MUST READ; The Toilet Paper Test....

I was fortunate enough to receive a generous gift from the people at Charmin and Febreeze. I thought to myself, hmmm, toilet paper, whats the big deal? Everyone knows the 'expensive' brands are softer, thicker and nicer, prettier and so on.... so what more is there to know, I wondered.

After closely inspecting my new kit I tried the 'thickness' test and soon discovered that, yes, 7 sheets of Charmin are thicker than 28 sheets of 'generic'. This got me to thinking.... how much money are we really saving when we purchase the cheap stuff, even with sales and coupons???

If I spend $1 on a 4 pack of cheap TP (say, on sale but without coupons) that would be equal in absorbency to one roll of Charmin. (appx. as it takes about 4 squares of cheap TP to equal 1 Charmin)

It would take 4 packs of cheap TP to equal ONE pack of Charmin!!! Wow!

I was expecting to be impressed by the quality of Charmin, I was not expecting to discover on my own the mere frugality of it as well. I now think differently about my TP 'bargains'.

I also got to test out the new Febreeze decorative candle-free luminary and find that it is by far the most attractive fragrance product out there in that field. Quite lovely!

The cutest moccasins!

I was so lucky to win these uber cute Nowali Moccasins from my favorite natural parenting based (sort of!) giveaway site Mama In Flip Flops2.  I was so excited when I won them but am even more excited now that we have tried them out.

These are the first moccasins my family has ever used and Im am hooked!  Living in the milder climate of Washington, slippers and socks are worn all year round.  Especially on chilly mornings.

These are even cuter in person then they were on the site, I had a really hard time choosing one as they offer so many adorable options for both tiny babies and even older children as well as adults!  No more messing with shoes AND socks!  Im sold already.

My favorite feature of these mocs is the super thick and soft 'sock' that makes up the inside.  Not only does it bring warmth up past her little ankle, but it actually surrounds her foot top to bottom.  So many slippers cheap out when it comes to the soles and my daughters feet can get chilly on our cold floors.  Not in these brilliant creations!  To top it off they are lined in a very thick leather that not only makes these appropriate for both indoor and outdoor use but makes them slip resistant, which is very important to us!

Well, my daughters feet have gone from a 3/4 to a 5- 5 1/2 in about a month!  I was worried about getting her a size that would be too small, so as you can see from the pictures I got them a little bigger than I needed!  At least we will get a LOT of use out of them!  (because already she doesn't want to take them off)

She just loved them so much I could not get her to stop running in them.  I know she loves the way they feel, especially since I don't add extra bulk of socks that so many other shoes need!

Thank you Andrea and thank you Nowali!

(and next time I promise I'll get out the real camera!)

I love winning natural products!

Last week I found out I won this wonderful Zarbees natural cough syrup from Jane at All Together Beautiful.  

So many conventional products used these days are so horribly harmful to our bodies.  That is why I am converting our family slowly to living on 100% natural products.  

My daughter is first, of course!  She has never had any drugs in her little precious body.  I never even took a tylenol during pregnancy!  This cough syrup is something that we will use and continue to buy more of!

As Zarbees is completely natural and loaded with honey, your kids will love it, no horrible drug or alcohol taste!   It is packed with Vitamin C and Zinc, well known for kicking colds and boosting the immune system. 

Harmons stores in Utah seem to carry it, and Im sure others will soon!  The rest of us will have to buy it on-line from the Zarbees site, but shipping is free!

Thank you so much Jane, and thank you Zarbees!

When convenience isn't.

A long time back I got ahold of some really great Campbells coupons that earned me a number of these Soup at Hand meals free.  

This is normally something I would not purchase as it is not very natural, requires microwaving (literally zapping some of the nutrients out), nor is it filling.  

Every time I nuke one of these suckers it seems to make a mess!  Two different houses, two different microwaves and following the directions each time.  Then I have to add spices, salt and pepper and tabasco to make them palatable!

We have to remember just because we think we spot a good deal doesn't really mean it is a good deal! 

 These certainly WERE worth free, and I would be happy to try them again.  For .25 cents or less!

My Free Diaper!

If you have not noticed Andreas Button on my blog them I am very sorry, I should move it up. You, too need to check out her site. Momma In Flip Flops2 is one of my favorite blogs. The creator, Andrea, reviews all types of wonderful mom and baby oriented products, shares her knowledge, tells us of special sales and deals and even gives away lots of really great prizes.

Last month I put my name in for an organic cloth diaper and I won. I am still excited!!

The super cute Sandys diaper I got is so wonderfully soft I actually rubbed it on my face. (clean, of course!) I could not wait to put it on my daughter. I love the organic factor, I really wish I could always put her in organic. The snaps are really cool, this is my first snap diaper and she just could not figure out how to rip it off!! They sure have that over bumGenius!

My favorite feature of this diaper is probably the elastic sides and waist. While being very stretchy and holding in anything I would not want leaking out, it is still soft enough to not leave marks on her skin. That makes me very happy.

Oh, and the super cute Mother Ease cover and organic diaper liner aren't bad either!! I also discovered that the covers come in a variety of cute Eco Prints, adorable animal prints from around the world. Now I want the Wetlands print!

Oh, and the price is really good for organic. The diapers that fit my little one are about $12 each!! The covers are about the same price, and one would generally last a whole day. A really good buy for such high quality organic diapers.

Thank you Andrea, and thank you Mother Ease!

Eight O'Clock Coffee

Last month I posted a link to printable coupons for Eight Oclock coffee. (sorry, it is no longer available)  I was very hesitant to try this coffee but knew I had seen it at my local Commissary for just a few dollars.  Well, I gave it a try!  One bag of whole bean was $4, using my $1/1 coupon it was only $3.  Good quality coffee is usually $8- $10 in my part of the country, so this was a pretty good deal.

I don't drink a lot of coffee, I save it for special treats and sometimes weekends.  I used to be an 'addict' and could not start my day without it.  Being from the Pacific Northwest I know good coffee.

On inspection the beans smelled pretty good, though not quite as deep of a smell as I like.  I discovered that they were made in New Jersey, hmmm.  The package states they are 100% Arabica beans, unfortunately not fair trade.

So, I grind some up and toss them in my coffee maker.  They are starting to smell even better now.  I pour my cup, add my Coffee Mate French Vanilla creamer. (print your $1/1 here)  The taste is not bad.  It is lacking some real definition, and, oomph.  It just doesn't have that good flavor I love.  Have you ever had generic restaurant coffee?  Thats what it reminds me of, maybe a little bit better. 

I can drink it, but I don't love it.

At a later date I decide to mix the Eight O'Clock beans with some Good Beans, about 50-50.  The results are much better.  I could actually drink this.  

I just might buy this again.  Especially if I get more coupons as promised!!  

Just leave a comment or request for coupons HERE on their site.  For each comment they promise to send a coupon!!  Give it a try!