NutraVege by Ascenta Review - Omega-3 (vegan friendly)

 It is not always easy being a vegetarian and harder being a vegan, however, the benefits far outweigh any negatives. More and more I am finding Vegan products that are not just comparable, but superior to their animal product counterparts.

Omega-3 is one of those hard-to-get vegan products . Yet the health benefits of Omega-3 are innumerable, this is why I am absolutely thrilled that Ascenta has a new product called NutraVege.

NutraVege is a High potency vegan omega-3 that is a plant-based combination of echium and algae. The source and combination results in a more complete conversion of DHA; Docosahexaenoic acid and EPA; Eicosapentaenoic acid.  What this means is your body is thus getting more of the two most important fatty acids in Omega-3.

The benefits go above and beyond mimicking the health benefits of fish oil. NutraVege has 20 times more DHA then flax! I also appreciate that NutraVege comes in a liquid form that is easily absorbed by the body.

Ascenta  stands behind each and every product, pure quality is guarenteed.  Acenta has an amazing feature called Pure Check. By visiting ascentahealth.com/products and typing in your lot number located on the bottle, you will see a complete analysis of your specific product. As a consumer I like to know I'm getting a product that is fresh and pure.

Visit VitaminShoppe.com to purchase NutraVege or any other Ascenta product.

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Tropical Traditions Organic Coconut Peanut Butter Review

I'm always on the search for quality products.  Sometimes vitamins, health food, etc.  may not always live up to the manufacturer's claims due to the source or technique used in processing the product.  This certainly isn't the case with Tropical Traditions.

Tropical Traditions is company that is committed to bringing consumers quality products.  How do they do it?  Not compromised by mass production standards, they work with a multitude of family-run farms.  Their products are not only pure,  their coconut oil has twice as many antioxidants as any other coconut oil on the market and is unparalleled in taste.

Tropical Traditions combined two fantastic products; coconut oil and peanut butter, to bring you Organic Coconut Peanut Butter.   This is absolutely wonderful!  made with only Organic Coconut Oil and Peanut Butter.  The coconut gives the peanut butter a nice sweet taste that isn't overwhelming.

 If stored at room temperature this spreads very easily, I actually find that I need less than traditional Peanut butter.      My favorite way to eat this is on toast, in a sandwich or with chocolate.  Of course you can visit Tropical Traditions website for some delicious recipes.

Coconut Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes

Even at a serving size of 2 tablespoons; average for peanut butter, Tropical Traditions Organic Coconut  Peanut Butter is still less the calories as my previous "natural" peanut butter and far lower in sodium.

You can purchase this product and more on Tropical Traditions Website.  Their customer service is fantastic! Please note their Coconut Peanut Butter is currently on sale for $9.99. Pin It

NutraVege by Ascenta; Omega-3 for Vegetarians

Now vegetarians can incorporate this valuable nutrient in their diet.  Stay tuned for my NutraVege review and giveaway.  Visit this post for review/giveaway.
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Katz Gluten Free Bakery Review

One of my first reviews was for Katz Gluten Free Bakery.  I have been a huge fan of their assortment of delicious breads, cakes, and cookies for at least two year now, and I'm not even gluten intolerant.

The quality of Katz's baked goods is the result of tireless dedication to bringing families the best gluten free products.  Parents of gluten intolerant children often struggle to find plausible alternatives for their children.  Fortunately Katz gluten free products meet the highest gluten free standards and will satiate the pickest eaters.

Katz baked goods contain high quality ingredients and are free from additives or preservatives. Katz uses fresh eggs from local family run farms. This means no GMOs, antibiotics, etc. All this results, not only in a far healthier product, but also in a superior tasting product.

 
Katz is adding two new products to their repertoire of fresh baked goodies. I had the amazing opportunity to sample these products.  The two new items are *drum-roll*  Vanilla Rugelach and Chocolate Frosted Cupcakes.  As to be expected both were delicious and lasted about a second.
 
 

 

I sampled the Vanilla Rugelach and Chocolate Frosted Cupcakes last week and just looking at the picture of these two scrumptious items brings back fond memories, a blink later and they were gone. 

You can purchase Katz products on their Website,

 You also may be interested in Katz's free Sample pack for first time customers. Shipping applies.

