Wordless Wednesday 5/18

Wow, it's been a while since I've done one of these! Anyway, this is my attempt at having some sort of "garden" this year. Yes, just a little organic herb trio I found at Trader Joes. Isn't it cute? As we've seen in a previous WW post, Buddy likes to dump out pots and pulls off leaves with any attempt I make at gardening out on our patio. But this, THIS is in my kitchen, where I have my eyes on it from anywhere in our home. Now I just have to not kill the darn things!

(Closed) Episencial Summer Essentials Skincare Review, Giveaway and Coupon! Ends 5/31 (Extended!)

Are you ready for the sun this summer? Make sure your family is protected with Episencial's natural summer skincare essentials. Episencial offers a line of safe skincare products, like mineral-based sunscreen, that are safe for babies, kids, and adults too. Free of parabens, phthalates, additives, fragrances, BPA and petroleum, you'll LOVE the entire line of all-natural skincare for your entire family!

First, I'm really excited to share with you Episencial's Sunny Sunscreen SPF 35. Just one month ago I was getting anxious about having to find a safe sunscreen this year. Turns out the one I thought was apparently "safe" last year, was not entirely true. It was still a chemical based sunscreen, loaded with toxins I learned about the summer season was over. Sunny Sunscreen still protects the skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays while using a natural blend of zinc and titanium minerals instead of harsh chemicals. The non-greasy, water-resistant formula is full of nourishing organics ingredients like shea butter, beeswax, green tea and sesame, safflower and avocado oils. It has a milky texture, and blended easily into my skin. Since it's safe enough for babies, that means I'll be using for myself this summer too! One sunscreen for the whole family!

Buddy has very fair skin like me, so I'm a nervous wreck when he's outside in the sun for more than a few minutes. Even with one of those hats that covers his entire head and neck, his arms and legs will are still exposed. While I still would never let him play in direct sun for hours at a time WITH sunscreen on, at least I have a little more peace of mind and Buddy can have some outdoor fun too!

 The Soothing Cream is AWESOME. It really does soothe the skin, and worked well on my super dry hands especially. While the other 2 products did leave a shiny look to the skin (although not greasy), the Soothing Cream blends completely and leaves just hydrated, smooth, soft skin. This multi-purpose moisturizer features an organic blend of calming calendula, oat extract and borage seed and is also great in helping treat rashes, and irritated or itchy skin as well. You'll also find organic green tea, neem oil along with the calendula extract that can naturally boost skin immunity and help heal from eczema. You all know from a prior review that I have some horrible eczema. I haven't used it on my eczema yet, but I fully intend on trying it and hoping for the best!

Guess what!?! Apparently the Soothing Cream great as a safe diaper cream for use with cloth diapers too!

We also tried the Protective Face Balm SPF 6. This also has a milky, lotion texture, and smoothed on without being greasy. It's a great choice for baby's chapped, dry face caused by runny noses and drool ravaged chins. Although Buddy's face isn't too dry this time of year, I know it will be great for winter months and his dry cheeks, especially after bath time. This balm is even safe for lips too! It contains ingredients like organic aloe vera, coco butter, shea butter, organic licorice extract and raspberry butter to soothe, protect, insulate, hydrate and relief chapped skin and lips.

Something for you to check out...

I've been a bit diligent lately in checking my skincare products at the EWG's Skin Deep Cosmetics Database to find their "hazard" score. EWG's Skin Deep is basically an online safety guide for cosmetics and personal care products and can help you determine if a product's ingredients are safe for you. I'm excited that Episencial's Soothing Cream rates at a 1 out of 10, and their Sunny Sunscreen and Protective Face Balm are only a 2 out of 10. So, all 3 products are considered to be of low hazard, which is fantastic compared to most products out there. In fact, Sunny Sunscreen was named one of the top sunscreens for safety and effectiveness!

Be sure to follow Episencial on Facebook and Twitter for news and the latest updates!

*Coupon Alert!* 

For Skin Cancer Awareness Month, get 15% off all Episencial products with the purchase of Episencial Sunny Sunscreen at Dermstore.com! Use coupon code DSSUNNY valid through May 23rd! Dermastore.com is also offering a special Episencial Skin Soothing Set ($26 value) with any Episencial purchase of $30!

