Another Holiday Giveaway: Warm, Snuggly, Zkano Organic Socks

Awhile back I got a wonderful little care package full of the most wonderful socks from the makers of Zkano Organic Socks. They are a small, family owned company situated in Alabama that make their socks from 100% certified organic ring-spun cotton, grown without the use of pesticides, chemicals or toxins. All of their products are made here in the states. They are committed to providing a high quality, durable, comfortable, organic sock for consumers.

How do they feel? Really great! I've been wearing my Zkano socks around for a couple of weeks now, and they are very soft and comfortable. They also wash very well and don't lose their size, shape, or elasticity. I would highly recommend these wonderful socks!

Check out their nice selection of men's and women's socks today. They have a nice variety of crew, mini-crew and sports socks. They offer shades of natural or white.

Gina at Zkano has kindly offered a 7 pair starter pack of Zkano Organic Socks to one of our lucky readers. Just leave me a comment in the comments section below and include your email address so we can contact you if you win. (If you don't want to leave your email address just make sure you check back later this week when I post the winner).

Karla

Skoy Cloth Giveaway

Speaking of eco-friendly gifts...here is one from one of my new favorite eco-friendly companies. Skoy cloths have offered to give two of our readers a free package of their awesome absorbable, bio-degradeable, and natural multi-use cloths.

Skoy cloths are made from a natural cotton and wood based cellulose pulp. When tested they broke down completely within 5 weeks making them an incredibly green-bio-degradable product. Using these cloths to clean up around the house replaces the equivalent of 15 rolls of paper towels. They can be used with your favorite cleaners or with just water. As Skoy points out on their website, with paper towels averaging around $2.00 a roll, they are also much more economical!

These towels will last months and can be washed in the dishwasher or washing machine. You can also zap them in the microwave (make sure they are wet) to prevent bacterial growth.

To win a 4 pack of these for yourself, leave a comment in the comments section by Friday, December 18th and be sure to include your email if you want us to contact you if you win. Otherwise, check back later next week and I will announce the winner. Good Luck!!

By the way, don't you just love the adorable flower design on them - so cute!

Karla

Eco-Friendly Gift Ideas

Well if you are anything like me, you are still scrambling to find a few more great gifts for the special people on your shopping list. So here are some of my picks from the website, The Ultimate Green Store, to check out for the eco-conscious folks in your life...or maybe they aren't eco-conscious, but you are!

Fun gift ideas...


Shainsware Recycled Bracelets ($16)
Shains are recycled accessories that encourage and empower people to make their own statements and change them whenever they want! Shainsware, the company, is dedicated to producing eco-friendly products that are useful and empowering. They donate a percentage of net profits to environmental organizations. Shains products are made of recycled and recyclable parts and everything Shains produces is certified lead free. Shains packaging is also recycled and recyclable.






Fair Trade Sports (prices vary)
Fair Trade Sports, Inc is the first sports equipment company in the US to launch a full line of eco-certified Fair Trade sports balls, ensuring fair wages and healthy working conditions for their adult employees.






Aon Squared Portable Speakers ($14.99)

AON BOX™ Speaker Boxes is what Green Sounds Like!

AON BOX™ speakers come conveniently packaged to travel in a durable polypropylene box that can be easily packed away in a backpack, carry-on bag or suitcase. They are compatible with all iPod®, Mp3 players, multimedia cell phones, portable DVD players and portable gaming devices that use a standard 3.5mm audio frequency jack. Each speaker provides 1 watt of quality sound without the need for batteries.


Good luck and enjoy the rest of your shopping!
- Shannan

Prenatal Massage

Last week I had a wonderful little treat! I was offered a complimentary hour long prenatal massage by a very skilled local masseuse. (See more about her below). With my crazy schedule right now and holiday season preparations in full swing, it was a little slice of heaven!

Shannan recently posted about the many benefits of massage so take a moment and read those if you have a chance. I thought I would take a minute to outline a few more benefits to having massages during pregnancy. We tend to think of massage as a treat or special indulgence and for most of us it is; but there are also so many great health benefits to be realized from a regular massage. Here are a few for us pregnant ladies...