 



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Sodastream Home Soda Maker Review

This week has been a really rough week for me, so it was a nice reprieve to try the highly sought after Sodastream home soda maker.

The beauty of making your own soda in the convenience of your own home and flavoring it accordingly is truly a wonderful thing. No more having to lug bottles and cans home from the store and subsequent recycling. Sodastream is sleek, light weight and easy to store. Sodastream also eliminates environmental waste.

The day I received my sodastream I had seen it featured on Dr. Oz as a healthy Gadget  must-have product, so when it arrived I was super psyched to try it out. Sodastream is super easy to use and comes with two one liter bottles; BPA free, so I was able to make two different sodas.

Sodastream has over 30 flavors including Cola, Lemonade, Cream, etc. as well as Energy which is comparable to Red Bull. A bottle of soda mix is equal to 33 cans of soda. That is a fantastic value.

I chose to try the MyWater Flavor Essences since I'm a huge fan of plain seltzer. MyWater Flavors are natural and unsweetened. I loved the lemon-Lime, I used approximately a quarter of the bottle and it was very flavorful. I look forward to trying the other flavors.

I'll tell you the cola tastes like the real deal. Sadastream sodas also have less the junk as regular sodas, as well as lower calories, carbs, sugar, caffeine and sodium. You certainly won't be disappointed in the taste. I also really like having control over the carbonation. If it were to go flat you just re fizz and your good to go!

You can also add your own flavor.   Dr. Oz said his son likes to add orange juice and cranberry juice for flavoring.

Visit Sodastream.com for more info.

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Katz Gluten Free Winter Promotion

I love Katz Gluten Free Bakery, their products are purely delicious.  Katz is currently running a huge winter promotion.  The winner will receive:

A box filled with EVERY Katz product as well as their choice of 10 extras of their favorite products.

This is huge! Katz has a large assortment of delicious cakes, cookies and breads, rolls, etc.  Whether your gluten intolerant or not you will surely appreciate the superior taste of these delicious baked goods.

Enter Katz Winter Promotion here, I would love for you to put Featured Product Reviews as the referring blog.
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Gift Baskets by GourmetGiftBaskets.com

I really love receiving Gift Baskets.  What could be a better treat then receiving  a lovely basket filled with goodies?  Of course the old adage:  "There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving" is certainly true.

GourmetGiftBaskets.com certainly makes giving gift baskets; or anything else for that matter, easier than ever.  I had a blast looking through their endless selection of baskets and gifts.    They have every conceivable option.   Housewarming, just because, Chocolate, sushi, ice cream, and so much more.  Here are a few that caught my eye:




An Evening Of Indulgence Gift Basket

 This lovely Basket features  Moet & Chandon champagne, gourmet chocolates, truffles and more. There is also a non-alcoholic option.

Texas/Tex-Mex Gift Basket - Classic

Tex-Mex is another one of my favorites.  This basket features tortilla chips, bold salsa, guacamole, queso cheese dip, hot sauce, etc. 

Coffee and Chocolates Gift Basket Classic

Oh my! Gourmet chocolate and coffee-themed ingredients, like Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans, Chocolate Chunk Shortbread, Café Mocha Wafer Rolls, etc. with  an ample supply of gourmet coffee.

GourmetGiftBasket.com sent me  their Snack Gift Basket, oh what a treat it was to receive this lovely basket:


 

This gift basket features raspberry honey mustard pretzel dip,  gourmet dipping pretzels, key lime white chocolate chip cookies; almond pecan crunch, peanuts, trail mix, buttered pecan crunch, peanut roll, organic coconut bar and cheese biscuits!

I hated opening this beautiful basket, however, I had to for review purposes.  Everything was wonderful!  I was even surprised that I liked the raspberry honey mustard dipping sauce.   Just perfect for entertaining!



GourmetGiftBaskets.com ships quickly and they also offer same day delivery. Their delivery fees are the lowest in the industry.  They also have a 100% customer satisfaction.  Pin It

Adopted Ed By Darren Maddern Review

The month of November was National Adoption Month and I chose to review a very special book.  My review is somewhat belated.

I chose a book by Darren Maddern called Adopted Ed.  Let me tell ya, I think this book is a must-have for parents as well as for teachers.

