Connect with Manitoulin Botanicals on Facebook, their website, or via email ManitoulinBotanicals@gmail.com

 Disclosure - This is not a sponsored post.  Just promoting local businesses and the island we love.

Hubby: So, you mean we wasted over $1000 on getting a new water purifying system installed in the house?

Me: No. We didn't waste money. You drink the tap water. I trust our tap water. I do! I know it's perfectly good for us to drink! I just feel even better if it's filtered even more.

Hubby wasn't too happy when I came home from the Superstore with a PC universal water filter system/jug and a pack of 5 filters. I had been on him about getting a new water filtration system in our house with UV filter, etc, etc, etc. We ended up getting the works done last year. Living on a farm, I wanted to spare no costs when it came to our drinking water. I was so happy and felt so secure in knowing that our drinking water was absolutely, positively safe to drink.

Then I bought a PC universal water filter system and filters! They were on sale and I had been wanting to get a [insert name of popular drinking water filtration pitchers] for a long time. A pack of 5 filters for $7.84 (on special) was a much greater deal than the "other" leading brand. I went with the PC brand. The price was much better and I love and trust PC products.

I do realize this whole thing with our drinking water is a bit excessive and is entirely psychological on my part, but I cannot help it. Hey, and if this makes me drink more water, then that's a good thing! Right? Yes, I have noticed that I've been drinking A LOT more water since I purchased it. I've been drinking more than a pitcher of water a day!

Maybe because she sees me drinking (and loving) the water from the new pitcher, Little One has been drinking more water too.
It looks so pretty too, no? Check out those sleek contours! It's aesthetically appealing, right?

Because I am a President's Choice fan, check out just one of my tea shelves in my "tea pantry"!

Among my favourites are the PC Chocolatey Mint Black Tea, PC Chai Tea, PC Green Tea, PC Rooibos Tea, PC Mulled Apple Herbal Tea, and PC Organics Jasmine Herbal Tea.

See? I told you I was addicted!

President's Choice really is worth switching supermarkets for!

Disclosure - This is not a paid/sponsored post. This time I'm just sharing how much a absolutely LOVE President's Choice products! All the opinions on this blog are  honest and my own.

Want to know who won the Bibiray's Giveaway?

Congratulations to SJB (entry #73)! You have won a Bibiray's Adjustable Organic Knots Dress! Please check your inbox, as an e-mail has been sent to you.
Your little one is going to love her new dress! Mine wants to wear hers all the time! She loves the neat design and all the colours. There's also a huge pocket sewn into the dress that Little One loves toting all her special little toys in.

I love the fact that the dress is made of organic cotton and that it grows with my child. Adjustable organic clothing is such an amazing idea!

Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway! Wishing you all a Happy New Year!

One of the things I find most difficult about having as little one is the fact that she grow so quickly.  Clothing and shoes don't last long because she outgrows them in no time!  Kids' clothing and kids' shoes are quite costly...especially if you have to get a bigger size in a few months!  Little One has been lucky to be the smallest out of all her friends. She always gets everyone's hand-me-downs!

Bibirays.ca has the perfect solution to the problem of having to buy new clothes all the time because your kids outgrow them so quickly. Their clothing has snaps to make it last! Everything is 3 sizes in 1 and it's all made with 100% organic cotton.

I was given the opportunity to review one of the items on the Bibirays.ca website. I let Little One choose, since ultimately, she would be the one to wear the Bibiray's item. She chose the Knots Dress in Red.
Like all of the clothing items on the website, the Knots Dress grows with your child. One size will fit up to 3 sizes and will last for many seasons. Adjustable knots at the shoulders and snaps in between the bottom layers make it easy to change the length and fit of the dress.

My 3 year old is in love with her dress and refuses to take it off. Sadly, we're on day 2 of her not wanting to remove it! She says "it's so comfy" and she loves the colours and patterns. What she loves most is the big, deep pocket that she can store her treasures in. She's been lugging around her "pet" (a stuffed hamster named Nibbles) in there and telling people that "Nibbles is in a baby carrier".
The dress is very versatile and can be worn as is, with a top underneath, with tights, leggings, one of Bibiray's peasant tops...the possibilities are endless.