• Carrying a baby inside you changes your center of gravity and puts a lot of stress on your back, neck, abdominal muscles, and shoulders. Pregnancy also relaxes your ligaments, so that your pelvic joints are less stable, and changes your posture, pulling your pelvis forward. Add to that the extra weight you're carrying and you've got yourself an aching lower back. Massage can actually relieve the stress on your joints and promote proper posture.


• A study conducted by Dr. Tiffany Field at the University of Miami School of Medicine showed that massage actually reduces stress hormones in the body. Other studies done in the past 10 years have shown that hormone levels associated with relaxation and stress are significantly altered, leading to mood regulation and improved cardiovascular health, when massage therapy was introduced to women’s prenatal care. Hormones such as norepinephrine and cortisol (“stress hormones”) were reduced and dopamine and serotonin levels (low levels of these hormones are associated with depression) were increased in women who received bi-weekly massages for only five weeks. These changes in hormone levels also led to fewer complications during birth and fewer instances of newborn complications, such as low birth weight. The evidence points strongly to maternal and newborn health benefits when relaxing, therapeutic massage is incorporated into regular prenatal care.


• Massage provides emotional support and a nurturing touch for stressed out mothers-to-be. Studies show that massage therapy performed during pregnancy can reduce anxiety and decrease symptoms of depression.


• Massage promotes relaxation and decreased insomnia.


• Massage can help prepare the muscles used during childbirth.


• Massage can reduce swelling in hands and feet. Edema, or swelling of the joints during pregnancy, is often caused by reduced circulation and increased pressure on the major blood vessels by the heavy uterus. Massage helps to stimulate soft tissues to reduce collection of fluids in swollen joints, which also improves the removal of tissue waste, carried by the body’s lymph system.
  
  

Important Note: Certified prenatal massage therapists are trained to avoid very specific and intentional pressure to these areas during pregnancy. Any woman who has experienced pre-term contractions or consistent Braxton-Hicks contractions should alert her therapist to that fact so that pressure points can be avoided completely.

If you live in Michigan in the Metro Detroit or Ann Arbor area let me recommend a wonderful massage therapist for prenatal or any other massage. Her name is Seva Aston. Seva has 15 years of experience in massage therapy and has studied and practiced in such areas as Swedish massage, Neuromuscular Modalities (pain relief specialization), Hot Stone Massage, Thai Yoga Massage, Thai Herbal Massage, Thai Foot Reflexology, Deep Tissue Massage, Geriatric Massage, and etc.

All that being said, you know when you are getting a good massage by a skilled professional and Seva gave me the best massage I have probably ever had! She has the touch for sure. You can also tell right away that she is very passionate about her practice of massage. Pregnant or not, give her a call and set up your own wonderful massage (indulgent, yet great for your health remember!) or better yet this Christmas give your friends or family the gift of an hour of relaxation and rejuvenation. You can reach Seva at (734) 660-3372.

Karla

And The Winner Is...

The lucky winner of our Bright October giveaway is

Megan Williams!!!!

Megan said that she "loves all of the play food from Haba - my DD is getting a play kitchen for Christmas and I hope to stock it with some of these adorable little goodies." Well, now you can!

Congratulations Megan! Megan will receive a $50 gift certificate to start her Christmas shopping on Bright October this year. Bright October has so many fabulous natural, eco-friendly, and organic toys at very reasonable prices!

Megan please send your contact information and email address to Living A Whole Life's email address hhnnmail@gmail.com. Everyone else, stay tuned for more great giveaways and join me in your Christmas shopping on Bright October!

Karla

$50 Gift Certificate Giveaway for Toys from Bright October

You just never know who you will run into when sitting and waiting for your daughter to finish dance class. Several weeks ago I had the pleasure of conversing with the creator of the website that brings us today's product review and giveaway.


