Zevia All Natural Soda Review and Giveaway

CLOSED

Congratulations! Winner  #14 BethElderton

Stevia is a sweetener from nature that has been used by people for hundreds of years to sweeten foods and beverages. Stevia is the only all-natural, zero-calorie,  alternative to sugar and artificial sweeteners and Zevia All Natural Soda uses stevia as it's sole sweetener to produce delicious and yummier for you soda pop. You can read more about the history and science of stevia here.

With only the purest ingredients, ZEVIA contains none of the chemically processed artificial sugar substitutes, artificial colors, flavors or preservatives found in other diet sodas. ZEVIA is 100% natural, has zero calories, zero net carbs, zero fat, and little or no sodium (depending on flavor).

Zevia comes in a variety of flavors including:

Cola
Ginger Root Beer
Dr. Zevia
Twist
Ginger Ale
Black Cherry
Orange
Grape
Cream Soda
Caffeine Free Cola
Mountain Zevia
Grapefruit Citrus

I was given the opportunity to try three flavors of Zevia; Caffeine Free Cola, Orange and Grape. The one thing I notices immediately when drinking these sodas was that they did not have that strange aftertaste that many artificial sweeteners do. They were yummy with the just the right amount of sweetness. While I am not a big soda consumer I did really enjoy the Caffeine Free Cola flavor and it is one I would drink again and again. The fact that it does not contain harmful ingredients and is calorie free is a big bonus. I shared my cans of Zevia with my husband who regularly drinks soda and he was very impressed. So much so that he asked me to track down where we could buy it for ourselves. We live in a small town in Alaska and the closest place to purchase this is about a 4 hour drive away in Anchorage. My husband said the next time we make it up there we are going to stock up on the stuff. Yep, it's that good.

Check out Zevia's store locator to find out where you can purchase this yummy beverage near you. You can also purchase Zevia through Amazon. You can follow Zevia via Facebook and Twitter for current promotions and news.

How would you like to win a 6 pack of Zevia All Natural Soda in your choice of flavor?

To Enter: Please tell me what flavor of Zevia you would like to try. You can also get extra entries for following GGG through GFC, Subscribing via email, liking us on Facebook and following via Twitter.

This giveaway will end on June 20, 2011. I will choose the winner using Random.org. Please leave a valid email address if it is not visible in your profile. US entries only.

***Monica***

The featured product{s} in this post were provided to me free of charge by the manufacturer or pr company representing the company. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by anyone.

SPF15 Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion Review and Giveaway

www.skinmdnatural.com

*Giveaway Closed* 

Winner is entry #3 

Congratulations Amanda

I love reviewing lotions, especially eco-friendly made lotions made for sensitive skin. As a green blogger with sensitive skin I know what I like or don't like in a lotion. So, when the opportunity to try Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion, SPF 15 came my way I took it.

My review: I reviewed, a 4 oz bottle of SPF15 Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion. 4 ounces of lotion doesn't sound like a lot of lotion to sample, but a little bit of this lotion goes a long way. I also found the size and shape of the bottle to be the perfect size to store and find in my purse.

Greasy? When I sit down to type up a review I often have the product I'm reviewing near me to taste, touch, see, listen or feel again. It helps reminds me (my notes do too) why or why I didn't like a product. One thing I often notice about lotions is their greasiness. If they are greasy the greasiness often smears onto the keyboard buttons and my fingers slip a little or they feel so greasy I have to rub the lotion off onto a napkin to make it comfortable to type again. I didn't have this problem with Skin MD.

Skin MD has a thin (not too thin) layer of moisturizing lotion that absorbs into my skin right away leaving behind a lustrous look and smooth feel on my skin. I had no skin irritation from it and the soft scent is very pleasing. I also had no need for reapplications during the day.

How affective is the SPF 15 in preventing sunburns? To be honest, with temperatures soaring in the 3 digits here... I stay indoors as much as possible. So, I have no idea if the sun protection works or not.

However, I am impressed that the facility where the lotion is made is 100% solar powered. "Our lotions are made to be free of parabens, petrochemicals, dyes, and other irritating ingredients. They are also vegan, cruelty free, and ego-friendly. We don't participate in animal testing or use any animal products in our lotions and Skin MD Natural is formulated in the United States in a facility that uses 100% solar power" (http://www.skinmdnatural.com/).

I could do without the small print at the back of the bottle. It was difficult for me to read "other ingredients". It is important to me to be able to read the ingredients so I know what I'm actually putting on my skin. What I do like is Skin MD's break down of ingredients on their website here. Still, I'd like Skin MD to make the font larger or clearer to print on the bottle.

What kind of score does Skin Deep give this lotion? According to the EWG's Skin Deeps Cosmetic Database this lotion scored a 5 (a moderate score) in the ratings in November 1999. This was the most updated rating I could find and may or may no longer be accurate.

