Burt's Bees Baby Bee Winner

Congratulations Jennie Yuen (comment 142) your name was drawn as the winner of the Burt's Bees Baby Bee Gift Pack. I will be in touch soon :)

Thanks so much to Burts Bees and everyone who entered this giveaway.

MPG Sport Review Giveaway {and discount code}

MPG Sport has a beautiful line of active-wear to help you meet all of your fitness and fashion goals. This Canadian active apparel company offers the perfect blend of fashionable and functional clothing for the sporty gal or guy. Their quality is outstanding and each piece looks and feels great. Whether you are looking for clothing for dance, yoga, sports, or everyday wear MPG Sport has something for you.

I especially love MPG's hot new Spring 2011 Collection. I tried two pieces from the MPG Sport spring line (lifestyle collection) and they are both fabulous. They look great, are incredibly comfortable, and are perfect for all of the outdoor activities that I enjoy. Keep reading to hear my thoughts and to enter to win your choice of clothing from MPG Sport.

I  tried the completely adorable and flattering MPG Paragon Hoodie and I love it! This Scuba styled hoodie is so comfortable and has a great simple sporty design. I have been wearing it for runs and hikes with the dogs and its lightweight moisture wicking cotton-poly-spandex fabric keeps me warm while wicking away any sweat. It features four way stretch for comfort and cozy cotton lined hood. I have been wearing mine almost everyday and it is a piece I completely recommend.

I also tried the amazingly comfortable and cute MPG Sport Celeste Capri's. These harem styled capri's feature an adjustable drawstring that ties on the side and snug ribbed leg cuffs. They are wonderfully slimming and I love how the fold-able waistband hides any stomach chub. These capris are ideal for yoga, outdoor sports, or just lounging around.

Mondetta Charity Foundation (MCF):  I love when companies give back, so I was thrilled to hear about MPG's Charity Foundation. The founders of Mondetta (the MPG's parent company) were all born in East Africa, and they have not forgotten their roots. They generously give back in huge ways. MFC supports both an orphanage and a school in Africa. Many of the children they help have lost their parents to AIDS or live with the disease themselves. They donate 1% of all MPG sales to the Mondetta Charity Foundation, with this total amount going to help those in need (not admin costs). Learn more about their important work here.

Shop: The great pieces reviewed above, as well as a huge selection of active-wear can be found at MPG. Shop oneline at mpgsport.com or at these retailers across the globe. MPG is offering Natural Mama Readers a 25% Discount at their online store until May 15th, just enter the code cdnnaturalmamalovesmpg at check-out.

The Giveaway: MPG Sport has generously offered to give one lucky reader their choice of ANY piece of active-wear from their new 2011 line (Women's or Men's).

To Enter: Like MPG on facebook and comment below with your facebook name.(this first entry is mandatory and must be completed before addition entries will count)

Additional Entries:

~Follow my blog (two entries, leave two comments)
~Visit MPG Sport and comment below with your favorite item
~Like Natural Mama Reviews on facebook and comment
~Follow MPG Sport on twitter
~Follow me on Twitter and tweet " Win Sports Clothing from MPG - Mondetta http://bit.ly/ifMTAo @mamareviews @MPGtweet #giveaway #win" (daily tweet) leave a link
~Subscribe to my blog on left and comment
~Subscribe to the MPG Blog and comment
~Grab my blog button on the left and comment
~Blog about this giveaway and comment with a link
~Enter another giveaway on my Blog and comment

This Giveaway ends on May 13th at 9 pm. Winner will be chosen using Random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to my e-mail before a new name is drawn. One entry (plus mentioned additional entries) per household. Open to Us and Canada Only.

The opinions expressed in the above review are my honest experiences, and thoughts. I did not receive any money for writing this review.

Winners {Sacred Rose Tea and Emily Press}

Hope everyone is having a lovely Easter weekend

Just popping in with winner announcements:

Congratulations to Amy C (comment 18) and Annie 1 (comment 106) you have each won a box of Matri Tea for Mothers Day from Sacred Rose Tea.

Congratulations to Tara (comment 175) you have won a set of Emily Press personalized fabric wall stickers.

