Thursday, December 20, 2012

Stash Tea- Review

Here's a huge problem I have with purchasing tea: Nobody makes basic herbal teas that don't contain all sorts of wacky ingredients in them. I like trying new things don't get me wrong but I sometimes want to drink something that simply tastes nice and doesn't put me to sleep or charge me up. Stash makes such a fantastic line of teas that they are by far my new go-to tea brand.

I usually keep a few tea on hand for medicinal purposes and then I have others that I just like the flavor of that are nice to sip on throughout the day. Stash has flavors that fit the bill for both of these categories. You can get a simple Lemon Ginger tea from Stash that will help you with indigestion and Peppermint will do the same. If you're looking for a great daytime or entertaining tea you can turn to Pomegranate Raspberry, Moroccan Mint or Fusion Green and White Tea blend.



Don't forget about holiday flavors that are great really for the entire winter season. Holiday Chai, Christmas Morning Black Tea and Decaf Pumpkin Spice are all great for any morning, afternoon or evening and are definate crowd pleasers.

Prices on Stash tea is really affordable considering some of the high end teas can be close to ten dollars per box. The entire holiday collection on Stash's website is $19.95 and a single box of tea runs around $2.50 for ten bags. What I also love about Stash is that if you have a favorite flavor you drink frequently you can purchase that flavor in large quantities for a discounted price.

For more information you can visit www.stashtea.com.

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Grandy Oats- Review

Another great granola brand to add to my shopping list! We go through granola like crazy. We eat it plain, we eat it with milk as a cereal, on top of oatmeal, with fresh fruit, you name it. Grandy Oats are certified Organic and are handmade in small batches to ensure every batch is high quality and ever so delicious!

Grandy Oats believes that whole grains and high quality ingredients speak for themselves when it comes to their products. Their granola is minimally processed and all ingredients are natural.



There are some great flavors available from Grandy Oats. There's classic, cranberry, maple, apple, cashew raisin and much more. There are also oatmeals and nuts available on their website. These products are great staples to have on your home. Grandy Oats makes healthy, energizing foods that taste awesome and they just happen to be good for you!

For more information or to order some products of your own to try out you can visit www.grandyoats.com.

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Bambee OS Bamboo Fitted Cloth Diaper - Review

Green Team Enterprises Distribution is the exclusive USA distributor of Little Comfort products and the Little Comfort Bambee One Size Diaper is a great new product that is a wonderful addition to your cloth diaper stash.

Two sizes are available when it comes to this Little Comfort product. You can choose from size one nappy or size two nappy. Size one is adequate for up to 20 pounds or so depending on the size and stature of the baby. Size two picks up at 20 pounds and should fit until it's time to potty train.

Size one allows for you to fold down the tummy section and snap it down so it's not oversized and riding up the child's stomach area. You can release this section when the times comes and this will prevent you from having to purchase a new cloth diaper as your child grows. If your baby does happen to grow out of size two before it's time to switch to underpants you can purchase diaper extenders from Little Comfort and this will lengthen the amount of time you have to use your cloth diaper.



The size one diaper doesn't have a snap in section for the liner while the size two does. The type of liner you choose is up to you.

For more information you can visit www.greenteamdistribution.com. Little Comfort diapers are also sold at a number of cloth diaper retailers online.

JonMerritt - Etsy Review

Something I was fortunate enough to do during the second half of this past year was to organize my own space in my own home in order for me to practice yoga without having to work classes into my already pretty busy schedule. I of course scoured the internet (And Pinterest of course!) to get some ideas and I knew that I wanted something very simple that would inspire me and reflect my beliefs and what motivates me during my yoga practice and everyday life. I came across JonMerritt's Etsy shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/JonMerritt and was very intrigued by his handmade signs that show different Sanskrit mantras.

Upon receiving a mixed media Om symbol I was in love! Jon's products are quite unique but the style really fits the look of what you would want your yoga space to be or your place of meditation.

This specific piece of art was created with

Acrylic Paint
Acrylic sealer
Banana Taupe paper
Lokta brown paper
Banana Mash paper
Light papyrus



There are different styles available and really a mantra or look for anyone who is shopping around for something to inspire and reflect. This specific piece retails for $45.

WordandVerse, ACraftyChick & ATouchOfChic- Etsy Reviews

Those vintage style signs are all the rage right now. I'm talking about the ones that have quotes on them, family rules or store-type signs. What would be even cooler to have in your own home is a personalized sign that shows your family name along with a year. It could be the year you built your home or the year you and your spouse got married. Either way, it's a great conversation starter that you can feature in your own home. ACraftyChick is an Etsy shop that allows you to order a creation of your very own for a reasonable price. Generic signs at say, Target or Marshalls can cost upwards of $50. Personalized signs from ACraftyChick go for less than that.



