Gift Ideas For Valentine's Day
Valentine’s Day is a great reminder to show kindness to yourself and others. Here are a few great ideas for gifts for her, him, or you.
Love is kind…. No matter if you are celebrating Valentine’s Day solo or with a loved one, V-Day is a great reminder to show kindness to yourself and others. Here are a few great gift ideas for her, him, or you. Have fun spreading the love. Hugs and Kisses!
Not So Spooky Halloween Candy - That Taste Delicious Too
Halloween is around the corner, to help you prepare here are easy to find candy options that are fun and delicious without the spooky ingredients!
Fall is officially here and with that the kick off of the holiday season is also upon us. With every trip to the grocery store or any store for that matter seems to be another reminder Halloween is around the corner with all the loads and loads of decoration options, toys, costumes and of course candy. Thankfully (insert eye roll) it seems like EVERY store I’ve gone into with my son the store is fully stocked with Halloween supplies. Which my son loves to point out Every Single Thing! So as you can imagine shopping trips take a bit longer having to look at every single item with the kiddo and having to turn down most toys he points at. I’ve noticed at some stores its already Christmas time SISH I digress….
With Halloween being right around the corner conversations at our house have been of what costume the kiddo would like to dress-up in. There has also been continual chats about candy. As a mom I have always and will continue to educate our son about his food.
With every year at Halloween the lbs and lbs of candy go on sale. As I am trying to educate our son on what food we do eat and why we don’t eat some varieties of food I find it a bit of a challenge as to explain chemicals, dyes and preservatives to him(obviously lol). As simple as I try to keep my explanations I do just try to avoid certain brands of food all together that way I can show him alternatives that our family eats. And with food at the house I try to keep as natural, non-processed, organic as possible. Not only are they healthier but I also find my body feels better and not as gross as with more processed food. The other benefit of eating less processed food as a parent I have found is that explaining why these food are healthier is easier for our son to understand. Luckily at this time there are healthier alternatives to almost any food from snack food like chips, ice cream, and even candy. While we still limit these foods for special occasions it nice to have these options readily available.
So for candy shopping it is nice that there are other healthier options out there. And while some families might lean towards more traditional candy which I totally understand and get, personally I do try to remember when shopping no matter what it's for that everything I purchase is a direct VOTE I am telling what companies I do and don’t support whether its for their ingredients, their use of animal products, or how they source their products and treat their workers. While I do not claim to have this down completely due to change in company policies or just because I am busy. I do make the effort and our shopping habits are votes (just look at the way so many companies have organic options now). Also so many children suffer from different types of food allergies to ingredients. The candies that I have recommended are also with children who have food allergies in mind. I can see how hard that would be for those kids and parents when the holiday is based on food especially even in the healthiest of form candy is not great for our diet I at least brought some options for children who have certain food limitations with candy that are made without gluten, nuts, vegan and etc.
When writing any type of post I try to keep my objective to be solution based and simple. I wanted to share a few companies that I found to be yummy and pretty easy to find(Target, Amazon, Whole Foods, Safeway and many other stores) to keep it simple for you I have included links that lead you to Amazon for simplicity.
WHOLESOME- The Organic Delishfish aka organic Swedish fish are very yummy I would have to say their’s taste better then even the original. They have a ton of other options I personally have not come across any of their candies that were not tasty.
SURF SWEETS- They have a wide variety of candy from Organic Jelly Beans, Gummy worms and Lolli Pops yummy tasting and even helped our family when it was time to potty training awhile back.
https://amzn.to/2CISx4k
YUM EARTH- So I have only tried their Lollipops. I found this brand actually at our son’s kid’s salon which is so incredibly adorable. But they give these organic lollipops out after haircuts taste yummy and come in wide varieties of flavors and sizes of bags.
LOVELY CO- Another delicious brand, but despite how it looks in this blog i’m actually not a sweets person (salt-aholic that’s me) but I will buy some of Lovely Co’s licorice which I love not to overly sweet.
https://amzn.to/2CdsQYl
UNREAL and MILKLESS CHOCOLATES- These two different brands are for all the vegan chocolate lovers who are looking for a delicious candy. Again I’m not a huge chocolate lover either I know I can hear you gasp from here but I have had a bite or two from both of the brands and thought they were good. And they do have a wide variety of flavors and candies.