Our Earth Day

I really truly believe that everyday should be Earth Day and I try to live my life accordingly. Still,  I do enjoy a special day to celebrate the beauty and wonder of our planet. I also value the teaching opportunities this day gives me as a parent.

Today my husband has a rare day off, so I have planned a family hike to get out and enjoy nature. Since its almost Easter, I was also planning to have a "trash- hunt" (instead of an egg hunt) on the hike, where my girls can run around finding any rubbish that may be on the trail. I think they will love it, and its a great way to do a small part to make one of our local natural areas more healthy and happy :)
What are you Earth Day Plans?

Earth Day Challenge - No More Plastic Baggies! {Review and Giveaway}



This year for Earth Day I have decided to give myself a challenge ~ completely stop using plastic baggies. Do you want to join me? If so keep reading to learn about a wonderful shop full of beautiful and convenient re-usable sandwich and snack bags. Also enter to win a lovely set of re-usable cloth bags.

Why ditch plastic baggies? I have to admit I will have a hard time with this challenge. Although I have rid my house of almost all plastic- for some reason I still cling to my need for plastic snack and sandwich baggies. I'm not sure exactly why, but using them is somehow ingrained in my mind. Well I guess I couldn't really call it a challenge if it was easy right? I've actually been wanting to completely stop using plastic baggies for a while now. They are really awful for the planet, contain a toxic blend of chemicals, and never biodegrade. They can also be found in oceans across the planet harming sea life and causing pollution. One school aged child usually uses 300 bags a year- that's a lot of plastic pollution. So this earth day I have finally said enough is enough and I'm giving up my bad plastic baggie habit!

In my quest to go baggie-less I have recently discovered The Silver Bobbin - a Canadian Etsy shop with a truly beautiful and earth friendly selection of re-usable sandwich and snack bags.  These eco-friendly litter-less lunch options are a wonderful alternative to the much used plastic baggies. They can be used for years, are easily washable, and are completely BPA FREE/PHTHALATE FREE. I especially love the unique fabric selection, with over 60 fabulous options!

The Silver Bobbin cloth lunch bags are not only some of the prettiest bags around, but they are also very well made, thoughtfully designed,  and super convenient. They are made from cotton and lined with ripstop (wipe-able and water resistant) nylon. They have a fully closable velrco seam, and are machine washable. They are also generously sized, which I love.

I tried the pretty floral set called Poppy Love from The Silver Bobbin and both me and my girls think they are gorgeous. They are truly so easy to use and very well designed. I especially love the full velcro closure, which keeps even the messiest snacks contained. I have been using them for school lunches and toddler snacks on the go, and they work great for both. They are very easy to keep clean too- I just give them a wipe at the end of the day and they are ready for a new snack. Then once a week I toss them in with my laundry and they come out like new. They are definitely helping me to stop using plastic, and hopefully will allow me to succeed in my challenge.

Shop: A wonderful selection of eco-friendly cloth snack and sandwich bags can be bought online at The Silver Bobbin Etsy Shop. They retail for $10 CAD for a set of two bags (so they will pay for themselves in the first few months of not having to buy baggies). The Silver Bobbin also offers custom bags, and will even swap out the nylon liner for a cotton one if you prefer.

Earth Day Sale: Every year The Silver Bobbin celebrates Earth Day by offering a set of 4 snack bags for only $20! Hurry this sale is only on for one day ~ April 22nd.

The Giveaway: The Silver Bobbin has generously offered to give one of my readers a reusable Sandwich/Snack 2 Bag Set (in winners choice of fabric).

To Enter: Please visit The Silver Bobbin and then comment below telling me your favorite pattern.(this first entry is mandatory and must be completed before addition entries will count)

Additional Entries:
~Follow my blog (two entries, leave two comments)
~Comment telling me your Earth Day Plans
~Heart The Silver Bobbin on Etsy and comment
~Like Natural Mama Reviews on facebook and comment
~Follow me on Twitter and tweet " Win Cloth Baggies from The Silver Bobbin http://bit.ly/dUv9E4 @mamareviews #giveaway #win #earthday" (daily tweet) leave a link
~Subscribe to my blog on left and comment
~Grab my blog button on the left and comment
~Blog about this giveaway and comment with a link
~Enter another giveaway on my Blog and comment

This Giveaway ends on May 9th at 9 pm. Winner will be chosen using Random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to my e-mail before a new name is drawn. One entry (plus mentioned additional entries) per household. Open to Us and Canadian residents only.