The author; adopted as an infant, does a beautiful job at helping children to understand what it means to be adopted.  In doing research I found that most experts believe that children should be taught of their adoption as soon as they are of an understanding age. I could think of no greater tool then Adopted Ed.

The book takes you into the struggles as well as concerns of a little boy named Ed. From dealing with bulling to struggling with his desire to learn the truth about his biological parents, Darren Maddern covers the gamut of issues faced by adoptive children. Simply illustrated and easy to read , Adopted Ed will entertain children while addressing their concerns.

I feel this is a must-read for all children, however, adopted children will surely love and cherish this book.  You can purchase Adopted Ed at amazon.com

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Beautiful affordable Scarves by FRAAS

If you love Cashmere  FRAAS has a line of affordable scarves made with an acrylic that is softer than cashmere. See FRAAS The Scarf Company Review

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Organically Grown Baby Clothing Review

We live in a mass production world and as a result we are surrounded by harmful products on a daily basis. Even our favorite cotton shirts could be detrimental.

Conventional cotton is grown using 456 pounds of pesticides each year and 7 of these are said to be carcinogenic. That's not all, cotton is then processed using bleaches, dies and very possibly a Formaldehyde finish. If you're not familiar with Formaldehyde, I can assure this is not something you want near your skin. Some manufacturers may use retardant chemicals for fire resistance. Shocking I know. Children and babies are the most vulnerable to these unhealthy chemicals.

Organically grown is a company that is committed to a green environment. They sell organic apparel and home decor at affordable prices. Their cotton is free from the harmful contaminants listed above.

I love looking through their selection of babies clothing. Here are some of my faves from the Winter Collection:
 
 

Organic Cotton Girls "Cute & Fuzzy Penguin" 3 Piece Set

Organic Cotton Boys "Let's Go Sledding" 2 Piece Set with Bib

 

You can purchase these adorable pieces and other Organically Grown items on their website.  

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Easy Lunch Boxes Review

I like to promote healthy eating on my site and sometimes I feel like a complete hypocrite because I really do not make the best choices when it comes to food.   I find that convenience will always win out in the end. Of course I do practice a vegan lifestyle 95% of the time. I really have no problems with animal products if the source meets a certain criterion. So milk from hormone and antibiotic fed cows is completely out of the question.  Cruelty is really the motivating factor in avoiding these products in the first place, however, after learning the truth about the quality of these products I honestly would not want to feed them to my family.

I realize that I am not alone on this issue. Parents are equally concerned as to the quality of food they are feeding their children. Because we all have busy lives its not always possible to feed our family a healthy diet,  especially when we are away from home.

Kelly Lester; the designer of Easy Lunch Boxes, is a parent who desired to send her kids off to school with healthy lunches. Kelly also desired a waste free lunch box.  Among its many accolades Easy Lunch Boxes was Named a "top 5 Eco-Friendly Mommy Must Have" by Parents Ask.   Please note Easy Lunch Boxes are FDA approved and are free BPA, phthalates, lead, vinyl, or PVC.  Also safe for dishwashers, freezers, and microwaves.

These kids lunch boxes are not just for kids. We all can certainly benefit from having healthy food choices on hand when away from home.  Instead of reaching for those greasy, saturated fat endowed fries we can now have a healthy alternative at our convenience.  Because this is completely safe for the microwave it's perfect for heating up leftovers at work.



Easy Lunch Boxes stack easily for unobtrusive storage and come in four different colors.  You can purchase a set of four on their website for $13.95.  The lunch boxes fit inside the storage totes that retail for $7.95, totaling  $21.90.  I think this is an incredible value!

Storage Totes

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Funny & Vintage T-Shirts By Crazy Dog Review & Giveaway

Here we go again kids, another Crazy Dog Giveaway.  If your not familiar,  Crazy Dog is noted for their vast selection of funny T-shirts not to mention vintage, iconic and custom t-shirts.  These types of t-shirts will never go out of fashion.  As I mentioned before, I practically live in mine.  

 Crazy dog has such a varied selection of t-shirts that you are sure to find the perfect t-shirt for yourself as well as your friends and family.    Here are a few that caught my eye:

  I love this! This may apply to one or two people in your life

Too cute and so true!

                                              

 I Know some folks that would really love this T-shirt.

You can purchase Crazy Dog T-shirts on their website. 



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