Hi, y’all!

This is a guest post from my friend, Jeremy Day. I’ve enjoyed his writing for quite some time now and feel very honored that he’s sharing his thoughts on buying local produce with us.

I won’t keep you waiting. Give Jeremy a warm welcome!

Why Buy Local Produce – A Guide To Taking The Plunge

By Jeremy Day

So you’ve been thinking about buying local produce, but haven’t taken the plunge? To be honest, it can be difficult to eat all your food locally, if not downright impossible. But there are many reasons, and many ways to start buying and eating more local produce today.

First, the reasons…

1. When was the last time you ate something freshly picked off the plant? I can still remember the taste of the strawberries we used to grow on my parents property. They were so good and so full of flavor. If anything, this should be your biggest motivation for eating more local produce.

2. Buying local produce saves a lot on transportation costs. By some estimates, food will travel on average up to 1,500 miles before it gets on your plate. Imagine how much less we would really on oil if food didn’t have to travel that far.

3. Local produce has more nutrients in it. The longer it is off the vine, the more nutrients it will lose. The only exception to the rule is produce that is flash frozen. And if it’s frozen it is costing even more to keep it frozen when it is transported.

4. By getting to know the farmers that grow your food you are building a better sense of community. I think we can agree that we all benefit by being more knowledgeable about how food gets onto our plate, and into our bellies.

5. What might be the most important thing about buying local is keeping more dollars in your community. The more money that stays in your community the better off your community will be.

Now for some ways you can buy local…

1. You can buy direct from your farmer. Hopefully you have a farmer close by.

2. You can go through what is called a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program. The way these basically work is that you buy “shares” in a farm earlier in the year. As the farmer harvests his crops he will send the first fruits to those who own shares in his farm. You normally will receive a box every week of the freshest produce in your area.

3. If your area is lucky enough to have one you can also visit your local farmer’s market. This is a way to get an even larger variety of produce, and other things people are wanting to sell. Specifically you can get baked goods, honey, and other things you might not get directly from a single farm. And it will all be goods made from local products and as you may know, local honey can be helpful with allergies.

4. Food coops have become pretty popular as well. These are basically a store owned by everyone who has a share in it, and it basically cuts out the middleman. So you get the best local produce and products at a more reasonable cost.

5. Finally there are many delivery services popping up around the nation to have fresh local produce delivered to your door. These may cost a little more, but people sure love the convenience of getting local produce delivered to them.

So there you have it. All the reasons and ways for you to start buying more local produce today. Since summer is almost upon us this is a great time to start looking at all the local produce you have access to.

Just remember when buying local produce that you double check if it is organic or not. While the majority of it tends to be organic, you still have to ask.

In any case, have fun finding the best local produce in your area.

Jeremy writes about local business news at Lokolee.com. If you love supporting local business, then Lokolee is the place to be.

Thank you, Jeremy!

Okay, y’all. What do you think? Do you buy local produce? Chime in and make Jeremy feel welcome!

Photo Credit: Lori L. Stalteri

 Disclaimer: The kind folks at Bazura Bags (www.bazurabags.com) sent me the awesome items in this post to review. I was not paid to write a post. The thoughts and opinions are my own.

Hi, y’all! How are you on this beautiful April day? Fantabulous, I hope!

I’m sharing my thoughts on Bazura with you today. I hope you enjoy the photos and my reflections on this company, what they’re doing for the environment, and maybe you’ll even want to order something for yourself!

I love what this company promotes and stands for.

Check out this press release (my review follows):

BAZURA BAGS BRINGS ECO-FASHION TO AMERICA
  Stylish Bags & Accessories Handcrafted from Recycled Materials
Toronto, Ontario (June27, 2006) – On the heels of the thriving organic movement, eco-fashion is gaining momentum in North America. Much of the surge of consumer interest is due to the fact that the latest eco-fashion products place equal emphasis on quality and style as they do with environmental benefits.

  Bazura™ Bags (

www.bazurabags.com) is a social entrepreneur that is proving that one person’s trash is another’s treasure. The Toronto-based company has launched a line of high quality bags and accessories handcrafted by a women’s cooperative in the Philippines from colorful discarded juice containers that would otherwise clutter landfills, fields and streets in their community. While the company has a compelling environmental and social story behind the product, Bazura Bags were carefully designed to be chic, high-quality, functional, durable and stylishly colorful.

  The line of Bazura Bags introduced to the U.S. features more than 80 styles that serve many functions. The company’s most popular designs are coin purses, messenger bags, lunch bags and purses. New styles include camera and cell phone bags, key chains, placemats, cosmetic bags and fruit baskets. The fun collage of colors that are the signature of the Bazura line are derived from the attractive labels of the juice containers they are made from. The eye-catching brand labels feature slogans and exotic fruit names like "Sun Glo" and “Zesto.” The recycled juice containers also impart a hint of fresh fruit scent.

www.bazurashop.com. For more information about the company and its social mission, please visit www.bazurabags.com.

About the Company

I’m in awe of Bazura and how they’re taking what most consider as trash and using it to not only create super cool products, but to provide employment and to educate children on how to reuse what’s already available to help preserve our beautiful earth. 

From the Site:

Welcome to Bazura Bags!

For the past 8 years Bazura.Biz has worked closely with a Women’s Co-operative in the Philippines, who collect used juice containers, recycled rice bags and discarded advertising banners. The Co-op then has their members transform this trash into hand bags and accessories.

The collection of this trash helps clean up the environment in and around Manila and through out the Philippines, while eliminating tons of material from local land fills. The use of Bazura’s many Shopping and Tote bags also helps eliminate the use of disposal plastic shopping bags which produce millions of pounds of waste that clutter our environment, clog our landfills and use huge quantities of petrol chemicals in their production. Bazura recommends that everyone switch to environmentally friendly bags.