The opinions expressed in the above review are my honest experiences, and thoughts. I did not receive any money for writing this review.

Klara Coco {Review and Giveaway}

You really can have it all with Klara Coco ~ They offer fabulous bath and body essentials that are Glamorously Natural. This Canadian company makes lovely natural products using the finest organic ingredients and pure essential oils. Their bath and body products are high quality, completely luxurious, and are beautifully made in Alberta.

Klara Coco is committed to making natural and safe products that you can trust to use on yourself and your little ones. Their bath and beauty products are 100% natural and only contain pure and gentle ingredients. Even their preservatives are natural. You can also rest assured that Klara Coco products are free from parabens, synthetic fragrances, petroleum products, and sodium lauryl/sulfates. Klara Coco products are also biodegradable and never tested on animals.

I was sent two fabulous gifts from Klara Coco, one for me and one for my girls. I completely love them both, keep reading to see why and for your chance to win! 

Two of my favorite things are chocolate and relaxing baths, so I am completely loving Klara Coco J'aime le chocolat! Bath Truffles. These rich creamy bath truffles turn your bath into a fizzy, luxurious dream. They smell like french chocolates and are made with essential Oils of Cocoa, Vanilla and Bergamot. The Klara and Coco Bath Truffles feature a blend or pure Cocoa and Shea butters, that not only smell good enough to eat, but also left my skin soft and moisturized. These truffles are beautifully packaged as well and would make an absolutely lovely Mothers Day gift.

I was also sent a lovely bottle of Enfant chéri Organic Liquid Soap for Children. This gentle castile soap is made with organic ingredients carefully chosen to clean your little ones delicate skin without irritation or drying. It has the sweetest smell too - a mellow blend of Mandarin and Lavender Oils. My younger girls have been using our Klara Coco Enfant chéri Organic Liquid Soap as a body wash and it also works wonderfully as a shampoo. Like all Klara Coco products, the packaging of this soap is unique and beautiful. I also love that it doesn't contain any chemicals, additives, or colorants. 

This is cool too: Klara Coco donates 5% of proceeds from the sales of their Amour-propre line to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.

Shop: A huge selection of pure and natural bath and beauty products including; natural soaps, body butters, bath salts, oils, pregnancy/baby products, bath truffles, and lotions can be purchased online directly from Klara Coco. They offer great flat rate shipping, with free shipping on all orders over $100.

The Giveaway: Klara Coco has generously offered to give one of my readers the same fabulous products reviewed above. So one lucky reader will win a jar of wonderful Klara Coco Truffles and a bottle of Enfant Cheri Organic Liquid Soap.

 
To Enter: Please visit Klara Coco and comment below telling me another wonderful product you would like to try. (this first entry is mandatory and must be completed before addition entries will count)

Additional Entries:
~Follow my blog (two entries, leave two comments)
~Like Klara Coco on facebook and comment
~Like Natural Mama Reviews on facebook and comment
~Follow Klara Coco on twitter
~Follow me on Twitter and tweet " Win Organic Bath products from Klara Coco http://bit.ly/hawjzt @mamareviews #giveaway #win #organic" (daily tweet) leave a link
~Sign up for the Klara and Coco Newsletter (bottom of their site)
~Subscribe to my blog on left and comment
~Grab my blog button on the left and comment
~Blog about this giveaway and comment with a link
~Enter another giveaway on my Blog and comment

This Giveaway ends on May 6th at 9 pm. Winner will be chosen using Random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to my e-mail before a new name is drawn. One entry (plus mentioned additional entries) per household. Open to Us and Canada Only.

The opinions expressed in the above review are my honest experiences, and thoughts. I did not receive any money for writing this review.

Whales, Trails, and Polar Bear Tales contest

Attention Canadian Families.....
My friends over at The Nature Conservancy just e-mailed me about this awesome contest and I knew I had to share it. (and enter it!)