I think it's pure genius to create kids' clothing that lasts a few years and sizes...especially when that item of clothing happens to be your child's favourite.

FYI: Little One dressed herself. Don't mind the mixed patterns (striped leggings)! She's got her own sense of style, which I sometimes don't quite understand. The photo below is of Little One's reaction when I asked her if she could change out of her Bibiray's Knot Dress. She has been wearing it for the past two days.

Bibirays.ca has organic cotton kids' wear for boys and girls.


WIN IT!
Clothing that lasts, is organic, and that grows with your child = great!  Oh, don't just take our word for it.  Bibirays.ca is generously giving one lucky reader of mine a Bibiray's Knot Dress of their own! The winner gets to choose colour and size.

To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Make sure you leave a comment in the comments section here, letting me know either A) Why you like Bibiray's or B) Why you like organics. If you are having difficulty viewing the Rafflecopter form, please refresh and it should load.

* Ends December 27, 2011. Open to Canadian residents only.*

Disclosure - To facilitate this review, I was given a Knots Dress in Red by Bibiray's. All the opinions on this blog are honest and my own.

I don't know about you, but every winter, I am plagued with extremely dry skin. I hate it. Dry, flaky, itchy skin. It only happens during the winter for me.

Thank goodness for Burt's Bees.

Burt's Bees offers natural personal care products and natural skin care products. What's best is that their goal is to create truly natural products and educate people on how truly natural products have a positive effect on us and on the world we live in. They have our well-being and the well-being of the environment in mind.

I discovered Burt's Bees a few years ago. Always on the lookout for healthy and safe products, a friend told me about them. I loved the fact that the products are natural and formulated to help heal, repair, and moisturize. I love their natural lip balms.

Soon after hearing about Burt's Bees, I started noticing them all over the place! They were in almost every store I shopped at. That says a lot about a product!

I was sent a variety of Burt's Bees products to review.

Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm:
Right up my alley! This is the kind of stuff I love! I don't wear lipsticks, as I love the glossy sheen of lip balms and glosses.
I was sent the tinted lip balm in "Hibiscus". When they say it makes your lips soft, moisturized, and conditioned, they weren't kidding! This is probably one of my favourite products and a now a "must have" in my purse at all times!

Burt's Bees Radiance Body Lotion:
Made with Royal Jelly and packed with 134 nutrients, this lotion nourishes your skin and enhances its natural glow. From a girl who is plagued by dry skin, I can attest to how soft and shimmering this lotion makes your skin!

Color Keeper Green Tea and Fennel Seed Conditioner:
High in antioxidants from the green tea, this conditioner keeps hair vibrant, while not weighing it down.

Anti-Blemish Purifying Gel Cleanser:
I don't usually have break outs, so I never really thought much about using anti-blemish cleansers. I did try this one and really like it. It makes my face feel clean and fresh. "This cleanser is clinically proven to help wash away blemish causing bacteria, excess oil and impurities without over-drying or irritating skin. Salicylic Acid, derived naturally from Willow Bark Extract, penetrates pores to help reduce blemishes and prevent future breakouts. Evening Primrose and Beet Root Extracts help care for troubled skin resulting in clear and healthy-looking skin, naturally. Dermatologist tested. Noncomedogenic." (from the Burt's Bees website)

Naturally Ageless Intensive Repairing Serum:
Now that I'm in my 30s (okay, as of mid-December, I'll be four years closer to 40!), I  have to admit that I am growing increasingly more concerned about my skin. I notice fine lines where there weren't any.  Eeek! This antioxidant-rich pomegranite and evening primrose serum helps diminish fine lines and wrinkles.

For more information, check out the Burt's Bees Story here and view their site for all their amazing products. You can also find them on Facebook and on Twitter.