Courtney is the mom to two beautiful girls and created a website, Bright October, that specializes in eco-friendly, naturally made, and creative toys. Several years ago when her first daughter was born, she became disenchanted with the commercialized, character-driven toy world and instead sought for toys that stimulated creative play, imagination, and fun. She also wanted safe and natural toys that taught kids to appreciate the planet. Her website, Bright October, (so named because the "day they brought their daughter home was the brightest day in October" - sweet) is the culmination of her search for the perfect child's toy.
Bright October has a wonderful website neatly arranged in categories such as age, type of toy, brand of toy, and price range to make your shopping easier. Their shipping costs are low, only $3.99 for standard or free if your purchase totals over $75. They have a wonderful 90 day return policy if you are not satisfied with your product. Sign up for their newsletter and your next purchase will receive a very generous 10% off discount.



Just look at some of the adorable toys the kids and I got to preview from her site.




This is an adorable toy for our little baby to be. It's a pram decoration from Haba. It will no doubt be tons of fun for the baby to look at and touch and my other two can't seem to take their hands off it as I keep finding it in their rooms. The figures are made of beech wood and they are connected by a sturdy elastic cord. So cute!



This my friends, in the last three days, has become my 5 year old's favorite doll. She has literally taken it everywhere we have gone including a bike ride. It's the Blabla Coral Doll.

This doll is hand-made, 100% cotton and so soft. The pictures don't do her justice as she is about 22 inches long. I'm pretty sure every little girl needs one of these! Check out all the fabulous Blabla Doll styles here.



This is a really neat toy that I had never seen before for my little guy. It's an Automoblox T9 Pickup. The body of the pick-up is constructed of solid maple and as you can see in the bottom picture, every piece of this this truck comes apart. My son, C., has had tons of fun pulling this thing apart and putting it back together. There are more styles of cars and trucks in the Automoblox line and your little one can mix and match pieces making their own creations. This is number one on my list right now to purchase for my nephew for Christmas! Shhh! Don't tell him.

Just in time to start your Christmas shopping, Courtney has generously offered to give one of our readers a $50 gift certificate to spend on her site. Entry to the giveaway is easy. Here is what you need to do.

• Visit her site Bright October and select a favorite toy.


• Leave a comment in our comments section telling us about that favorite toy and who you would purchase it for this Christmas!

The giveaway will end Wednesday, November 11th at 12 p.m. and the winner will be announced later that evening.

Thanks Courtney!

Karla

Terra Firma Cosmetics Giveaway

I am so excited to be able to bring you another great giveaway! You know how much we like natural skincare around here and thanks to Terra Firma Cosmetics we are able to offer our readers a chance to win a 6 Piece HydraSilk Dream Kit (Retail Value $64.95).

Terra Firma offers mineral cosmetics manufactured with a focus on safe, natural and healthy ingredients. You won't find any petrochemicals, synthetic fragrances, parabens, synthetic pigments or dyes in any of their products and the minerals used are uncoated (no silicones like Dimethicone or Cyclomethicone are used) and kept as close to nature as possible.

In addition, these cosmetics include sun protection (very important) which comes from a fine grade of Tytanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide that is considered non-carcinogenic due to its inability to penetrate the healthy layers of your skin. The mineral make-up is also water resistant.

The 6 piece HydraSilk Dream Kit includes: HydraSilk" Foundation - 50g (vol), "Airbrush" Prime/Set Powder - 30g (vol), "Radiance" Blush - 20g (vol), "Enhance" Bronzer - 20g (vol) and "Eliminate" Concealer - 10g (vol).

Now how do you enter to win this great prize? There are several ways...

1. Visit the Terra Firma Cosmetics site and leave us a comment about a product you like, something interesting you learned or a product you would love to try.

- OR -

2. Leave a comment on why you would like to win this great prize.

- OR -

3. Tweet about this giveaway: "I just entered to win a Terra Firma Cosmetics Dream Kit at http://www.livingawholelife.blogspot.com/. You can too!"
(Then leave us a comment that you tweeted please.)