This past September 2009 the Co-op was devastated by Typhoon Ondoy. Two of their members drowned during the typhoon and scores of the members’ homes were flooded. Many donations from the Co-op’s buyers and friends have been collected and, with great determination and hard work, the women of the Co-op have repaired their headquarters and most of their members’ homes.

Bazura.Biz is very proud to work with and support this marvelous group of women.

Note: Bazura.Biz donates an additional five percent of its total purchases from the Co-operative to their Foundation’s Scholarship Fund as well as continued support of their Disaster Relief Fund.

Woven Key Fob

Cute and fun! Check ‘em out HERE.

Bazura Bags

The MW-2 Stripped Messenger Bag is really cool. This bag can be used for carrying books, personal items, or whatever you wish.

“Aluminum Beverage Bags from Bazura Bags are handcrafted in Vietnam. These bags are constructed using recycled aluminum soda and beer cans. The aluminum is backed with vinyl, then shaped, edged and hand stitched.” – Bazura

Crochet Place Mats

These place mats are fun, colorful, cheerful, and are easy to clean up – just wipe off, dry, and leave on the table or keep packed up for picnics!

Pros

Bazura products have a long list of pros. Below are just a few that impress me.

• eco-friendly
• fair trade
• anti-sweatshop
• train children to recycle
• reduces trash sent to landfills
• encourages environmentalism
• bright, cheerful, fun designs
• creative (re)use of items considered as trash
• “donates an additional five percent of its total purchases from the Co-operative to their Foundation’s Scholarship Fund as well as continued support of their Disaster Relief Fund.”

Bazura products are also perfect for fundraisers!

FUNDRAISERS

“Over the past few years, BAZURABAGS have achieved remarkable success as fundraising items.

Parent associations from both public and private schools as well as environmental groups, seniors residences and youth clubs have organized successful fundraisers using BAZURABAGS.” — Bazura

…and much, much more!

Well, see for yourself.

Read… 

 The Story

Every day, children from the local schools collect   over 50,000 used drink containers, called doy packs, then sell them to the co-op.  The bags are sanitized and the women sew them together into attractive, durable bags.

We estimate that millions of these containers get thrown in the trash everyday in the Philippines. Until we find a way to recycle them, or stop using this material altogether, we would like to reuse as many empty drink containers as possible and, in the process, support fair trade.

The Co-op has recently started  to collect used  Rice Bags and discarded Advertising Banners and transform this trash into beautiful hand bags.

The Women

Unlike most third world factory workers toiling away in sweatshops, these women are entrepreneurs and shareholders. They work for themselves and have a positive impact on their community and, at the same time, they encourage environmentalism.

We are proud to promote their enterprise.”– Bazura

Cons

Hmmm… I always try really hard to think of the pros and cons because I do strive to give honest, heartfelt reviews. I cherish that y’all trust and value my opinion and I desire to keep things that way. The only thing I can truly think of as a con with these products and/or this company (as far as the environment is concerned) would only be the shipping aspect. (But that can’t really even be considered a con because all companies have to ship!) Everything else seems to be green.

Verdict/Grade?

Let’s give Bazura a big, fat…

A!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I’m confident that Bazura is doing all they possibly can to promote recycling and eco-friendly living. And I think it’s wonderful that they provide a wholesome work environment for their employees (anti-sweatshop!) and that they’re teaching children to walk lightly on Mother Earth.

Bravo, Bazura, bravo!

You can contact the Bazura Company HERE or browse their online shop HERE. Read about their shipping policy HERE.

Have you ever heard of Bazura Bags? How do you feel about the eco-friendly process of recycling materials to make bags, place mats, and other cool items? Do you recycle? Would you purchase recycled or other green merchandise? Chime in and share your juicy, green thoughts!

Hi, y’all! Hope you’re having a fantabulous day! I know ONE of you will after reading this post – because one of you is the lucky winner of a super cool and eco-friendly, 5-piece PeopleTowels set PLUS ecopouch to carry/store them in!

I have lots of cool stuff in store for you all, including upcoming posts on health benefits of various foods, more reviews and giveaways, and fun, personal stuff!

But y’all don’t want to hear about that now, right? You want to know if you won this giveaway!

On to the details…

There were 83 entries and as usual, I visited Mr. Random (at www.random.org) to see who he felt should win the prize. It didn’t take him long to give me an answer.

And who does #59 belong to? Theresa H!

CONGRATULATIONS, Theresa!!!

Didn’t win? Don’t feel bad!

You can still enter my NuNaturals Giveaway — FOUR of you will be lucky winners!!! ENTER HERE!!

And…

Check out the PeopleTowels BLOG!

Get YOUR PeopleTowels online HERE. Or see if they sell at a location near you.

“PeopleTowels’® mission is to empower ordinary people and socially responsible companies to contribute to a sustainable environment by replacing paper towels with reusable PeopleTowels.”

Go green and/or give the gift of green, with PeopleTowels!

Disclaimer: www.PeopleTowels.com sent their products for me to sample. I was not paid to write this review and there are no affiliate links in this post.

I’m so glad y’all enjoyed reading about my special delivery from the generous folks at PeopleTowels, as well as my in-depth PeopleTowels Review. I know I said I wasn’t going to focus only on reviews/giveaways (and I’m not) but the opportunities that have come up have been TOO good to pass up, y’all! Seriously! I have SO much cool stuff in store for you – you don’t even KNOW!

Okay, you are ready for a giveaway, right? You want to get down to business and learn how to win your OWN 5-day PeopleTowels supply + Eco Pouch to carry them in, huh?

Let’s get started!

Giveaway Rules

ONE Required Entry!!

Visit www.peopletowels.com and let me know which design(s) most appeal to you OR why it would be important to you to try these eco-friendly hand towels – AND come back and leave your answer in a comment. That’s it – easy peasy!