I really like Burt's Bees products and would highly recommend them to friends and family. I feel good about using products that are natural. Again, one of my absolute favourites is the tinted lip balm.

Disclosure -  I was given the above Burt's Bees products for review purposes. All the opinions on this blog are honest and my own.

A few months ago, I began a wonderful relationship with a business I love and respect tremendously.  Not only are their products fantastic, but we instantly hit it off. I was also excited to find out that I was the very first product reviewer to blog for this great business!

I don't like using plastic utensils/cutlery, plates, bowls, or cups.  Not only do I find them wasteful, but the thought of plastics and leaching really concerns me. Even though a lot of plastic products are now BPA-free, I still feel safer using glass or stainless steel.

Though I love glass, with a toddler around, I'm afraid of her dropping it and it shattering into a million pieces. Believe me, it's happened several times in my kitchen.

Orkids.ca has fabulous stainless steel cups/glasses, tiffins, snack containers, and now plates!

Another thing I love about Orkids.ca is that they really listen to what their customers want.  They asked me what products I would like to see them carry on their website, and I mentioned a few things, including stainless steel plates.  Sure enough, one of their newest items on the website was the stainless steel plate!

We have International Dinner Nights with our friends and one of the rules is that each family must bring their own plates/bowls, cutlery, and cups.  This way, whoever is hosting that night doesn't have to wash tons of dishes and we're not using disposable dishes and creating waste!

Orkids.ca recently gave me a stainless steel snack pack, plate, and glass to try out.
I have to say that I was really excited about the snack pack!  It was great for toting around little snacks for the toddler! They're very portable and easy to store at the bottom of a bag or in that compartment under the stroller where I throw all Little One's "stuff" when we're out and about.
We were at church last Sunday, and I packed snacks for the toddler in her snack pack. She was quiet and content for the entire service! Between snacking on raspberries and colouring in her colouring book, she was quiet for more than an hour!

I love the plate. I think I'm going to have to order a bunch of them! I wish I had thought of this beforehand, because they'd make cute items for the loot bags for Little One's friends next weekend! I hate it when kids get cheap, junky little plastic toys or loads of horrible candy in their loot bags! Maybe next year I'll make sure the kids get something "green" like an Orkids.ca cup or plate.

The stainless steel cup/glass? SHATTERPROOF! That's all I have to say! I've got a set of six (seven, with the one that was recently sent to me) and I use them all the time. When Little Ones friends are over, they use the cups. Two and three year olds spill their drinks. Often.

I can count the number of times Little One and her posse drop a glass or tip one over. Crash. No worries with the stainless steel glasses! What a relief!

*UPDATED to add: I'm excited to say that Orkids.ca will be part of Little One's loot bags for her birthday this weekend! We are giving all the kids at her party a stainless steel drinking cup of their own! "Green" loot bags are the way to go!*


BUY IT
If you are looking for some great "green" Christmas gifts (or birthday and other holiday or celebration!), I highly recommend Orkids.ca stainless steel products! The snack packs would be fabulous for stocking stuffers! You can buy them on the orkids.ca website.

WIN IT
How would you like to win an  orkids.ca Stainless Steel Mealtime Combo of your own? The Mealtime Combo includes a stainless steel glass and plate!
 You want it?

TO ENTER: Fill out the rafflecopter form.  Don't forget to simply tell me by posting in the comment box below, what (other than the Stainless Steel Mealtime Combo) your favourite orkids.ca product is. Visit their website to view what products they offer!

Giveaway open to residents of Canada.  Ends November 28, 2011. 

 ** If you are having difficulty viewing the rafflecopter form, please refresh and it should load.**

Disclosure - I received a Stainless Steel Mealtime Combo (plate and glass) and a snack pack as a thank you for writing this honest review. The thoughts and opinions on this blog are original and my own.

In my quest for making our household as "green" as possible for my family, I have been looking for products that suit our lifestyle. I was recently introduced to Orkids.ca's Sustainable Stainless Steel Snack, Lunch, and Storage Containers. I have to say that after turning to stainless steel, I am now hooked!