Entries will be accepted through Thursday, April 9th at 11:59 p.m. EST. The winner will be announced Saturday, April 10th.

Good luck!

Follow us on Twitter! wholemom, karlaheaman, momogirl

LunchBots - stainless steel containers

Packing lunches for my little ones has always been a challenge. On top of figuring out what they will actually eat, I am not a big fan of the waste associated with plastic baggies. And, loading up a lunch bag with several small plastic containers can be inconvenient and perhaps even harmful considering the chemicals that can potentially leach from the plastic.

So, when I came across LunchBots, 100% stainless steel lunch and snack containers, I was anxious to give it a try. The creator of LunchBots came up with the idea because she felt the same way about the plastic containers and baggies that are so harmful to the environment and possible even us.

My first impression upon receiving the LunchBots was that they were really cute! The LunchBot Uno has a single compartment and is designed to hold a sandwich or other main dish. The LunchBot Duo is divided into two compartments and is great for fruits and veggies or other side dishes and snacks. The lids are brightly colored, one orange and one blue, using powder coating on the outside of the lid only. Insides are the stainless steel.

My only concern was whether my five-year-olds would be able to easily open and close them. So before washing and using them, I did my own kid test. No problem, they were able to open them themselves. (This saves the poor preschool teacher a little work.) The next day I proceeded to pack lunches and wait for their reviews. When they got home I asked them how they liked the Lunchbots...they both said they were good, but expressed the need to trade lids because one prefers blue over orange. Good enough for me.

Lunchbots can be purchased separately or in a set of one Uno and one Duo. They do recommend hand washing and are best for solid foods. They are not water tight.

Another thing that I noticed on the LunchBots website is that they have a school fundraiser program. This is great for a couple of reasons: Lunchbots are a lot healthier for all of us than the typical candy bar or cookie dough fundraisers and it promotes environmentally friendly practices for families and children. This is in addition of course to the money raised for your school.

One last note, LunchBots has been kind enough to offer all of our readers free shipping should you choose to order. Just enter coupon code FREESHIP09 at checkout.

You can also follow LunchBots on Twitter @LunchBot, that's how we met!

- Shannan

Eat Healthy, Feel Great

I've made a lot of changes in my life in the last two years of studying naturopathy and I continue to make new changes as I read and understand more. One of the difficulties I encounter is translating what I'm learning to my three-year-old and five-year-old and getting them on board with eating nutritious whole foods instead of all the processed food and sugar they see all around them. I'm not a food Nazi, I do let them enjoy some things I would rather they didn't eat, but I try to teach them as we go that certain foods are good for our bodies and should be eaten often, while other foods taste great, but are actually harmful especially in large quantities. I try to make nutrition a positive thing, that mommy wants them to be very healthy so they can do whatever they want in life and not be hindered by weight, disease, lack of energy, etc. It's a lot for young kids to take in, but they are doing a great job. It seems almost daily they want to know as they eat something "is this good for my body?" It's cute, precious, and encouraging to hear them asking. Of course, it doesn't always stop them from eating the bad stuff, but at least they are asking.

Recently, two friends at different times recommended a great book to use with my kids to help as we talk about nutrition. It's called Eat Healthy, Feel Great by William Sear, M.D., Martha Sears, R.N., and Christie Watts Kelly. I love this book and am looking forward to reading it to the kids over and over. It talks about why we need to eat well and then breaks food down into three groups. There are Green Light foods, green means go and you can go ahead and eat all you want. Then there are Yellow Light foods which are okay to eat sometimes, but they won't keep you feeling great the way green light foods do. Then there are Red Light foods that don't do anything to help your body. Instead, they can hurt your body and make you feel too full to eat your green-light foods. These are foods that contain dye, hydrogenated oils, preservatives, white flour, and sugar.

The book goes on to describe nutrients, vitamins, a few minerals, fiber, and even water. They stress picking a variety of colors when eating fruits and vegetables. The book closes with a smoothie recipe that kids can help make and a cute idea to make a whole grain cereal and dried fruit necklace. It's really a great resource with fun pictures and language that is brought down to the child's level. From now on around our house, we are going to talk about food as red, yellow, or green light and I hope it will be easier for them to understand.