BUT… If you want to put in a little extra effort….

(and receive a LOT of extra entries – aka chances to win) keep reading…

Numerous ways to get extra entries!

OVER 20 ways total to enter this contest!!

Note: Don’t forget the above, one required entry.

2. For FIVE EXTRA ENTRIES, share this contest on your blog, linking back to this post. Leave FIVE SEPARATE COMMENTS to let me know you did. (Yep, you’ll really leave FIVE different comments for this so you’ll be able to get five extra entries. )

3. Like PeopleTowels on Facebook. Then, come back here and leave a comment to let me know you did that – or that you already are.

4. Like Raw Juice Girl on Facebook. Leave a comment on this post saying you did -or that you already are.

5. Follow Healing with (Raw) Juices on Facebook’s Networked Blogs. Leave a comment on this post saying that you did – or do.

6. Do you use Twitter? Follow @RawJuiceGirl on Twitter. Comment on this post, saying you did – or do.

7. Follow @PeopleTowels on Twitter. Leave a comment on this post that you did that.

8. Tweet about this contest and then leave a comment with your Twitter name. You can use this tweet (or your own, just be sure to include via @RawJuiceGirl @PeopleTowels). Then, leave a comment that you did – with your Twitter name or status link.

@PeopleTowels @RawJuiceGirl #ecofriendly #giveaway Enter now!! ( http://healingwithjuices.com/2011/01/people-towels-review/ )

FOR EVEN MORE ENTRIES: For tweets, Facebook shares, or Plurk you may share the contest up to 5 times a day, but each tweet/share must be 1-2 hours or so after the previous one. (Thanks so much for understanding my position of keeping things fair and square, y’all!)

9. Comment on this post: PeopleTowels Review, letting me know your thoughts and/or questions. Come back here and leave a comment so I know you did. If you’ve already commented on that post, just comment here letting me know you already have a comment there.

10. Subscribe to Healing with (Raw) Juices via e-mail (sign up here) – be sure to verify your subscription or this entry won’t count. Then comment and let me know you did – or that you already are.

11  Subscribe to Healing with (Raw) Juices via RSS (sign up here). Then leave a comment telling me you did – or that you are.

12. Subscribe to my brand-new newsletter (sign up here ). Then comment here and let me know you did - or that you already have.

13. Do you Plurk? Plurk about this contest and leave a comment with your Plurk URL.

14. Add me as a friend on Wellsphere . Leave a comment saying that you did- or do.

15. Add me as a friend on RawFu. Leave a comment saying that you did- or that you area.

16. Add me as a friend on Give it to Me Raw. Leave a comment saying that you did- or that you are.

17. Subscribe to Raw Juice Girl’s YouTube channel. Leave a comment saying that you did- or that you are.

18. Are you a Stumbler? Stumble and review any post you want to–just leave the link to your SU review in (its own) comment.

19. Do you have a Digg account? Digg this post. Come back and leave a comment on this post with a link to your Digg post.

20. Sign up for the PeopleTowels free newsletter (bottom, left side of their website). Leave a comment that you did.

21. Sign up for the PeopleTowels YouTube channel. Leave a comment that you did.

NOTE: Please leave a comment for each entry (tweet, plurk, etc.) because each comment will be counted as a number when I enter the total number of comments at Random.org once the contest ends.

Contest Deadline

I’ll accept comments until midnight. (Central Time). Random.org will be used to select the winner, who will be posted the next day.

CONTEST ENDS TUESDAY, JANUARY 25TH, 2011.

Hurry and spread the word. The more entries you have, the higher your chances of winning this awesome, eco-friendly giveaway!! Go tell all your friends and have FUN!!!!

Let the contest begin!!!

Disclaimer: www.PeopleTowels.com sent their products for me to sample. I was not paid to write this review and there are no affiliate links in this post. 

(Thank you People Towels for allowing me the AWESOME opportunity to find out what the buzz is all about!)

Hi, y’all!

So glad you enjoyed all the photos I posted of my recent special delivery. I certainly enjoyed receiving the 5-day supply + eco pouch! I have used them at home and also take one or two with me when I am out and about. I love that you can use them as a napkin, paper towel, coaster, and so much more. Any time you’d use a napkin or paper towel, you can use (and wash and re-use) the PeopleTowel.

“PeopleTowels® was inspired by the Japanese custom to carry a small hand towel with you when you’re out and about. Because most public restrooms in Japan don’t provide paper towels, people carry their own resuable hand towel to dry their hands after washing.  There are many other convenient uses for carrying a hand towel too, such as  using it as a napkin, coaster, wiping small spills, etc.” – People Towels

Can you believe how much waste is involved by using disposable paper towels?!

About the Company

You all know I love digging deep and finding out about more than just the product itself. When I write reviews, I love to know WHERE this product is coming from. What caused the business to come about? How did it start? These are some of the questions that cross my mind when I’m in “review mode.”

From PeopleTowels About Page:

“Inspired by Nature. Driven by You.
PeopleTowels® is born of the belief that we can all find new ways to personally incorporate sustainability and conservation into our daily lives.  PeopleTowels is an idea borrowed from the Japanese, who have been using reusable, personal hand towels for decades.
We’re a small group of individuals, united by a dream and energized by our passionate belief that sustainable solutions should be within everyone’s reach. We share a common concern for the environment and the effects that pollution, deforestation and global warming are having on the earth and its inhabitants.
That’s why we created PeopleTowels.

As a member of 1% for the Planet, PeopleTowels has pledged one percent of its gross sales through 2010 to the Breast Cancer Fund with a minimum donation guarantee of $2,500.”

I LOVE that this company believes in sustainability as much as they do – and that it’s a small group of eco-friendly, motivated folks who share the same dream and passion and have come together to make and BE the change required to help preserve our beautiful and most precious, Mother Earth!