The Whales, Trails, and Polar Bear Tales contest will award four families of four across Canada the opportunity to travel for a six nights and five days stay at the Churchill Northern Studies Centre in Manitoba. Families will get the chance to kayak with the beluga whales, explore the Boreal forest, go fossil hunting, take a Tundra Buggy ride.

Bring Back The Wild: Earth rangers, in collaboration with The Nature Conservancy of Canada, launched the Bring Back The Wild campaign in April 2010. Bring Back the Wild is a national Campaign designed to educate children about biodiversity and inspire them to become involved in helping restore habitats for some of Canada`s most at risk animals. Very cool!

To Enter: All you have to do is help your child create a campaign at Earth Rangers (its easy and free).

Sacred Rose Tea for Mothers Day {Review and Giveaway}

If you are looking for a great gift for your mom, wife, or dear friend I think tea makes the perfect Mothers day Gift. As mom, I cherish moments to myself with a great cup of tea. Their is just something relaxing about curling up around a mug of hot herbal tea and enjoying a few moments of peace. An especially beautiful and special gift is quality loose leaf tea from Sacred Rose. Their tea is wonderfully aromatic, organic, and thoughtfully hand blended for its healing properties.

Sacred Rose is a conscious living company that believes in honoring Gaia (Mother Earth) and her sacred plant relations. They blend their teas to be infused with the light vibrations inherent in plants. These specific vibrations are present in Sacred Rose Tea, which has been carefully blended to activate a specific physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual pattern (depending on the blend you choose) for those who drink these healing blends.

Sacred Rose sent me four beautiful gift boxes of loose leaf tea. They are so pretty tied up with satin ribbon and the tea itself is very high quality. Loose Leaf Tea is really a lovely tea to use, and in my opinion it makes more flavorful tea than brewing from bags (which I often do too). It really allows your pot to be infused with aroma and flavor. It is a little more work than bagged tea, but I find the process very calming and enjoyable. Here is a good instructional. I also love that Sacred Rose products are sustainable, organic,  and eco-friendly. Keep reading to learn more and to enter to win a box for a special Mother in your life.

Inner Peace

As a mom I often strive for inner peace, and I love this calming and relaxing tea. It offers a tasty blend of chamomile, sage and passion flower that is inherently calming and soothing (both physically and emotionally). This tea also helps sooth an upset stomach and stress.

Mother Earth Zest

This refreshing tea is perfect for morning, since it encourages motivation, happiness, and grounding. It features a blend of ginger, spearmint, fennel, and sage that tastes wonderful too. This tea is also helps aid in digestion.

Soul of the Rose

This tea features a lovely blend of cloves, alfalfa, rose hips, and pink rose buds. This blends properties are said to transform trauma into peace and joy. It also has a sweet mild flavor that I really enjoy.

Matri
This tea is the ultimate tea of mothers. It features a delicate and thoughtful blend of nettles, red raspberry, rose hips, alfalfa, dandelion, lemon and ginger. These are herbs that have traditionally been given to women who are pregnant, and this Sacred Rose blend is designed to prepare a mother for giving life (birth or other) in a most loving way.

Shop: Sacred Rose Teas and acessories can be purchased online at SacredRose.ca. A 3oz box of organic tea retails for $18 CAD.

The Giveaway: Sacred Rose Tea has offered to give TWO winners a lovely box of Matri - tea of the mother.

To Enter: Please visit Sacred Rose Tea and comment below with a tea that you would love to try. (this first entry is mandatory and must be completed before addition entries will count)

Additional Entries:
~Follow my blog (two entries, leave two comments)
~Tell me your favorite kind of tea
~Like Sacred Rose Tea on facebook and comment
~Like Natural Mama Reviews on facebook and comment
~Follow me on Twitter and tweet " Win A box of Tea from Sacred Rose http://bit.ly/eyj6vZ @mamareviews #giveaway #win #mothersday" (daily tweet) leave a link
~Subscribe to my blog on left and comment
~Grab my blog button on the left and comment
~Blog about this giveaway and comment with a link
~Enter another giveaway on my Blog and comment

This Giveaway ends on April 22nd (in time for Mothers Day Shipping). Winner will be chosen using Random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to my e-mail before a new name is drawn. One entry (plus mentioned additional entries) per household. Open to Us and Canada Only.