A number of sign styles are available for you to choose from. You can go with a very classic and simple white or pick something that will stand out a bit more like a bright red. Aside from family name signs this shop also has quote signs available for any room of your home including a nursery.


To browse ACraftyChick's Etsy shop you can visit http://www.etsy.com/shop/ACraftyChick. The average wait time is about 2 weeks for an order to be completed. During the holidays it's a bit longer.


Another great Etsy shop you can visit to look for some unique handpainted signs is ATouchOfChic at http://www.etsy.com/shop/ATouchofChic. You can get incredibly affordable signs through this shop including patriot signs, personalized family signs and much more.



I liked the look of the distressed American Flag sign I received because of the distressed look it had. The edges were cut a little at an angle, it had a lot of character and it was painted really nicely. The distressed look didn't look like it had been done that was necessarily, it looked very natural.


Don't forget about WordandVerse for not only handpainted signs that can be personalized for your own family but also cut-out wooden letters that look great on a mantle, on a table in your foyer or even above your kitchen cabinets or in your dining room. Really the uses are endless when it comes to the products at http://www.etsy.com/shop/WordandVerse.



What I like about WordandVerse is that it really is a one stop shop for all your decor needs. Not only do the signs look different (So different rooms of your house will look unique from the others) but you can get a variety of products that even include moss potted trees to accent your cut out letters or signs.

Saturday, December 8, 2012

Nickye Cole - Review


Meditation is something that can calm the mind, body and spirit especially when practiced daily. To help increase the effectiveness of meditation some people utilize special candles, music and even jewlery. Nickye Cole is an Etsy shop that has a number of really fantastic mediation bracelets that can bring meditation and yoga practices to the next level.

I received a Hematite wrist mala and I wear it almost all the time. This bracelet is made with 8mm beads made of hematite which is known to be a very calming stone. It aids in support of your hopes, dreams and wishes, allowing you to understand the only limits in life are those which you place upon yourself.



The Nickye Cole shop is run by a fantastic shop owner who meditated as a young girl at her 'new thought' school. She gave up the practice for a bit but started back up when she married her spiritual husband. Meditation has allowed Nickye Cole to begin and to remain creative while aiding in people's own practice.

You can visit
http://www.etsy.com/shop/NickyeCole for more information or to purchase an item for yourself or a loved one this holiday season.


Enlighten Yourself - Review

Essential oils are something I just recently became interested in. I don't know why I disregarded their healing properties but after using a few basic oils such as ginger, peppermint and lavender, I realized how great they can actually be to keep around. There are so many different essential oils and they all can have really great effects on the body. The Enlighten Yourself Etsy shop is a great source for reasonably priced, safe essential oils.

The quality of Enlighten Yourself's oils are cosmetic quality and can be used for body care, candles, soaps, pot pourri, Chakra therapy, massage purposes and much more. These oils are very potent and should be diluted to 3-10%. This shop has approximately 100 different oils available.



If you are unsure what essential oil might be best for you, feel free to contact the shop owner for help deciding what might be best. Whether it be for personal use or to make your own scented products, Englighten Yourself is the one stop shop for all oils.
Please visit http://www.etsy.com/shop/EnlightenYourself for more information.

Boss Bodyworks - Review

I've found that when it comes to Etsy shops I have gotten product from it's really hit or miss. Some shops have really great products that you would never know are homemade and ooze creativity and professionalism. Others just don't match up. A great shop I came across is Boss Bodyworks which makes natural, multi-purpose, therapeutic products.

Boss Bodyworks makes handmade Chakra Massage Candles which I think are really awesome. Each scent is made especially to open, cleanse and balance a specific chakra. Organic essential oils are used for these products and after the candle has been lit you can wait for some of the product to pool on the top. At that point you can blow out the flame and use the warm oil for a massage or to simply rub into your skin as a body balm. Each candle is made of soy wax along with different scents such as:

Root
Frankincense, cedar, lavender and ginger

Sacral
Sandalwood, Patchouli, Jasmine

Solar Plexus
Juniper, Ginger, Spearmint

Heart
Frankincense, Sandalwood, Jasmine, Lavender

Throat
Myrrh, Chamomile, Lavender, Spearmint

Third Eye
Sandalwood, Sage, Cypress, Jasmine

Crown
Sandalwood, Myrrh, Rosewood, Lavender




Also sold on the Boss Bodyworks shop site are Christmas Massage Candles. The Amish Spice Loaf is a delicious scent and just lighting the candle for a few minutes sends wonderful wafts of fragrance through your whole home.

You can visit http://www.etsy.com/shop/BossBodyworks for more information or to shop.