Heart(s) of the Company

Now that we know a little about the company itself, let’s dig a little deeper and find out some cool stuff about the true heart(s) of it all.

“For over a year, on nights and weekends, Linda Lannon and Mary Wallace planned the strategy for the business that became PeopleTowels, while managing their full-time executive day jobs.  With much help and encouragement from their families, the business became a reality.  For both, PeopleTowels has turned a passion for the environment into a labor of love.  It is their hope that the adoption of PeopleTowels will have a positive and lasting impact on the planet for generations to come.”

How awesome is that?!

Mary Wallace, Co-Founder

As I researched and discovered WHY the company was born and who started it, I loved learning the history behind the decision…

”Mary Wallace is the inspiration behind PeopleTowels. Wallace has a deep concern for the environment and has been "living green" for years.  She first discovered the concept of personal hand towels on her first visit to Japan over a decade ago and has been using and collecting them ever since.  
Prior to founding PeopleTowels, Wallace held significant senior management positions and sales roles with leading education companies including WRC Media, Inc. and Pearson Education, where she lead industry-leading Sales & Marketing, Training and Technical Support divisions.  Wallace has experience in both start-ups and large, established corporations, and is recognized for her track record in expanding businesses of any size and dramatically growing sales in new markets and territories.”

The Current Situation

The use of disposable paper towels is having a devastating impact on the environment.  Some of the facts about paper towel consumption and its impact are:

• To make one ton of paper towels, 17 trees are cut down and 20,000 gallons of water are consumed.
• Every day, over 3,000 tons of paper towel waste is produced in the US alone.
• Decomposing paper towels produce methane gas, a leading cause of global warming.
• The average person uses 2,400 – 3,000 paper towels at work, in a given year, looking like this:

“Mary Wallace, PeopleTowels’ visionary & co-founder showing the amount of paper towel waste generated by 1 person outside of the home a year in the US.”

Linda Lannon, Co-Founder

And the other half of the company’s heart beats strong with a desire to put a halt on the throw-away lifestyle that has become so common….

“Linda Lannon has a long-held concern for the harmful effects of the American “throw-away culture.”   She believes that often times what’s old is new and that by recycling ideas we can simplify our lives and have less of an impact on the environment.
Prior to founding PeopleTowels, Lannon held senior management positions with leading companies in education, consumer software, and children’s book publishing.  Lannon successfully launched and marketed numerous educational and consumer products for such diverse companies as CTB/McGraw-Hill, Riverdeep (now Houghton Mifflin Riverdeep Group) and Scholastic.  Lannon has also held significant positions in Fortune 500 companies, as well as small entrepreneurial companies, and has a proven record of success in bringing new products to market and growing market share.”

Awesome job, ladies!

About the Towels

PeopleTowels are a dream come true to those of you who:

• are frugal
• love to recycle/reuse
• love to do your part to help save the environment

Is that you? No? Well, I still think you’ll love people towels! They’re pure awesomeness! And they’re addictive – you’ll want to keep using them and keep collecting the other cool designs!

What is a PeopleTowel?

”PeopleTowels is the newest concept in sustainability and the latest in eco-chic fashion. A Green alternative to paper towels in public facilities, these quick-drying, reusable personal hand towels are made of lightweight, 100% Organic, Fair Trade Cotton. PeopleTowels come in a variety of inspired designs, printed with eco-friendly dyes, to appeal to different tastes and styles. 
PeopleTowels are small enough to carry anywhere, and the custom-made fabric is absorbent enough to dry your hands, yet dries quickly. Convenient hangtags even allow you to easily clip or loop your PeopleTowel to your backpack, belt buckle or purse.  PeopleTowels are a small sustainable lifestyle change that everyone can do for the planet.
Unlike paper towels and other hand-drying methods, PeopleTowels are a zero waste product and do not contribute to harmful practices like deforestation and the growing problems of paper waste, excessive water consumption and pollution.
PeopleTowels are designed to last for years through easy maintenance (all PeopleTowels are machine washable) and the use of high quality materials (100% certified organic cotton). Our designs are silk screened with eco-friendly dyes on a custom-made organic fabric, so you may see slight variations in the towels.”

A Hook to Hang it On!

Made from Organic Cotton!

Pros

If you’re frugal and environmentally aware, you already see the pros but let me share my thoughts.

The positive aspects of carrying your own hand towel(s) is that you:

• don’t have to waste paper towels in public restrooms
• don’t have to stand in line for the hand dryer (which is NOT eco-friendly)
• don’t have to use throw-away napkins if you spill a drink or just need a napkin while you’re eating out somewhere
• they’re small enough to easily carry, yet just the right size for getting good use out of them
• for what you’ll pay for one of these that you’ll use again and again, you’d spend on one budget-friendly case of paper towels that have to be bought over and over – increasing waste (and expense) like crazy

You get the idea, right?

Cons

I can’t really think of any cons. At $7 each, PeopleTowels won’t break the bank. Invest in a few and you’ll save tons on disposable napkins, paper towels, and the environment. They’re not hard to use or transport so I can’t think of any reason to NOT like them! Besides, now you can even buy them in BULK!

Verdict/Grade?

Honestly, I was a teeny bit worried when I opened the PeopleTowels package and noticed that these cloth hand towels are actually smaller than I had envisioned. This is NOT a bad thing and I guess I just thought they’d be bigger, for whatever reason.

However, as I tried them out (with sopping wet hands), I found them to be SUPER absorbent—and exactly the right size for tucking neatly in a purse or pocket. I’m sure folks thought I was a little – or a lot! – bonkers for taking pictures in a public bathroom – but oh well! Ha! Ha! Such is the life of a blogger, eh?

Dryin’ in Style!