BLACK FOREST- I have seen this company at varies stores and places over the years. Now I cant say I have tried their candies but I still wanted to include them not only are they a healthier option as far as any candy goes but like I said I have seen them in a wide variety of places. https://amzn.to/2NzROmZ
FEAR NOT SPOOK FREE TREATS- this is another company I have not tried yet but wanted to include them as an option because they are the only vegan candy brand that i have seen so far that makes a variety Halloween candy bag that includes different kinds of candy in the bag and not just different flavors. I remember seeing this brand last year and only purchased their candy this year I will let you know about taste later…. I also believe they only make Halloween candy or maybe they make other products under another brand name?!?
https://amzn.to/2CG6Czr
I Hope some of these options works for you and your family. Wishing everyone a fun and safe Halloween! And send me some of your favorite candy or dessert options!
Eco-Friendly Household Favorites From Amazon -Kid Approved
Amazon has become my time, money and eco-friendly solution to shopping.
Changing to an eco-friendly lifestyle can seem daunting. Especially when looking for products that align with being environmentally friendly. A hurdle for some can be not knowing where to begin, this understandably can stop many from making those first beginning steps. I know there is also the misconception that you better have a green thumb so you can start to grow your money tree (still waiting for mine to grow) because many people believe being eco-friendly equates to an expensive shopping choice and lifestyle. While you may have to pay a little more up front most products that are actually environmentally friendly should be long to ever-lasting, or come in more concentrated forms so that they are longer lasting as compared with many conventional non-biodegradable products. Another barrier i’m aware that many of us face is time constraints, and we are all so consumed with our busy over scheduled lives. However I do have a solution so you can quickly shop and be eco-friendly too.
Enter into the picture Amazon. Amazon has become my time, money and eco-friendly solution to shopping. Which my three year old also appreciates so he doesn’t have to be dragged on any more errands then he already goes on with me.
Another reason Amazon is a great option particularly for those who are on the go but want to improve some of their household staples because of indoor/outdoor environmental, health, children or other concerns that are related to many conventional products. Amazon makes it easy to search for items either by brands you’ve heard of or by additional easy search options. If you don’t know where to start your search simply type in “eco-friendly cleaning products”, “organic cosmetics”, or any other simple related term you will find hundreds of items. Again I can see how that also can be deterant by having so many options but here is where you as a shopper can apply your personal shopping strategy by narrowing items down by price, ingredients, or reviews.
When I started out learning about why changing to environmentally friendly items are important I found that starting with the basics was the easiest step to take. So with this post I felt a good jumping off point would start with my everyday items I use still, and that I use on the almost daily basis. Links for EVERY item is linked at the bottom of the post.
So the first item I use usually several times a day whether its for smoothies, juices, water, homemade salad dressing or overnight oats are Mason Jars which have grown into a necessity in our house. I have many different sizes but find the large size is the most used.
I admit I am constantly struggling and trying to continually to be mindful in drinking more water. Im just not a natural water drinker, now wine thats another story (haha). I do find I drink more water with my Hydro Flask that has a straw lid on it. The other reason I like this water bottle it is great on the go and somehow I always find myself sharing it with my son (who does have his own water bottles). I have used and still own several reusable water bottles which crowd our cupboards but I always reach for my two hydro flask. I like how they don’t get condensation on the outside of the bottle and keep the temperature. They are a bit pricey but they do last and I have had mine for a couple of years now. It has also lasted for so long because I can take apart the straw from the lid making it easy to clean.
Keeping with the theme of keeping hydrated we also use while home and on the go are metal straws. I found that if I keep them in my purse or on hand in the car I always have them around especially when we make an unexpected stop during our errands or whatever else we might be doing. So no need for plastic straws!
