Ecoware Forks Review and Giveaway

 CLOSED

I pack my kids school lunches 4-5 times a week. A cloth napkin serves as a sandwich wrap and something to wipe their hands with. Reusable containers allow me to neatly store their veggies and fruit in their luncbox. I serve their drinks in reusable bottles. More often then not their food is finger friendly, but every now and then I want to serve them some sort of tuna, pasta or fruit salad. That’s when I have to decide if I want to give them plastic utensils or silverware from home. After loosing a lot of my silverware I began a search for eco-frugal utensils. Ecoware agreed to let me review some of their wooden cutlery.


I received a retail pack of 25 biodegradable and certified compostable Ecoware wooden forks. The forks are made from FSC (www.fsc.org - the global standard for sustainably harvested wood products) certified all natural Birchwood and without chemical additives. The forks are produced in China and imported by Ecoware Biodegradables Inc. who provides cutlery wholesale for $39.99 for a 1000pc box (plus shipping) or retail $4.50 a pack.

My review: Right away I noticed how lightweight and thin the forks are. After several uses I also noticed that they are durable and because they are not bulky like some plastic utensils, they travel easily too. I also noticed that the forks have a wide handle. Why is this important to me? 1. It’s easier for my kids to hold, good grip. 2. If I wanted to, and I do and did, instead of trashing these eco-friendly disposable forks after a single use (or more since I hand was mine to use again) I can collect them and then label them and use them as plant label. Prong side down I can easily dig them into the dirt to help me label the plants in my garden.

The forks can also be used on picnics and at camp. I’d love it if my kids’ cafeteria also took to them. According to Amber, Co-Founder, Ecoware Biodegradables Inc., they can also be used at weddings. Look at how elegant they look in the picture above.

Unfortunately, the texture of the fork was a bit course to my children and me. I found that I needed to wet the forks before using them in order to make them smoother to use. Once wet the coarseness was gone and they were great to use. If these forks could be made so that their texture was smoother, maybe coated with an eco-friendly oil, I think they would be a big hit in lunch boxes, at weddings, on picnics, parties, girl scout meetings, at camps and in purses everywhere.

The Giveaway: Want to try Ecoware wooden cutlery for yourself? Wonderful! Ecoware is giving away a 25pc pack of each utensil - fork, spoons and knives to one of my lucky winners. In case you missed it each pack retails for $4.50. They are available online at Green Planet Parties for purchase: http://www.greenplanetparties.com/category_32/2/Tableware.htm

If you would like a chance to win this planet-friendly prize visit Ecoware to see what else they do that’s green and then leave me a comment letting me know how this prize would help you. You can get extra entries for following us through GFC or Subscribing via email. Make sure to let me know in the comments. Deadline: This giveaway will end on Dec 6, 2010. I will choose the winner using Random.org. US entries only. Please make sure your email is on your profile or leave it in your comment. If you win and I cannot contact you then the prize goes to the next person.

Disclosure "I have received these forks free from Ecoware Biodegradables Inc.".

Still Down

I have a chance to get online briefly and wanted to let everyone know that my computer is still not fixed. Time, money and whatever else can get in the way has gotten in the way of getting it fixed. Our van decided to not start a couple of weeks ago and medical bills poured in so we had to take care of those things first. I'm hoping to set up a way I can use my in-laws' computer or just go to work with my husband and use his computer because I have got some awesome giveaways lined up and feel horribly that I haven't been able to get them up for these wonderful companies.

Thanks for the patience! Send some prayers my way that we get the money to fix the computer and I hope to be back really soon!

Joy

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Joy is a stay-at-home-mom to three daughters. She is the wife of a worship leader & youth pastor. She runs her own Etsy shop selling handmade, hand-stamped sterling jewelry. Joy has taken courses in journalism, play writing, poetry, was in Honors English throughout school and has had small publications made of her work (mostly poetry).

Soapnut Review Winner is....

The Winner of the Soapnut Review Giveaway is Kate! Congratulations!

Thank you to everyone who left a comment. Keep an eye out for future eco-friendly product reviews and giveaways. Remember to please make sure it is easy for me to contact you or I wont be able to let you know you are the winner and the next person in line will get the prize. Either have an email on your profile or leave it on the comment.