Price: Sunny Sunscreen SPF 35 (4oz) - $14.99, Protective Face Balm SPF 6 (.75 oz) - $5.99, Soothing Cream (4oz.) - 10.99.

The Verdict: These 3 products are amazing just like the rest of the Episencial line! I feel so relieved to have found a completely safe sunscreen for my family this summer and I'm excited to continue using all the products whenever we need them. Yay for all-natural skincare that's also made is the USA! Thanks Episencial!

Buy It!
Check Episencial's Store Locator to find a store with Episencial products near you! You can also find Episencial at Dermstore.com (and use the coupon code above!), or at one of my favorite natural online retailers, Ecomom.com.

Win It!
One winner will receive the same products I reviewed! The full-sized Sunny Sunscreen SPF 35 (4oz) and Protective Face Balm SPF 6 (.75 oz), as well as a travel sized Soothing Cream (.75 oz.)!!

Rules:
-Leave 1 comment per entry
-Include your email address in each entry
-For complete giveaway rules and help entering, please click HERE

To Enter:

Mandatory Entry: (must be done first)

-Tell me what Episencial product you would like to try! (1 entry)

Extra Entries:

-Follow The Reynolds Mom on Google Friend Connect (1 entry)

-"Like" me on Facebook (1 entry)

-"Like" Episencial on Facebook (1 entry)

-Follow me on Twitter (1 entry)

-Follow Episencial on Twitter (1 entry)

-Tweet the following up to 2 times/day, at least one hour apart please. Please leave the URL of your tweets in separate entries.

#Win #free @Episencial #Natural Skincare products! #Summer Sunscreen & More! @TheReynoldsMom #Giveaway Ends 5/31 http://tinyurl.com/44ll3e3 (1 entry/tweet)

-Subscribe to my blog by email (3 entries) or RSS feed (1 entry)

-Post my button or post about this giveaway on your blog using at least 4 sentences. Please leave a link to your post (2 entries each)


Thanks for entering and good luck!

Open to US residents only. This giveaway will end on May 29, 2011 Extended! Ends May 31 at 10pm PST. Winner will be chosen by Random.org, emailed, and announced on my blog shortly after giveaway ends. The winner has 48 hours to respond to my email or I reserve the right to declare a new winner.

Disclosure: I received the above mentioned product(s) to facilitate this review. No other compensation was received. This is my completely honest opinion above and may be different from yours.

(Closed) Little Duck Organics Review and Giveaway Ends 5/27

Looking for a healthy snack for your kiddo? Look no further! Little Duck Organics has just what you AND your kiddos want too...

Tiny Fruits...a REAL 100% fruit snack!

Tiny Fruits are freeze dried organic fruit pieces. Each bag contains 4 servings of fruit. So, if Buddy insists on eating more than a handful in one sitting, I have no problem with that!

Little Duck Organics products are:  

All Natural and Unprocessed
Certified Organic

Gluten-free
NON-GMO Project Verified
Kosher Parve
Nutritious & Delicious!

They also contain NO preservatives, additives, or artificial colors. Just 100% REAL fruit for your baby and nothing else! There are 3 varieties...Strawberry Mango, Blueberry Apple, and Apple Banana.

Buddy LOVES Tiny Fruits! As you can see, he enjoys stuffing a whole handful of Strawberry Mango Tiny Fruits into his mouth at once! His favorite combo is the Blueberry Apple (although he loves them all!). He picks out the blueberries first, and then finishes off the apples after. The dried blueberries are crunchy, and aren't tart at all like fresh blueberries can be sometimes.

Dried fruit dissolves in your mouth quickly, so these are great for babies who are needing healthy choices for finger foods. There really isn't an age maximum with these, because parents love them too! I've sneaked a few handfuls myself, and they are great!! They taste fresh right out of the package, and even have a resealable top to keep them from going stale. My favorite is the Strawberry Mango. I must admit that I pick out the strawberries when I need something sweet!! :)

What I really like about Little Duck Organics (besides their Tiny Fruits of course!) is their commitment to the nutrition of children here in our country, and those around the world too. They partner with two organizations, Love Light & Melody and 1% For Humanity, that are fighting to reduce poverty, hunger and malnutrition in children worldwide. Certainly worthy causes and it's great to see a small company still reach out and strive to make a difference.