The opinions expressed in the above review are my honest experiences, and thoughts. I did not receive any money for writing this review.

Amy's Prize Pack Winner

Congratulations to Soozle (comment 263) you have won a great prize pack from Amy's Kitchen. I hope you enjoy their delicious food! Check your inbox soon.

Thanks to everyone who entered and to Amy's for sponsoring this giveaway.

A belated Friday- This Moment

A Friday ritual inspired by Soule Mama

A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

My new dining room- still looking very chaotic after over a week in the new place. Notice the ugly linoleum and lace curtains, those need to go!

.....More soon- I'm having the hardest time posting and have been spending all of my time working on the yard/cleaning the house/ unpacking. But I do promise to post this weekend with a fabulous giveaway :)

Emily Press Labels- Wall Decals {Review and Giveaway}

We have just bought a house and are busy making it our own. One fun and easy way to personalize a kids room (without too much commitment) are fabric wall decals. Emily Press is a fabulous Canadian source for personalized fabric wall stickers for kids. Emily Press decals are reusable, removable, and really allow you to get creative. I especially love that they are made with fabric (non- vinyl) and that they are free from harmful VOC's and phthalates.

We were sent a whimsical and fun Fabric Wall Sticker Set in Blue Parade Stars and have had a blast decorating my little ones room. They are such a sweet way to personalize a room in moments, and I love that you can order sets with your children's name. This is my two year old's first time having a room of her own, and she felt so proud when she saw her wall decorated with her name.

Emily Press fabric Wall Decals are so easy and fun to use. I loved getting creative and arranging the stickers to suit my tastes. I mistakenly placed the stickers a couple of times and they easily pealed off without marking the wall or damaging the decal. Unlike other Decals I have used, I also really love that Emily Press Wall Stickers are easily re-usable. Although they look adorable above my daughters dresser, I would love to use them on her door once we have had a chance to paint. The Emily Press Decals set comes with 29 themed fabric stickers that can be arranged and rearranged to create just about any scene.

Emily Press is a Canadian owned and operated business that really has something for everyone. Besides the Wall Stickers reviewed above, she makes functional and pretty labels for just about everything. I especially love her beautiful Spice Labels and her amazingly handy Shoe Labels.

Shop: The Fabric Wall Stickers Reviewed above and a stylish and functional array of labels for the whole family can be bought online at EmilyPress.com. The Parade Stars Set retails for 24.95.

The Giveaway: Emily Press has generously offered to give one of my readers a set of personalized Fabric Wall Stickers (winners choice).

To Enter: Please visit Emily Press and comment below telling me another one of her wonderful products you would like to try. (this first entry is mandatory and must be completed before addition entries will count)

Additional Entries:
~Follow my blog (two entries, leave two comments)
~Sign up for the Emily Press Fan Club (lower left) and comment
~Like Emily Press on facebook and comment
~Like Natural Mama Reviews on facebook and comment
~Follow Emily Press on Twitter and comment
~Follow me on Twitter and tweet " Win a personalized Wall Decal Set http://bit.ly/heoz3s @mamareviews @emilypress #giveaway #win" (daily tweet) leave a link
~Subscribe to my blog on left and comment
~Grab my blog button on the left and comment
~Blog about this giveaway and comment with a link
~Enter another giveaway on my Blog and comment

This Giveaway ends on April 25th at 9pm. Winner will be chosen using Random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to my e-mail before a new name is drawn. One entry (plus mentioned additional entries) per household. Open to US and Canadians.

The opinions expressed in the above review are my honest experiences, and thoughts. I did not receive any money for writing this review.

We3 Kimono Top Winner

A huge Congrats to Jess (comment 460) you have won a lovely kimono top from We3. I will be in touch in the morning.

Thanks to We3 for sponsoring this giveaway and to everyone who entered.

Also a quick note about the blog: I will be back early next week with regular reviews and giveaways as soon as I possibly can. Thanks for your patience ladies :)