The next three items I use daily but are mostly for my 3 year old however they do come in handy even for when I am on the go. First item is awesome at saving food like left overs and has made it so I don’t use plastic wrap anymore. The brand Bees Wrap is an awesome natural reusable food wrap that not only is functional, which I am always looking for but also looks pretty visually. Because the wrap is made from natural waxes you do need to hand wash the sheets and air dry for me it isn’t a big deal because you do get a few different sized sheets and a few come in a pack. One other food saving items we use for our son when we have to pack food for our kiddo when he is off to preschool or other lunch dates he might have are the U Konserve food “Cozy” that is made of BPA-free plastic we first got a pair as a present and I have bought another pair myself. Why I like them is that when you open them they are perfectly circular and have Velcro tabs at the bottom and top so you can fold it around the food item no matter what shape it is from quesadillas to a typical PB and J. These Food Cozies are dish-washer friendly making it simple when we have to reuse them for the next day of preschool. Again most people are on the go and so is our family! One convenient item most people have seen and parents love is food pouches. While I love them for their ease, and our son recognizes them no matter what store or Starbucks we are at, I always feel guilty when using single use products. In particular with the single use pouches and how much plastic they have on them. So on a random search I saw these awesome reusable pouches by Wee Sprout. They come in a 6 pack and are 5oz so you can fit quite a bit in them from applesauce to a smoothie creation I’ve made for the day. They are awesome for road trips or again for when im packing my son’s lunch. And are so easy to wash and reuse over and over. I do put them in the dishwasher on the top rack I have not had any problems but I’m not sure if they are recommended for the dishwasher, just a heads up.
The next loved item our household uses is the beautifully photographed and continually posted on Instagram the coconut bowl, everyone loves a smoothie bowl. I personally fell in love with them when our family was in Hawaii for vacation on a trip a few years back. They are beautiful first of all but also the perfect size for our kiddos food and he loves them as well which gives them bonus points. The first set I got was when we were on the island. Since then I wanted more of them to use because our son likes them and we kept running out of them when it came to meal time. So thankfully Amazon came handy again with these beautiful eco-friendly options. The coconut bowls I ordered are by the brand Coco Bowlz which is a family brand. I love that the coconut bowls came with spoons. And most mornings you can find our family using them. They are useful when going on a picnic for the day or traveling because while they don’t bend or fold (duh coconut bowl lol) they are surprisingly light in weight and do stack making them easy to pack up.
So wrapping up my list of Eco friendly Amazon favs is Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile liquid Soap. I just love the simplicity and versatility of this soap. Our whole family loves this soap and the wide range of scents it comes in. My husband actually really likes the peppermint scent and even request it when he is out (something he never does with any other product). I also use this soap as a cleaner so I have a few glass bottles (from amazon of course) to make a homemade cleaning spray, there are a whole host of purposes for this soap listed on the bottle and more on Dr. Bronner’s website. I prefer buying the unscented soap for making my own cleaning sprays because you can add your favorite essential oil to it so I can customize the mixture to my scent mood.(haha)
I hope this short list of nine products helps anyone who is trying to change their products to items that are more healthy for ourselves and our planet. I know some of you are living a Green lifestyle pros when it comes to using eco-friendly products so I hope this helped with discovering new products that you might not have tried yet. And as always I would love to hear from you with your ideas, your favorite products and of course feedback! I am sending you all positive vibes and thanks for stopping by.
Here are the list if links for all the products spoken about in this article. Happy eco-friendly shopping!
- Mason Jars: https://amzn.to/2AqVOES
- Hydro Flask with Straw:https://amzn.to/2LHrStx
- Metal Straws: https://amzn.to/2AsaBz9
- Bees Wrap Reusable Food Wraps: https://amzn.to/2n2p6A5
- U Konserve Food Cozy: https://amzn.to/2M73ayS
- Wee Sprout Reusable Pouch: https://amzn.to/2OzaYv4
- Me Organic Coconut Bowls: https://amzn.to/2v4QBNR
- Amber Glass Spray Bottle: https://amzn.to/2OwjqLm
- Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Liquid Soap: https://amzn.to/2AttUbh
A few of my eco-friendly favorites