The Giveaway: Open to U.S. and Canada. One lucky winner will get 4 oz. full-sized bottle of Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion. *Deadline: June 30th, 2011.

Mandatory Entry: Visit Skin MD. Then leave a comment below, tell me what you learned about natural skin care.

Additional Entries: (leave one comment for each additional entry you complete)
-If you follow GGG on Google Friend Connect (right sidebar)
-Put the GGG button your blog (please leave link)
-If you follow GGG on Twitter
-If you follow GGG on Facebook
-Sign up for Skin MD Natural Skin Care news letter http://www.skinmdnatural.com/newsletters/newsletter.php
-Follow Skin MD on Twitter   http://twitter.com/skinmdnatural
-Follow Skin MD on Facebook   http://www.facebook.com/skinmdnatural
-Sign up for Skin MD Natural Skin Care news letter http://www.skinmdnatural.com/newsletters/newsletter.php

Winner will be chosen using Random.org. Please leave a valid email address if it is not visible in your profile. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning email before a new winner is selected.

Disclaimer: Skin MD provided me with a free sample of this product to review. I was under no obligation to review it if I chose.  Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

Color It By Numbers - A Giveaway - CLOSED

Congratulations to our winner:

Gianna said...You can choose from 5 languages.


Children love to color, right?

Children love technology, right? (and they are too good at it!)

Why not combine the two?

Color It By Numbers offers families a way to allow children to color pictures online using a traditional "color by number" format that isn't found too often today.


By following the patterns, children are taught and encouraged as they review both their color knowledge as well as their number and pattern recognition.

And you aren't stuck with the same old picture every time. Since Color It By Numbers makes it easy to change the preset colors, your child can decide what color the objects in the picture are going to be and make a different picture every time!


With varying levels of interest and difficulty, this site will be interesting to children of many ages. The pictures are divided into three separate coloring books: one for princesses, one for animals, and one for vehicles. What fun and a little something for everyone!

What about its compatibility with your machine? With so many different possibilities of computers that will be running these coloring books, this could be a potential nightmare, right? Well, Color It By Numbers has a cross-platform (Windows, Mac, Linux) set up that works will all variations of screen resolution. In other words, I don't think you can go wrong!


This site is fun and a great tool for keeping them on their feet during the summer or just a great rainy-day activity that results in works of art (without all of the mess).

The Review:
This was a difficult review for our family. Our daughter is too young to recognize the number/color concept and we don't let her on the computer (she's not 2 yet, people). Our son is allowed to play on the computer for limited time, but at 5 and brilliant, is past recognizing colors and numbers and putting those ideas together. However, there are other levels that he skipped right onto and still enjoyed the program immensely.

He liked being able to create his own masterpieces by changing the preset colors and therefore, coloring things whatever color he wanted. He liked seeing how the pictures came together in the end and still had fun. And honestly...as long as he was having fun, I could not complain!


It's no substitute for hands-on coloring, but a great alternative just to mix things up a bit!

The Giveaway:
Color It By Numbers is offering one of my readers the chance to win access to all three "coloring books" on their site so your little one can color princesses, animals, and vehicles!

Mandatory Entry:
Visit Color It By Numbers and tell me something you learned.

Additional Entries (leave one comment per entry):

• Follow Color It By Numbers on Facebook and leave a comment that you did.
• Follow Color It By Numbers on Twitter and let me know you did.
• Follow us via Google Friend Connect (right sidebar).
• Enter the concurrent giveaway I am also featuring of this at Mrs Nespy's World (another chance to win!) and leave me a comment that you did.
• Follow Girly Girl Giveaways on Twitter.

Giveaway Rules: Giveaway will run until June 13th at 11:59 pm EST. Winner will be chosen by Random.org. US only. Commenter must either leave email address with each comment or make sure email address is attached to your profile. Winner will be contacted via email and will have 48 hours to return contact before another winner is chosen.

I was provided with access codes to allow us to review this product for free. My opinions are purely my own.

Fake Bake Bamboo Buffing Polish Giveaway

CLOSED

Congratulations! Winner  #33 Amy

 

The official start of summer is just around the corner, time to to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather. And of course everyone wants to have that summer glow when they start revealing  more skin after being covered up all winter. We all know how harmful UV rays from the sun are becoming and the same harmful effects can be caused by tanning beds. So how does one get that bronze color without potentially damaging their skin? Fake Bake is a line of beauty products that help you get a natural looking tan without the sun. They also have several products to help enhance the look of your tan. These products contain botanically extracted ingredients and no preservatives! Fake Bake products have been featured in magazines all over the world  and their self-tanners have received top ratings. Check out all the FakeBake products online, including their Bronzy Babe line and line of products for men.

One of the ways to achieve that perfect tan is by exfoliating the skin first. This helps to remove dead skin cells and promote even and natural looking results. Fake Bake would like to offer one Girly Girl reader the chance to win their Bamboo Buffing Polish.