Perfectly Dry Hands!

I give People Towels an…

A+!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do you have any experience with or knowledge of PeopleTowels? Do you go through paper towels like crazy? Or do you use washable hand towels? Now that you’ve learned about reusable PeopleTowels, would you give them a try? Will you be more conscious of your disposable paper towels? And… I have a surprise for y’all!!!!!!!!!!!! Stay tuned…

Check out the PeopleTowels BLOG!

Get YOUR PeopleTowels online HERE. Or see if they sell at a location near you.

“PeopleTowels’® mission is to empower ordinary people and socially responsible companies to contribute to a sustainable environment by replacing paper towels with reusable PeopleTowels.”

Go green and/or give the gift of green, with PeopleTowels!

Hey, y’all!

So glad you enjoyed the peek at my shimmery delivery – and that you appreciated my honesty in my last post: Remembering Raw Roots, Realizing Raw Reality. Honestly, with how fast-paced life is in our world, it’s super cool if you’re able to slow down and spend time preparing raw foods, juices, and/or smoothies. Yes, it’s important but I do realize some folks just don’t have the spare time to wash, chop, prepare, and store raw produce.

I’m going to get to the People Towels, but first I MUST tell you: I am SO excited about an upcoming CSN Stores Promotion! (I urge you to check out their home bar furniture if you love entertaining your family and friends – or just enjoy hanging out.)

About the Towels

I was excited to find a package from People Towels (check ‘em out at www.peopletowels.com) in the mailbox today! This company is AMAZING and I’m already busy at work on a seriously in-depth review of the eco-friendly People Towels, information about the company and those behind it, and also have something in store for YOU, too! (Thank you, People Towels, for being SO generous and sending me a 5-day supply of your towels, plus a pouch to carry them in!)

Today was a busy day for me. I had to run some errands around the city and it was the perfect opportunity to jump immediately into the review process. I went wild with the camera (as you’ll see below) and then grabbed a couple of these cool, eco-friendly towels to bring along with me on my adventures. They easily went into the carrying pouch People Towels sent me. I tied that baby onto my mini backpack/purse and off my (super sweet!) husband and I went.

Enjoy the following photos and get ready for a lengthy review – and LOTS more pics!

Have you heard of People Towels? Have you ever considered the number of trees being used up by using disposable paper towels? Let’s talk!

Disclaimer: Christine Fiske, of Bite Bags (www.sustainablebite.com), sent me two bags to try out. I was not paid to write this review.

I’m super excited about the opportunity to share my thoughts on Bite Bags with you. You know I love living an eco-friendly lifestyle. So, when Christine was kind enough to send me a couple of bags, I was ecstatic. I love the design, the thought of reusable bags, and everything about them. Let’s get to business shall we?!

About the Company

Bite is a fairly new company. The focus is walking lightly on our precious Mother Earth by “taking a Bite out of plastic.” By using – and reusing! – Bite’s produce and food storage bags, your decreased use of plastics (sandwich/snack and produce bags) will add up to a healthy dose of preserving our beautiful environment.

From the Bite site:

about bite

 

“Not very long ago, Bite was born with a mission to make grocery shopping and sustainable food storage more fun and eco-friendly at the same time. We believe and live by reducing, reusing, and recycling. Keep an eye on Bite’s upcoming product lines in 2010.”

 

 

 Take a Bite out of plastic! 

Bite reusable produce bags are durable, machine washable, and lightweight!

Consider this: The average shopper uses an estimated 260 plastic produce bags each year! We’ve made it easy to stop wasting this harmful plastic with our stylish and versatile reusable bags. Bite Reusable Produce and Snack bags are the stylish way to snack and shop in style while helping preserve the Earth!

"Be the Change You Wish to See in the World" – Ghandi

Heart & Soul of Bite

Christine Fiske seems like an amazing lady with an even more amazing passion for fighting the use of plastic by promoting reusing and recycling – not only of her products, but just in general. And she even sent me a personal, handwritten note!

From the Bite site:  

about the founder, christine fiske

“Christine has always wanted to combine her interests of creating an impacting difference in the world and running her own business. It began in college when, as a business school student, she started pondering how to combine creating a meaningful business that would leave the world a better place. That dream finally came to fruition when she realized her ideas for sustainable food storage products and created Bite’s first line of Reusable Produce Bags.”

About the Bags

Bite bags are fun, versatile, eco-friendly – and so much more. You can use the smaller ones to pack snacks for lunches or just for food storage in the fridge. Take the bigger produce bags along to the farmers market and/or grocery store to cut down – or eliminate! – your use of plastic bags at the checkout line.

From the Bite site:

“Not very long ago, Bite was born with a mission to make grocery shopping and food
storage more fun and eco-friendly at the same time. Have you ever reached for a plastic produce bag at the store, or worse, a plastic baggie in your home and felt guilty that you were contributing to the endangerment of mother Earth? Well, we did, and we were determined to change that!

We’ve created bags that are not only chic, but transparent, durable, lightweight, closable, machine washable (yes, really!) and versatile for a number of other uses (including lunch packing, toy organizing, toiletries toting, and snack stashing!) Past customers RAVE about their bags!”

Pros

Bite Bags have a draw string top to ensure the contents don’t fall out or roll away. They’re designed in bright, cheerful colors that reflect your personality. They are lightweight, easy to store when not in use, and will fit easily in your purse, tucked away in your car, or even in your pocket!

Check out the Frugal Prices!

• Single Produce Bags are only $5.
• Single Snack Bags are just $3.99 – the 3 pack is $11.99!
• 3-Pack Produce Bags are a cool $14.49!

Bite Bags are not only kind to Mother Earth – they’re kind to your wallet!

Cons

The only con I can (seriously!) think of, is this: I want ALL of the different styles and sizes!

Verdict/Grade?