Price: Around $3.99 a pack. They were on sale recently for 2 for $6 at Whole Foods!

The Verdict: Talk about a winning product right here! The simplicity of dried fruit with the healthful benefits of organic and you get these amazingly delicious Tiny Fruits! Little Duck Organics products are a fantastic choice for our family and I look forward to trying new products they come with in the future!

Buy It!

You can find Little Duck Organics Tiny Fruits packs at Amazon.com, Abe's Market, Diapers.com, Alice.com, and select Whole Foods location (mostly the New England area for now)!

Win It!

One winner will receive a 6-pack of Tiny Fruits!

Rules:

-Leave 1 comment per entry

-Include your email address in each entry
-For complete giveaway rules and help entering, please click HERE

To Enter:

Mandatory Entry: (must be done first)

-Tell me which of the 3 Tiny Fruits varieties you think you would like the most! (1 entry)

Extra Entries:

-Follow The Reynolds Mom on Google Friend Connect (1 entry)

-"Like" me on Facebook (1 entry)

-"Like" Little Duck Organics on Facebook (1 entry)

-Follow me on Twitter (1 entry)

-Follow Little Duck Organics on Twitter (1 entry)

-Tweet the following up to 2 times/day, at least one hour apart please. Please leave the URL of your tweets in separate entries.

#Win 6 #free bags of @LittleDuckOrg Tiny Fruits! #Organic #Natural #baby  #toddler snacks! #Giveaway Ends 5/27 http://tinyurl.com/3h9phm9 (1 entry/tweet)

-Subscribe to my blog by email (3 entries) or RSS feed (1 entry)

-Post my button or post about this giveaway on your blog using at least 4 sentences. Please leave a link to your post (2 entries each)


Thanks for entering and good luck!

Open to US residents only. This giveaway will end on May 27, 2011 at 10pm PST. Winner will be chosen by Random.org, emailed, and announced on my blog shortly after giveaway ends. The winner has 48 hours to respond to my email or I reserve the right to declare a new winner.

Disclosure: I received the above mentioned product(s) to facilitate this review. No other compensation was received. This is my completely honest opinion above and may be different from yours.

Winners!

The winner of the Esscentual Alchemy Botanical Perfumes Sampler is...

#114 Dana!

The winner of the YoBaby Yogurt Prize Pack is...

#21 LindaHnub! 

Congratulations to you both! You have 48 hours to respond to my email and claim your prize.

Have You Seen Heartsy Yet?? $5 Signup Credit!

If you follow me on Facebook and Twitter, you know by now how much I LOVE the new Etsy Daily Deal site called Heartsy! Etsy is the huge community shopping site for handmade sellers to sell their goodies! I've bought quite a few deals from Heartsy already. Some baby deals, purses, banners, soaps, jewelry and more! LOVE it!

Heartsy is offering a $5 signup credit for providing your email! Every morning, you'll receive a short overview of the deals for that day. Sign up today and hang on to your credit until you find the perfect deal you want to spend your credit on!

Here's the one I bought yesterday. It was extended to today so HURRY if you need a great baby gift! Stefanie is super swe tooet! ONLY $5 with your signup credit to get $24 to the Stefanie Kay Design Etsy Shop!

The site is relatively new and started in February this year. Each day, they have 5-6 new deals. Each one is an offer from an Etsy shop to purchase a store credit voucher for 50-60% off the regular value! This is an awesome way to try out a new handmade shop and get a great bargain. 

A Few Facts about Heartsy:

-Some deals are extended to continue the following day, but you won't know until the following day!

-You can use your voucher immediately after purchasing!

-You can also use your voucher towards shipping costs!

-The Etsy shop seller sets the amount of vouchers they are willing to offer, which means many deals sell out within minutes or hours of opening, or will last all day.