Zarbee's All Natural Children's Cough Syrup Review

Recently Penelope was sick with a cold, it was terrible, I hate seeing her suffer when she is not feeling well. I knew that a couple of years ago the FDA had determined that it was not safe to give over the counter cough syrups to children under the age of 4, but I thought surely there was something I could give her to relieve her symptoms. I ventured out to the local drugstore and desperately searched the aisles, but alas nothing. A couple of miserable days later I was checking my email and what did I find? It was information on a product called Zarbee's all-natural children's cough syrup. I immediately contacted the company to ask if I could review this product as it was something I desperately needed at the moment. They responded quickly and graciously agreed to send me Zarbee's to review.

From their website:
Zarbee's is the creation of Dr. Zak Zarbock, a pediatrician and father who everyday dealt with parents frustrated at not being able to find a safe and effective solution for their childrens' coughs.
Realizing the need for an effective cough syrup that parents could trust and feel good about, Dr. Zarbock began to research clinical trials. After a few months, he came across a compelling trial comparing buckwheat honey to traditional over-the-counter cough syrups. The results indicated that buckwheat honey was more effective at calming coughs and sore throats in children and young adults.
In 2008, just months after Dr. Zarbock's discovery of the buckwheat honey trials, Zarbee's Cough Syrup was created.

Zarbee's Cough Syrup contains a blend of special dark honeys, vitamins and immune-boosting ingredients. The ingredients in Zarbee's are all-natural, side-effect-free. It comes in two flavors, cherry and lemon and is safe for children 12 months and up. When I received Zarbee's a few days after contacting the company Penelope had already pretty much recovered from her illness. We received the lemon flavored and I immediately gave some to Penelope. Her cold was just about gone but her voice was still a little scratchy and I wanted to see what she thought of the taste and if it eased the soreness in her throat. She loved the taste and commented that it felt good. I am happy to have found this product and that I can alleviate some of her discomfort the next time she becomes ill. Check here to find out where you can purchase Zarbee's all-natural children's cough syrup near you.


***Monica***

Mondays with Monica...

Hey everyone! Have a good weekend? Mine was wonderful it was our last weekend with the grandparents before we fly to Alaska, our new home. I am so excited! We took the little girl to a pumpkin patch and had fun carving our pumpkins. Do you have any fun fall stuff going on? I just wanted to let you know I will be absent next Monday going to be getting settled in the new place.  I will return with my weekly post on November 8th and will hopefully have some great giveaways for all of you as well.

Until then...

*Monica*

Mondays with Monica...and Campbell's

How  was every one's weekend? Are you keeping warm? It is starting to get chilly and you know what's perfect on a cold day, a nice hot bowl of soup. What's the first name brand that comes to mind when you think of soup? For me it is Campbell's, I have been enjoying Campbell's soup for many years. As a child I can remember eating grilled cheese sandwiches with a bowl of Campbell's Condensed Tomato Soup. On days when I wasn't feeling well mom would always make some Campbell's Condensed Chicken Noodle Soup. It always made me feel better when I was suffering from a cold. Campbell's carries a variety of soups that are perfect to warm you up as the weather starts to get cooler but their condensed soups are also great for using in recipes. The Campbell's Kitchen team has created some great new recipes using this seasons produce and their many soups. Dishes like Chicken Fusilli with Spinach & Asiago Cheese. Made with their Cream of Chicken Soup that only takes 30 minutes from start to finish and is perfect for a quick and healthy family meal and sounds delicious.

Or what about  Slow Cooker Mole-Style Pulled Pork , made with their French Onion Style Soup.

Really pork mole!? Wait until my husband Chris hears about this he is a chicken mole fiend but we have never tried it with pork. I will be trying this recipe very shortly.

These are just a couple of the thousands of yummy recipes that are available at campbellskitchen.com and now you can take Campbell's Kitchen with you wherever you go. They have a new downloadable mobile application available for iPhone and soon Droid. You can download this app here. If you are looking for a recipe that your family will love be sure to check out Campbell's Kitchen they have several recipe category's to search from. If for instance you have certain dietary needs or are looking for something budget friendly. Also don't forget to become a fan of Campbell's Kitchen on Facebook and follow them on Twitter to stay updated on new products, recipes and promotions. 

I would love to hear what your favorite Cambell's soup is!

Keep warm, until next time...

***Monica***