I find Bite Bags to be absolutely smart, reusable, and eco-chic – just like Bite advertises! They’re not only fun to look at and use, but it’s great to know I won’t be wasting a crazy amount of those plastic produce bags at the store anymore. Woo hoo!

Bite Bags, I give you a big, fat…

A!!!

Keep up the fantabulous work!

More Bite

You can find Bite Bags at the following cyber locations:

Facebook

Twitter

The Bite Shop

www.sustainablebite.com

Do you enjoy reusable bags? Have you tried Bite? Do you strive to live sustainably? If not, do you think it’s something you might take baby steps toward in 2011? Feel free to dive right in to the comments with some juicy, green conversation. Feel free to ask questions. I’ll do my best to answer or you can contact Christine directly here.

Be watching for some super fun holiday posts!

Happy Saturday, y’all! Hope your weekend is fantabulous so far. And Happy Mother’s Day to YOU!!! I’m very blessed to have an AWESOME mom, and I’m very thankful!!

Okay, you want to know who WON, right? And not my chattiness. I understand!

Up for grabs was the super neat Easy Lunch Boxes set, which is an eco-friendly way to transport your meals and/or snacks to school, work, during travel, or even just for a picnic on a beautiful day. You can read my in-depth review HERE, if you missed it. I urge you to check it out!

Click HERE to see if you won!!!

Yay! Another giveaway has come and gone and there’s a super lucky winner to be announced! I’m so thankful to A Sense of Place Photography for allowing us this opportunity. I’m still loving my water bottle and Katie was right: Every time I look at the flowers on the bottle, I feel cheerful and happy! (I adore flowers!)

I’ve enjoyed water, juice, and smoothies in my bottle. Well, go check out my review HERE if you missed it (there’s a free recipe, too!).

Okay, you’re waiting to find out who won. I know, I know. I’ll shut up now! LOL

Click HERE to see if you won!!!!

And a special thank you to A Sense of Place Photography for their beautiful work, generosity, and desire to spread the word about eco-friendly living!

Don’t forget about my Easy Lunch Boxes Giveaway!!!!

This is another eco-friendly giveaway with a super cool, fun, green prize!

Click HERE to enter!!

Disclaimer: Easy Lunch Boxes provided me with a 4-container set and lunch bag (as shown in my photos below). However, I was not asked to write a favorable review in exchange for the free products. I wasn’t asked to write a review or mention them at all. The opinions in this post are my own.

Thank you, Kelly!!!

If you love the environment and the convenience of eating well, you’ll love this giveaway!

Updated to add WINNER

Woo hoo! Finally time for you to find out who won!

There was 131 entries. I visited  Mr. Random (www.random.org) to select a winner.

He chose comment # 55.

And who did comment #55 belong to?

Well, that would be….

Julia, from the eco-friendly blog: Easy Eco To Go! Julia is raising her children to be aware of our beautiful environment, and I know this prize will be a wonderful Mother’s Day surprise for her!! Way to go, Julia. Keep up the great work!!

Julia @ Easy Eco To Go said:

I follow you on twitter @easyecotogo
Julia @ Easy Eco To Go´s last blog ..2 Green Thumbs Up For Gardening!

Congratulations, Julia, and Happy Mother’s Day!!!

Please read the contest rules before entering. Comments are moderated so you won’t see your entries right away. Thanks!

Contest Rules

Note: The reason I ask you to leave a comment for EACH, SEPARATE entry is because I enter the total number of comments at random.org once the contest has ended – and each comment represents your entry number.

There is only ONE required entry for this contest – but if you REALLY want to win, there are several (fun) extra ways you can enter following…

But first, you may want to read my in-depth Easy Lunch Boxes review. Just in case this is your first time visiting Healing With (Raw) Juices, or you missed my review, you can check it out here:

Winner receives an eco-friendly Easy Lunch Box System (a 4-container set + a lunch bag cooler)!! And you get to choose the (lunch bag cooler) color!!!

ONE Required Entry

Visit www.EasyLunchBoxes.com and come back and leave a comment letting me know something you learned or like, or which color cooler bag you’d most like to have, OR which colors they should offer if you don’t see your favorite color. That’s it – easy peasy! 

AND… If you want to put in a little extra effort….

(and receive a LOT of extra entries – aka chances to win) keep reading…

Numerous ways to get extra entries!

There are 20 ways to enter this contest!!

2. For FIVE EXTRA ENTRIES, share this contest on your blog, linking back to this post. Leave FIVE SEPARATE COMMENTS to let me know you did. (Yep, you’ll really leave FIVE different comments for this so you’ll be able to get five extra entries. )

3. Become a fan of Easy Lunch Boxes on Facebook. Then, come back here and leave a comment to let me know you did that – or that you already are.

4. Become a fan of Raw Juice Girl on Facebook. Leave a comment on this post saying you did -or that you already are.

5. Follow Healing with (Raw) Juices on Facebook’s Networked Blogs. Leave a comment on this post saying that you did – or do.

6. Do you use Twitter? Follow @RawJuiceGirl on Twitter. Comment on this post, saying you did – or do.

7. Follow @EasyLunchBoxes on Twitter. Leave a comment on this post that you did that.

8. Tweet about this contest and then leave a comment with your Twitter name. You can use this tweet (or your own, just be sure to include via @RawJuiceGirl @EasyLunchBoxes) – Then, leave a comment that you did – with your Twitter name or status link.

Win an #ecofriendly @EasyLunchBoxes set (via @RawJuiceGirl) Enter now!! ( http://tinyurl.com/2cqy7uz )

FOR EVEN MORE ENTRIES: For tweets, Facebook shares, or Plurk you may share the contest up to 5 times a day, but each tweet/share must be 1-2 hours or so after the previous one. (Thanks so much for understanding my position of keeping things fair and square, y’all!)

