Friday, June 24, 2011

Earth Mama Angel Baby Calm and Clean (Giveaway!)

I LOVE Earth Mama Angel Baby® products!  Organic ingredients, zero toxins, completely pure and safe.  We've been using the new Calm and Clean Hand to Toe Wash - the lavender vanilla scent is awesome, love it.  Seriously, what else can I say?  I really trust Earth Mama Angel Baby products and their mission/ philosophy.  Their products are rated zero in the Cosmetics Database - that is pretty impressive.

Want to try a bottle?  Just leave a comment on this post, being sure to include your email address.  For a second entry, sign up for the Earth Mama Angel Baby newsletter here and leave another comment letting me know you did so.  :)  I'll close the giveaway in a week on July 1st and choose one person to receive a bottle of the new Calm and Clean Hand to Toe Wash.  (Please note that the prize can only be mailed to the US or Canada.)

If you are interested in purchasing, you can use the code "HandtoToe20" for 20% off all three of the new soaps.  I am an affiliate with Earth Mama Angel Baby® , so feel free to click through my links here to go shopping.  :)  Thanks for stopping by! *Closed, congrats Laura!*

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Summer

I know, I'm slacking around here!
I've been enjoying summer with these three people:


trips to the beach, a visit from Grandma,
garage sale treasures that entertain my kids for whole days,


freshly picked strawberries, a fun new haircut (thanks, Mom!),
summer reading club and a little girl who cannot stop reading,


what fun things does your summer hold?

Monday, June 6, 2011

And the winner is....

If you read this post you know that for the last several months I've been researching vacuum cleaners.  I considered many different manufacturers and contacted them for more information.  I was searching for a vacuum cleaner that has sealed HEPA filtration, as well as being compliant with RoHS so that it contains fewer toxins.  (See this post for my explanation.)  I've updated my original post with information received from the various manufacturers.

Dyson was the clear winner.  Bissell had a good option, but with so-so reviews.  Aside from going mega expensive with Miele or some other brand, Dyson looked like the best choice.  Most of the reviews that I read raved about Dyson.  Re my email contact with them: "every single piece on a Dyson product is RoHS compliant".  Their seals and filters are highly effective at trapping allergens.  The constant powerful suction, lifetime washable HEPA filter and more make it certified asthma and allergy friendly.  I was very happy with all of the information I was able to read on their website as well as my email contact with the company.

I selected the Dyson DC25 and let it sit on my Amazon wishlist for a few months.  Every now and then I checked prices at various stores and looked for sales.  When a friend told me that Dyson was on sellout.woot.com, and the very model that I wanted, and on Mother's Day, my husband gave in and said I could buy one.  :)  


We've been using the vacuum cleaner for a couple of weeks now and really like it.  The Dyson is very well designed and easy to maneuver.  The girls think it looks like a robot and are considering naming it Wall-E.  Esther is a little too interested in it, and likes to push the button to disengage the canister for emptying.  It doesn't spill out, but I have to be sure its properly hooked on before I start vacuuming.

My favorite feature is the see through canister!  I am completely impressed with all of the junk this vacuum cleaner picks up.  We have mostly hardwood floors, with several area rugs.  My house is not super dirty, but look at all of that hair and yuck!  I think that the Dyson is pulling out the woven in dog hairs and dirt that my other vacuum cleaner couldn't get.  The carpets seem continually fresher and cleaner each time I vacuum.


As you can see, I need to empty the canister after each use, but its really simple to do.  If you were vacuuming a whole house full of carpet, you may need to empty the canister a couple of times.  I haven't tried cleaning the HEPA filters yet (every 3 months).  The grey part inside of the canister is also getting clogged with dirt, so I have to figure out how to reach up in there and clean it.

Another great feature is that there is no smell when I vacuum.  My old vacuum cleaner kicked up so much dust and smelled when I cleaned with it.  I was kind of afraid to vacuum before having people over because the vacuum cleaner would make the house smell dirty.  I do not smell any dust when using the Dyson, just fresh HEPA clean air.  :)

As cheesy as it sounds, I love my Dyson!  Its so much fun to vacuum!

(This is not a sponsored post in any way.  I was in the market for a new vacuum cleaner and just thought I would share my extensive research on the topic with you.  Hope its helpful!)

Friday, June 3, 2011

E-book Sale!



I am a huge fan of Laura's recipes at Heavenly Homemakers.  I have had great success with them and appreciate that there are no junky ingredients.  Which is why I am about to tell you about an AMAZING sale she has going on right now!!  10 ebooks for $20!  This ends Monday June 6th at midnight, and then these will be on sale for $30 for a few more days.  Don't miss out on this one!  (I'm an affiliate, so if enough of you buy these books, I'll be able to buy them too with my commission.  Thanks!)  ;)

Click here to visit Laura Coppinger @ Heavenly Homemakers.