The benefits of stainless steel are numerous. For one, being a mom who is concerned about making sure my family's food containers, plates, and cups are all BPA-free, I feel safe knowing that stainless steel, unlike plastic is non-leaching.

I've got a toddler. That means lots of drops, spills, and yes...breaks! I don't have to worry about broken glass or plastic when I use stainless steel! The products are durable, recyclable, shatter-proof, reusable, compact, and they keep  hot food hot and cold food cold!

Another thing I love is that the stainless steel containers help me keep our lunches "green". I am all about the "paperless" lunches and try to use as little disposable items. I feel really good knowing I'm doing even a little bit to help reduce our carbon footprint and tread a little lighter on the earth.

I got the double layer lunch tiffin and a set of six stainless steel drinking cups.

The tiffin is perfect for lunches!
You can use the two part system for lunches like pasta and fruit or chicken and rice with veggies. Whatever your heart desires, this is the perfect container for your two-part meals! It's also very compact and has a handle so you can conveniently tote your lunch around with you.

We love, love, love the drinking cups. In fact, I'm even contemplating completely switching ALL our glasses into stainless steel cups!
I am so paranoid about broken glass with a toddler in the house. This is the perfect answer to this problem.

What's even better is that Hubby and Little One both give their "Two Thumbs Up" for Orkids.ca!

Stainless steel tiffins, cups, nesting containers, as well as small, medium and large containers are available on the Orkids.ca website.

You can also find Orkids on Facebook and on Twitter!
*All images property of Orkids.ca

Hubby and I agree on most things when it comes to parenting our sweet Little One. Well, except when it comes to all things girlie.

He wasn't too keen on me getting Little One's ears pierced when she was 11 months old (8 months corrected). He wasn't too thrilled when he saw her adorable fingernails adorned with Piggy Paint either.

He's a farm boy and isn't too keen on anything girlie. However, I suspect this is all just a front and he really does like having a little princess with all her frou-frou, pink, girlie girl things.

I have to say that I just love, love, LOVE Piggy Paint!Why? Well, not only is it fun for Little One to get all decked out and prettied up, but Piggy Paint is safe to use on wee ones! That's right, folks! Natural, non-toxic nail polish that is as "Natural as Mud"! How awesome is that!?It's hypoallergenic, eco-friendly, and low in odour!

I entered a contest, totally not thinking that I'd win. The prize looked very interesting. It was organic mineral make-up by Orglamix.

To my surprise, I actually won!

Now, here's the thing about me. I used to live in the city, but now I live on a farm in a small rural community in Northern Ontario. I no longer wear high heels to work and I no longer wear expensive clothes. In fact, the only splurge in the way of clothes this year was a gorgeous item from Matthew Williamson. I say it was a splurge because now I never spend $80 or more on a top, but this was love at first sight and I never spoil myself anymore.

This beautiful Polka Silk Ruffle Neck Top is $730.

This Metallic Beading Gathered Top is $955.Obviously, neither of those tops was the one I bought.

Anyway, though I've quelled tamed my love for clothes and shoes, I still love make-up! I have a weakness for lip glosses, eye make-up, and all things pretty. When Alyssa @A Motherhood Experience introduced me to Orglamix, she became the enabler of my newest addiction. Thank you, Alyssa! ;)

Orglamix says on their Etsy site: "Zero Synthetic Ingredients: Orglamix products are proudly formulated without: nano particles, bismuth oxychloride, synthetic dyes, petrochemicals or parabens. PETA approved. I GUARANTEE you will LOVE Orglamix, or your MONEY back."

How can you not love that?

I won the Pure Mineral Blush in Tarragon, Pure Organic Mineral Foundation in Bocote, and Pure Organic Mineral Eye Shadow in Cappucino.

I just love the shiny, shimmery organic mineral eye shadow! Orglamix has TONS of beautiful shades to choose from.

Orglamix. Organic glam. I guarantee you'll love it too.