9. Comment on another recent eco-friendly post of mine (Organic Companion Gardening, Sunny Days, Flowers, Fresh Air) and let me know if you garden. Do you take your eco-friendly bottle to the garden with you? Come back here and leave a comment so I know you did. If you’ve already commented on that post, just comment here letting me know you already have a comment there.

10. Visit my eco-friendly Easy Lunch Boxes Review and leave a comment letting me know what you like about my review, the company, the water bottle, the design, living green, etc. Come back here and leave a comment letting me know you did that. If you’ve already commented on that post, just comment here letting me know you already have a comment there.

11.Comment on one of my Recipes posts and let me know which recipe you’d love to pack in your Easy Lunch Box system. Then come back here and let me know you did that. If you’ve already commented on that post, just comment here letting me know you already have a comment there.

12. Subscribe to Healing with (Raw) Juices via e-mail (sign up here) – be sure to verify your subscription or this entry won’t count. Then comment and let me know you did – or that you already are.

13  Subscribe to Healing with (Raw) Juices via RSS (sign up here). Then leave a comment telling me you did – or that you are.

14. Subscribe to my brand-new newsletter (sign up here). Then comment here and let me know you did - or that you area.

15. Do you Plurk? Plurk about this contest and leave a comment with your Plurk URL.

16. Add me as a friend on Wellsphere . Leave a comment saying that you did- or do. 15. Add me as a friend on RawFu. Leave a comment saying that you did- or that you area.

17. Add me as a friend on Give it to Me Raw. Leave a comment saying that you did- or that you are.

18. Subscribe to Raw Juice Girl’s YouTube channel. Leave a comment saying that you did- or that you are.

19. Are you a Stumbler? Stumble and review any post you want to–just leave the link to your SU review in (its own) comment.

20. Do you have a Digg account? Digg this post. Come back and leave a comment on this post with a link to your Digg post.

NOTE: Please leave a comment for each entry (tweet, plurk, etc.) because each comment will be counted as a number when I enter the total number of comments at Random.org once the contest ends.

Contest Deadline

Contest ends Friday, May 7. I’ll accept comments until midnight. (Central Time). Winner will be posted the next day.

That gives you TWO WEEKS to get your entries in. Hurry and spread the word. The more entries you have, the higher your chances of winning an eco-friendly Easy Lunch Boxes System! Go tell all your friends and have FUN!!!!

Let the contest begin!!!

Don’t forget to read my eco-friendly A Sense of Place Water Bottle Review if you missed it—and you can win your own in my giveaway!! It’s a $30 value!!!

Dislaimer #2: This post contains affiliate links. I signed up of my own free will – after I personally used (and LOVED!) the Easy Lunch box system. So, if you click on any of the links or graphics and end up purchasing something, I will receive a small commission. Thank you in advance for your understanding, and your support of my hard work and in-depth reviews of healthy, eco-friendly, user-friendly, Raw Juice Girl-approved products!

Disclaimer: A Sense of Place Photography provided the custom, steel water bottle (and interchangeable lids) for this review; however, I was not asked to write a favorable review in exchange for the free product(s). The following opinions are my own.

(Thank you, Katie!!)

Updated to Announce the Winner

I’m pleased to share the winner of the “A Sense of Place” Steel Water Bottle with you! I know it’s an exciting time for you all – especially those of you who have worked extra hard getting those bonus entries in (like lotsa tweeting, eh’?)!

Okay, I’ll get to the point…

There was 107 comments total and I visited Mr. Random (aka www.random.org) to select a winner.

Mr. Random says….

Comment #86 wins the prize!

Who owns that comment?

Angie Bishop said:

I just tweeted about this!
Angie Bishop´s last blog ..ran away today barefoot, perspective and morning fuel.

- 2 May 2010 at 1:51 pm

Congratulations, Angie!!! I’ll be contacting you soon and anxiously awaiting your response!

And a special thank you to A Sense of Place Photography for their beautiful work, generosity, and desire to spread the word about eco-friendly living!

******************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Anyone who loves the environment and has a desire to walk lightly on Mother Earth, will love this giveaway.

Please read the contest rules before entering. Comments are moderated so you won’t see your entries right away. Thanks!

Contest Rules

Note: The reason I ask you to leave a comment for EACH, SEPARATE entry is because I enter the total number of comments at random.org once the contest has ended – and each comment represents your entry number.

There is only ONE required entry for this contest – but if you REALLY want to win, there are several (fun) extra ways you can enter following…

But first, I thought you might want to read my in-depth review. Just in case this is your first time visiting Healing With (Raw) Juices, or you missed my review, you can check it out here:

Winner receives an eco-friendly water bottle with interchangeable lids—and gets to choose the design!!!

A Sense of Place Review

ONE Required Entry

Visit A Sense of Photography Etsy Shop and come back and leave a comment letting me know what products you think you would buy or like most. That’s it – easy peasy! 

AND… If you want to put in a little extra effort….

(and receive a LOT of extra entries – aka chances to win) keep reading…

Numerous ways to get extra entries!

There are 20 ways to enter this contest!!

2. For FIVE EXTRA ENTRIES, share this contest on your blog, linking back to this post. Leave FIVE SEPARATE COMMENTS to let me know you did. (Yep, you’ll really leave FIVE different comments for this so you’ll be able to get five extra entries. )

3. Become a fan of A Sense of Place Photography on Facebook. Then, come back here and leave a comment to let me know you did that – or that you already are.

4. Become a fan of Raw Juice Girl on Facebook. Leave a comment on this post saying you did -or that you already are.

5. Follow Healing with (Raw) Juices on Facebook’s Networked Blogs. Leave a comment on this post saying that you did – or do.