-They offer a referral program! Everyone you refer gets a $5 credit, and YOU get a $5 credit each time someone you refer makes their first purchase!  

-You can view tomorrow's deals from a link on Heartsy, and even purchase them a day early if you want to become a VIP for $7.99/month. Some deals offer VIP's special perks, and even more voucher credit (which will pay for your monthly membership!)

(Closed) Mrs. Renfro's Salsa Review and Giveaway Ends 5/25

Founded in 1940, Mrs. Renfro's family-owned business has built a reputation for providing it's customers with high quality, all-natural gourmet salsas and condiments.

In 2010, Mrs. Renfro's introduced it's 30th product...the award-winning Ghost Pepper salsa that took the third place 2010 Scovie Award for the Best Hot Salsa in the processed salsa category! Their Habanero salsa was also named among the "125 Best Packaged Foods for Women" by Women's Health magazine in 2010. Yes, they are that good!

I had the opportunity to choose and review 4 varieties of Mrs. Renfro's salsas. I chose the Peach Salsa (Mild), Pineapple Salsa (Medium), Medium Salsa, and Smoky Roasted Salsa (Medium).

The smoky flavor of the Smoky Roasted Salsa was great. It almost simulated a hot salsa because of the smoky flavor, but I could actually eat it!! :) I enjoy salsa with chips, or in a taco (like I did above!), but I'm a definitely a bit of a whimp when it comes to hot or even most medium salsas. My tastebuds can't handle the heat! So, I love the variety of mild and fruit salsas Mrs. Renfro's has to offer. I could really taste the peaches and pineapple in the fruit salsa too. Salsa is great for cooking but I especially love the fruit salsas for cooking with chicken and other meats or recipes! In fact, check out the recipes on Mrs. Renfro's website!

Salsa Varieties: Ghost Pepper, Pineapple, Pomegranate, Tequila, Peach, Garlic, Roasted, Mango Habanero, Raspberry Chipotle, Chipotle Corn, Black Bean, Habanero, Green, Mild, Medium, Mexican Hot Sauce, Mexican Mild Sauce

Relishes: Corn, Hot Chow Chow, Mild Chow Chow, Hot Tomato, Mild Tomato
Other Condiments: Green Tomato Pickles, Nacho Cheese Sauce, BBQ Sauce, Cane Syrup, Country Syrup, Jalapeno Peppers

Quick Fun fact:
Mrs. Renfro's salsa ranks as one of the nation's top five best selling salsas distributed by specialty food distributors!

Price: Each 16 oz. jar of salsa is $3.25.

The Verdict: These salsas are tasty! Of course I love the all-natural, real ingredients and that they're free of preservatives too. They are great for cooking, or enjoying as a topping or for dipping. Since they seem to be constantly developing new varieties, I'd love to see a few organic salsas in the future!

Buy It!

Order online at RenfroFoods.com or contact for store locations. Mrs. Renfro's products are available at supermarkets, gourmet and gift shops and fruit and vegetable stands in all 50 states, Canada, the Caribbean and England.

Win It!

One winner will receive 4 varieties of Mrs. Renfro's salsa!

Rules:
-Leave 1 comment per entry
-Include your email address in each entry
-For complete giveaway rules and help entering, please click HERE

To Enter:

Mandatory Entry: (must be done first)

-Tell me what salsa variety or other condiment from Mrs. Renfros you would most like to try! (1 entry)

Extra Entries:

-Follow The Reynolds Mom on Google Friend Connect (1 entry)

-"Like" me on Facebook (1 entry)

-"Like" Mrs. Renfro's on Facebook (1 entry)

-Follow me on Twitter (1 entry)

-Follow Mrs. Renfro's on Twitter (1 entry)

-Tweet the following up to 2 times/day, at least one hour apart please. Please leave the URL of your tweets in separate entries.

#Win 4 #free @MrsRenfros Gourmet Salsas @TheReynoldsMom! #Giveaway #Natural Ends 5/25 http://tinyurl.com/3j6ay3s (1 entry/tweet)

-Subscribe to my blog by email (3 entries) or RSS feed (1 entry)

-Post my button or post about this giveaway on your blog using at least 4 sentences. Please leave a link to your post (2 entries each)


Thanks for entering and good luck!

