth Day thanks to This is Our World.This is Our World is a hardback book that is made with 70% recycled material. Each page contains a piece of a puzzle that your child can put together at the back of the book. There are 2 sides, so 2 puzzles that form a circle! This is Our World talks about planting trees, cleaning up the beaches, reusing materials, planting gardens and more! Basically the 3 R’s. The website says for ages 4-6, but I think any age child will enjoy this book! The puzzles pieces are taped down, so if a younger reader plays with the book, you don’t have to worry about a piece falling out.

You can get This is Our World at Simon & Schuster for $7.99.

The Giveaway: Little Green Books would like to give 4 winners a copy of This is Our World!!

Rules: You have until 11:59 p.m. EST May 10, 2010 to enter. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced after they respond to the winning email. The winner has 48 hours to respond to the winning email, or a new winner will be chosen. You must leave your email address! This contest is open only to the US

2. Become a fan of Mkokopelli on FB, Follow Mkokopelli on Networked Blogs, Follow Mkokopelli on Twitter, or Follow my blog (1 each)
3. Subscribe to my blog by email (on the right sidebar) You must verify and be active at the time of the giveaway- those who are unverified will become disqualified
4. Blog, Tweet or send a message on FB and leave a link here (1 entry per day)
5. Enter another giveaway I have going on and tell me which one or leave a comment on a non-giveaway post (1 entry total)
6. Follow Simon & Schuster on Twitter
7. Become a Fan of Simon & Schuster on Facebook
8. Subscribe to the Little Green Blog RSS Feed
9. Sign up for the Kids Simon & Schuster Monthly Update
10. Grab my button and post on your blog, Facebook page, or myspace page and link back in a comment

New disclaimer: I was sent this item to review from Little Green Books. This in NO way changes my opinions about the products or company. These are my thoughts, opinions and results.

I never allowed Ella to get into Nick Jr. until a couple of months ago. I let her watch the Disney channel, but Toodles started to drive me nuts since we obviously don’t have a mouse head flying around to solve all of our problems. What got Ella hooked on Nick Jr. was the Wonder Pets. Other than Ming-Ming’s lisp, I really like the show as well. I truly hated Ella running around saying, “this is seriweeous” when she could very well say serious. But I like the idea of team work and helping our friends. So it’s something I’ve gotten over. Ella loves the show, so I knew she would love the Little Green Books, Nickelodeon’s The Big Green Help book- Wonder Pets Save the Tree!
When I’ve done reviews for Little Green Books in the past, I’ve always overlooked Nickelodeon’s The Big Green Help books since Ella didn’t know the characters. They have eco-friendly books dedicated to SpongeBob, Dora the Explorer, Blues Clues, Diego, and the Wonder Pets. This is a great idea for children who are into the Nick characters and will allow them to be open to the “green” message. Especially if it’s their favorite character teaching them the lessons! Each book is like the other Little Green Books and are printed on recycled paper with 100% vegetable inks. They are vibrant colors and the illustrations are just as clear as on the show.

Wonder Pets Save the Tree! is based on the 2006 episode that won the Environmental Media Award for Children’s Animated Television. The story is about the Wonder Pets going to save a little tree in a dirty lot. They arrive in a city lot that is filled with lots of trash. They all work together to clean up the lot, but the tree’s leaves start to fall. The Wonder Pets then call in for reinforcements and other animals come to help save the day. By using team work they plant a whole garden and save the tree. Very cute, short, and to the point. It was seriously like watching an episode!

I love at the beginning of the book there are great ideas on how children can help save trees. I remember my mom always telling me not to waste paper, but I never understood why. I like that it has Ming-Ming leaving the message so it really does reach out and touch your child. Ella caught on to the message and has been asking to water the plants every time we are outside. And she uses both sides of her paper while drawing and then asks to recycle it.

You can purchase Save the Trees! for only $4.99 at Simon & Schuster.

The Giveaway: Little Green Books would like to give 4 lucky winners a copy of Save the Trees!

Rules: You have until 11:59 p.m. EST May 10, 2010 to enter. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced after they respond to the winning email. The winner has 48 hours to respond to the winning email, or a new winner will be chosen. You must leave your email address! This contest is open only to the US

2. Become a fan of Mkokopelli on FB, Follow Mkokopelli on Networked Blogs, Follow Mkokopelli on Twitter, or Follow my blog (1 each)
3. Subscribe to my blog by email (on the right sidebar) You must verify and be active at the time of the giveaway- those who are unverified will become disqualified
4. Blog, Tweet or send a message on FB and leave a link here (1 entry per day)
5. Enter another giveaway I have going on and tell me which one or leave a comment on a non-giveaway post (1 entry total)
6. Go to The Big Green Help and take the pledge, tell me a daily green tip, 1 of the 5 elements, or something else that you learned
7. Become a Fan of Simon & Schuster on Facebook
8. Subscribe to the Little Green Blog RSS Feed
9. Tell me what you or your child scored on The Big Green Quiz
10. Grab my button and post on your blog, Facebook page, or myspace page and link back in a comment

New disclaimer: I was sent this item to review from Little Green Books. This in NO way changes my opinions about the products or company. These are my thoughts, opinions and results.