In the front of the book is a great list of tips for parents to follow when teaching kids about nutrition. I'll share a couple here and then I highly recommend getting this book from your local library or purchasing this book and adding it to your own library. Here are a few of their tips:

• Model wise nutritional choices. Refuse to purchase junk food or to bring it home. If it's not there, in moments of craving, you and your children will choose a healthier alternative.


• Shape young tastes. You have a golden opportunity to influence your child's lifelong eating habits, and the earlier you start, the easier it will be. If freshly prepared, unsalted, unsweetened foods are the norm in your household; your child will shun canned, artificial tastes.


• Don't shy away from spending more money on nutritious foods for your family – whole-grain crackers and breads, no-sugar added 100 percent fruit juices, and organically grown produce. Your pocketbook will thank you the long run with lower doctor bills.


• Use creative language when denying your child junk food. The words "not a grow food" or "not a green-light food" are easier for a child to swallow than "no."

I know some may wonder what the fuss is all about. I've heard people say they are just kids and it will be years before they need to watch what they eat. I disagree. If you build a house with substandard materials you end up with all kinds of trouble and trying to fix it when trouble begins. Isn't that what we are doing when we eat, building our bodies and the quality of what we eat influences how our bodies will respond over time. How much more important when we think about children who are doing the most growing and changing. Each new muscle, bone, nerve and brain cell needs the best nutrients for them to be the best they can be.

Happy reading...

Karla

Don't forget to enter our first ever giveaway before midnight on Monday! You will love the glass straws!

Glass Drinking Straws with Purpose and Style

I just returned home from a trip out West and collected my coop items and received these awesome glass straws I had ordered. For awhile now I've been concerned about my kid's straw usage. I've purchased boxes of straws and felt very wrong about that as there is alot of waste. I've also used plastic re-usable straws which makes me feel better about waste, but I'm sure the plastic in these straws has BPA and who knows what else is leaching into our drinks. Then like a gift from above, I received an email from Daedra in my coop who is now making these fantastic glass straws.

My first question to her was of course "how breakable are they?" I have a three-year-old boy and things seem to just fall apart in his little hands. She reassured me that they are made of borosilicate glass tubing which is the strongest commercially available glass. This is the same glass that Pyrex is made from. The straws are also annealed which means they are slowly cooled to make them tougher, less brittle, and (yay) dishwasher safe.

These straws are non-toxic, handmade (in the USA!), and beautiful. Daedra offers cleaning brushes for them and if you order a set of 4 or 6 straws you can get a free brush. Daedra takes the extra time and creativity to make them decorative and in a variety of colors. She offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee and will give you a full refund if you don't love the straw. She also offers a lifetime guarantee against breakage. If you break one of your straws she will replace it. I'm not sure how you could lose by ordering a set of these straws!

The kids and I were very excited to use the new straws and we made some smoothies the next morning. The straws work fantastic and they feel so fancy to use. I ran them through the dishwasher with great success and even accidentally dropped one (I'm worse than my kids). There were no chips, cracks or damage. I love my straws and am thinking about purchasing a few more.

The straws come in two lengths either 6" or 8". They also come available in two widths either regular width 9.5mm or smoothie width 12.7mm. The prices for these straws are as follows:

Regular (9.5mm)

• 8" Plain - $5.97 each; set of 4 $22.69; set of 6 $32.24


• 6" Decorative - $6.97 each; set of 4 $26.49; set of 6 $37.64


• 8" Decorative - $7.97 each; set of 4 $30.29; set of 6 $43.04

Smoothie (12.7mm)

• 8" Plain - $6.97 each; set of 4 $26.49; set of 6 $37.64


• 6" Decorative - $7.97; set of 4 $30.29; set of 6 $43.04


• 8" Decorative - $8.97; set of 4 $34.09; set of 6 $48.44

To order, check out Daedra's Etsy page at http://www.daedra.etsy.com/ or you can contact her at daedra@surowiec.com.