"gentle enough to use on your face every night but effective enough to use just once or twice a week. 
The Bamboo Powder gives your skin renewing benefits while removing impurities, leaving skin smooth and polished. Ginger Root tones, Chamomile Extract calms and soothes and premium levels of Botanicals hydrate the skin."

Fake Bake recommends this product prior to using their Face Self -Tan Lotion for that perfect sun kissed look.

To find out more about this and other Fake Bake products be sure to like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

To Enter: Leave me a comment telling me what your favorite summer activity is. You can also get extra entries for following GGG through GFC, Subscribing via email, liking us on Facebook and following via Twitter.

This giveaway will end on June 19, 2011. I will choose the winner using Random.org. Please leave a valid email address if it is  not visible in your profile. US entries only.

***Monica***

I did not receive any form of compensation for writing this post. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by anyone.

Kembrel Giveaway

CLOSED

Congratulations! Winner  #2 Roxy

Are you a college student that loves to shop but low on funds? I know when I moved away from home and started going to college right out of high school I was broke. Kembrel is a shopping site geared toward college students. They offer the hottest brands in fashion, gadgets, dorm essentials, and more at discount prices. The site features limited time sales with 40 to 70% discounts off retail prices. Just the right thing for a students bank account. Kembrel is a great way to discover new brands and products while saving big. The current sales they are running include some cute dresses  from hype, books perfect for Father's Day, and Vespa bags. These sales change daily and some past sales have included bargains from brands like Starbucks, Barnes & Noble, and 191 Unlimited. If you are a student that loves the latest styles and trends but don't have the cash to pay high retail prices Kembrel is a great site to score some awesome deals.

Kembrel is the creation of Cherif Habib, Stephan Jacob, and Aymeric de Hemptinne, three MBA students at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. The three founders began Kembrel because of their desire to provide real savings and convenience for fellow college students while giving them access to boutique brands.

Be sure to like Krembrel on Facebook!

Want to win $15 to use towards a purchase through Kembrel?

To Enter: Leave me a comment letting me know you would like to win. That's it! You can also get extra entries for following GGG through GFC, Subscribing via email, liking us on Facebook and following via Twitter.

This giveaway will end on June 15, 2011. I will choose a winner using Random.org. Please leave a valid email address if it is not visible in your profile. US entries only.

***Monica***

I did not receive any form of compensation for writing this post. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by anyone.

Natural Deodorant Review and Giveaway

*Giveaway Closed* 

Winner is entry #8 

Congratulations rubynreba

I need a deodorant that will not irritate my skin, but also masks my odor well. There are only about handful of deodorants that I do both. After about month of reviewing Tropical Traditions roll on natural deodorants I’ve put it on my list of good deodorants.

I typically don’t like roll-on deodorants. They tend to leave my armpits feeling gooey/sticky. A deodorant has to feel good too, not just mask odors. Tropical Traditions did both; instead of leaving behind a sticky texture this natural roll on deodorant left behind a smooth thin layer of scented oil on my armpit.

I received 3 roll on natural deodorants from Tropical Traditions: Classic, Frankincense, Lavender. The scent of each one is soft, subtle and calming, not at all overpowering. All ingredients in each deodorant, about 8-10, are easy to read, understand and completely natural. My favorite deodorant to use has been the lavender scented deodorant. That isn’t to say the others don’t work well or smell great too.

What about the price? Natural deodorants tend to be expensive and from my limited experience don’t seem to do the job as well as I would like. Tropical Traditions deodorant is pricey, but it does do the job and does it well. If I ever had to reapply it was at most once a day and usually on days when didn’t get to sit down all day. A few times with one of my thin blouses I noticed the deodorant would leave a slight wet stain as if sweat in the armpit of the sleeve. The trick to that was to put on the deodorant a few minutes before putting on the blouse to let the deodorant dry a bit. Then carefully put on the blouse.

Be careful not to let the deodorant tip over either. If not shut tightly, it will spill. Trust me, you don't want to waste any of this. 

Note: Healthy Buyer members can buy in bulk and save some money on deodorant and other items.

The Giveaway: Open to U.S. & Canada. One lucky winner will receive their choice of Tropical Traditions roll on natural deodorants. *Deadline: June 15th, 2011. 

Mandatory Entry: 

Visit Tropical Traditions. Then leave a comment below with your preferred deodorant scent. Is there a scent that you would like to see added?  

Additional Entries: (leave one comment for each additional entry you complete)

-If you follow GGG on Google Friend Connect (right sidebar)

-Put the GGG button your blog (please leave link)

-If you follow GGG on Twitter

-If you follow GGG on Facebook

-Follow Tropical Traditions on Twitter @troptraditions

- Subscribe to Tropical Traditions email Sales Newsletter here: http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/subscribe_for_special_sales.cfm

Winner will be chosen using Random.org. Please leave a valid email address if it is not visible in your profile. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning email before a new winner is selected.

Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review. I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose.  Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.