Open to US residents only. This giveaway will end on May 25, 2011 at 10pm PST. Winner will be chosen by Random.org, emailed, and announced on my blog shortly after giveaway ends. The winner has 48 hours to respond to my email or I reserve the right to declare a new winner.

Disclosure: I received the above mentioned product(s) to facilitate this review. No other compensation was received. This is my completely honest opinion above and may be different from yours.

Garlic Gold Review and Coupon Code!

I LOVE garlic, and I LOVE olive oil. Add the fact that they're 100% Organic and all together in one delicious combination and I'm sold! Garlic Gold has created a whole line of USDA Certified Organic gourmet garlic condiments that should be in every kitchen. I think I'm getting addicted and you will too!

Garlic Gold's products are all manufactured by hand in Ventura, Ca, using certified organic ingredients sourced from around the world. Hand-crafted in small batches, and for just pennies a serving, you can enjoy a uniquely tasty experience for yourself. 

Garlic Gold makes their signature Garlic Gold which is a blend of their crunchy Nuggets mixed with organic extra-virgin olive oil. They also make Garlic Gold Oil, 4 varieties Garlic Gold Nuggets (toasted garlic), and 3 varieties of Garlic Gold Vinaigrettes too. I had the opportunity to review their Oil, and also sample the plain and Italian Herb Nuggets.

Garlic Gold Oil is an AMAZING creation. As stated on the ingredients portion of the label, it's a relatively simple teaming of pure organic extra virgin olive oil infused with the full rich flavor of pure organic garlic. Talk about natural!! Yay! The flavor is not overpowering but it's definitely more than just a hint. You taste more of the garlic than the olive oil and it's just wonderful! The garlic flavor also tastes very fresh.

Dipping bread in oil and vinegar is always a favorite in my house. With Garlic Gold Oil however, no vinegar is needed. The flavor is unique, and completely satisfying on its own! Seriously, this is amazing, and every cook will LOVE this oil and the extra flavor it will add to your favorite dishes. I'm really looking forward to cooking with the oil this week. I use regular extra virgin olive oil on my oven chicken, but this week, I'll be testing out this garlic olive oil! Can't wait! It's also great for sauteed seafood or vegetables, roast potatoes, beets, in marinades or sauces and so much more.
 
The plain Garlic Gold Nuggets are also a simple kitchen treasure. They are hand-chopped organic garlic that has been toasted in organic extra virgin olive oil. That's it! But they're OH SO tasty! They're really tiny, super crunchy pieces, and are great as a topping for salads, pizzas, sushi, baked & mashed potatoes, and pasta.

The Garlic Gold Italian Herb Nuggets are a blend of the plain nuggets and organic Italian seasonings. I really like this blend! I actually enjoyed dipping my french bread into the oil, then a quick dab into the Italian Herb Nuggets for sampling! It tasted like an Italian herb garlic bread, dipped in olive oil with a little crunch. Just delicious once again and I'm really excited to try the Italian Stuffed Mushrooms!

*Coupon Alert!* 

Garlic Gold has generously offered my readers 20% off ALL items including bulk sizes and cases (usually excluded!) using code ReynoldsMom20 at checkout! Code valid through June 10th!

Price: An 8.44 fl. oz bottle of Garlic Gold Oil is just $9.95. The Nuggets are $5.95 each.

The Verdict: I love the versatility of the Garlic Gold Oil and the unique aspects of the oil and Nuggets. The ingredients are natural, 100% Organic, certainly gourmet, and you can't beat the multiple, endless ways you can use each product. Not to mention the garlic flavor of the oil that has me completely addicted! You will definitely want to order a few extra Garlic Gold Oils for gifts!

Buy It: Check out GarlicGold.com for the entire Garlic Gold line of products or find them in one of 4,000 stores across the country. Also, enjoy free shipping on orders of $45 or more too!

Disclosure: I received the above mentioned product(s) to facilitate this review. No other compensation was received. This is my completely honest opinion above and may be different from yours. This post does contain affiliate links.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com created by WebBizIdeas.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.