Karla

Food Matters Video

I just received my Food Matters video in the mail this week and could not wait to watch it. I ran across the trailer for this dvd on Facebook of all places and was intrigued. The basic premise of this documentary is that "you are what you eat" which we have all heard a hundred times, but I don't believe it has really sunk in for most people.

So I got the girls to bed and sat down with my husband to watch it last night. I thought it was great and if you believe, like Karla and I do, that nutrition can and does influence your overall health and likelihood of disease, you will love it. The film was made up of several experts in holistic nutrition, raw eating and vitamin supplementation. They all believe that our typical western diet is the cause for many if not all of our major ailments and when I say ailments I mean the biggies like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, etc. We all know this in the back of our minds but they actually showed how cancer can be reversed - impressive.

I went to bed last night inspired and motivated to study hard and learn more about holistic nutrition and to do a better job of eating myself. We really do need to eat our fruits and veggies. They can be life savers!

If you are interested, I believe that you can download the film for $4.95 or purchase it for $29.95 at http://www.foodmatters.tv/index.html. To any of my local friends, I have it if you would like to borrow it!

Klean Kanteen

Now that Christmas is officially over I can write about a product I'm really excited about. I purchased a few for our parents and didn't want to ruin the Christmas surprise! :)

Klean Kanteen's are 18/8 food-grade stainless steel beverage containers that come in 12 oz., 18 oz., 27 oz., and 40 oz. sizes. I received a stainless steel beverage container awhile back and love it. I can refill it with filtered water and carry it with me everywhere. I feel good about not throwing away plastic bottles and I don't worry about harmful chemicals leeching from my drink container. Did you know that 38 billion plastic water bottles are thrown out every year and only 23% are recycled. It makes so much more sense to me to refill a safe container that I can take with me and not have the waste of throwing out bottles.

For all of you fellow frugal minded folks like myself consider this. A bottle of water can cost anywhere from $.20 a bottle (a flat at Costco) to $1.00 (vending machine or at the health club). These bottles cost from $14 to $18 depending on the size and where you purchase. If you previously drank 2-3 bottles of water a day you will have paid for your purchase of one of these bottles in as little as 6-30 days. After that you are saving money by reusing a Klean Kanteen and you aren't adding more waste in a landfill somewhere. It's also really nice not to lug that big flat of water home anymore!! :)

Because your Klean Kanteen is made of food-grade stainless steel you can fill it with any type of beverage as the metal itself is safe and will not leech any harmful chemicals or toxins. Click here to read more about storage container material concerns. Klean Kanteens are easy to clean. They are dishwasher safe or can be washed with a mild soap and bottle brush.

One disappointment I had upon receiving my Klean Kanteen's was to find that they are manufactured in China. My concerns with this include fair trade, possible contamination with lead or other materials, and I'm very pro-American labor and American products. Unfortunately Ethos and Sigg (two of Klean Kanteen's biggest competitors) also manufacture in China so we don't have alot of other options. Klean Kanteen reassures it's customers that they participate in fair trade and maintain a set of prudent checks and balances to ensure that their products are produced safely and sustainably. Representatives of Klean Kanteen visit China several times a year to meet with management and many of the workers at production sites. They also allow major retailers to inspect their factories themselves. In addition, Klean Kanteens are laboratory tested on a regular basis to monitor product content and quality. This is particularly reassuring if you purchase a painted bottle - no lead!

If you are interested in purchasing, check out their website. You can order directly from their site or you can find a retailer in your area. Also check out the cool accessories that go with these bottles. They have tons of different caps to choose from including a sports cap, stainless steel flat cap, they even have a sippy top cap. They have insulators, nylon slings, and a bike cage that fits the Kanteen. They even have a stainless steel Wine Karafe. Cool stuff! Do something for yourself and for the environment. Check out a Klean Kanteen today.

-Karla