6. Do you use Twitter? Follow @RawJuiceGirl on Twitter. Comment on this post, saying you did – or do.

7. Follow @ASenseofPlace on Twitter. Leave a comment on this post that you did that.

8. Tweet about this contest and then leave a comment with your Twitter name. You can use this tweet (or your own, just be sure to include via @RawJuiceGirl @ASenseofPlace) – Then, leave a comment that you did – with your Twitter name or status link.

www.HealingwithJuices.com is giving away a $30 #ecofriendly water bottle!!! http://tinyurl.com/yyunyfo (via @RawJuiceGirl @ASenseofPlace)

FOR EVEN MORE ENTRIES: For tweets, Facebook shares, or Plurk you may share the contest up to 5 times a day, but each tweet/share must be 1-2 hours or so after the previous one. (Thanks so much for understanding my position of keeping things fair and square, y’all!)

9. Comment on another recent eco-friendly post of mine (Organic Companion Gardening, Sunny Days, Flowers, Fresh Air) and let me know if you garden. Do you take your eco-friendly bottle to the garden with you? Come back here and leave a comment so I know you did. If you’ve already commented on that post, just comment here letting me know you already have a comment there.

10. Visit my Eco-Friendly A Sense of Photography Water Bottle Review and leave a comment letting me know what you like about my review, the company, the water bottle, the design, living green, etc. Come back here and leave a comment letting me know you did that. If you’ve already commented on that post, just comment here letting me know you already have a comment there.

11.Comment on my Garden Squats post and let me know if you use the beautiful outdoors to get your exercise in, or if you prefer to stick to the gym. Then come back here and let me know you did that. If you’ve already commented on that post, just comment here letting me know you already have a comment there.

12. Subscribe to Healing with (Raw) Juices via e-mail (sign up here) – be sure to verify your subscription or this entry won’t count. Then comment and let me know you did – or that you already are.

13  Subscribe to Healing with (Raw) Juices via RSS (sign up here). Then leave a comment telling me you did – or that you are.

14. Subscribe to my brand-new newsletter (sign up here). Then comment here and let me know you did - or that you area.

15. Do you Plurk? Plurk about this contest and leave a comment with your Plurk URL.

16. Add me as a friend on Wellsphere . Leave a comment saying that you did- or do. 15. Add me as a friend on RawFu. Leave a comment saying that you did- or that you area.

17. Add me as a friend on Give it to Me Raw. Leave a comment saying that you did- or that you are.

18. Subscribe to Raw Juice Girl’s YouTube channel. Leave a comment saying that you did- or that you are.

19. Are you a Stumbler? Stumble and review any post you want to–just leave the link to your SU review in (its own) comment.

20. Do you have a Digg account? Digg this post. Come back and leave a comment on this post with a link to your Digg post.

NOTE: Please leave a comment for each entry (tweet, plurk, etc.) because each comment will be counted as a number when I enter the total number of comments at Random.org once the contest ends.

Contest Deadline

Contest ends Tuesday, May 4. I’ll accept comments until midnight. (Central Time). Winner will be posted the next day.

That gives you TWO WEEKS to get your entries in. Hurry and spread the word. The more entries you have, the higher your chances of winning a $30 A Sense of Photography Eco-Friendly Water Bottle!! Go tell all your friends and have FUN!!!!

Let the contest begin!!!

Disclaimer: A Sense of Place Photography provided the custom, steel water bottle (and interchangeable lids) for this review; however, I was not asked to write a favorable review in exchange for the free product(s). The following opinions are my own.

(Thank you, Katie!!)

I’m always elated when I find an email from a potential sponsor for a review. Not only  does it mean I’ll get to try out something fun, new, and share it with you, it usually means an awesome giveaway for y’all, too!  And it’s always, always a bonus when the product promotes eco-friendly living—something I’m very passionate about!

There are countless ways to live green, but a super easy habit to get in to is carrying a reusable bottle to drink out of. Whether it’s water, tea, a smoothie, juice—or even coffee—reusing the same container does not only give you green points, it’s not even a hassle.

So when I was contacted about this company and what they’re doing, I immediately responded, asking if I could review their eco-friendly, steel water bottle. When Katie answered with a yes, she told me I could choose any of her photos for my water bottle’s design. I browsed through her selection and ended up choosing this beautiful photo. Katie happily obliged. I’m overjoyed! I LOVE flowers and the Swiss Meadow scene—it’s beautiful!

“Welcome to our shop! We sell peaceful atmospheric prints from around the world. Our wish is that everyone might have a sense of place.”—A Sense of Place Photography

I could tell from corresponding with Katie that she’s a very warm, generous person, but I could never have dreamed just how much of herself she puts into her business! Before long, my package arrived and I saw for myself how much of Katie’s heart and soul is in everything she does….

Opening A Sense of Photography Package

LOVE the attention to detail!!!!!

Oooooohhhhhh, Aaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!! SO beautiful!!!!!

About the Company

A Sense of Place Photography is owned by Katrina (Katie) and her husband. She refers to him as “the King”.  

It’s always nice to learn more about not only the company—but the people behind it. So let’s get to know them…

From A Sense of Place Photography Etsy Bio

We take pictures; we are in love.
See profile for more selection & information. Giclee prints available in sizes 8X10 and up.
Please try our gallery view blog: www.theyouandmeshow.com
our music while you browse: http://www.myspace.com/uswiththekings

Like Our Landscape Photography? View more at http://tiny.cc/landscapes15. We’d be happy to create a custom listing for you! Do visit our abstract http://www.thedadafactory.etsy.com & vintage http://www.goldenmustard.etsy.com photography shops

 

The Short Story

Welcome to A Sense Of Place Photography
by Katrina & the King!
http://asenseofplacephotography.blogspot.com 
Katrina likes mountains.
Katrina is not a hurricane, or a 80′s pop rock band, though Katrina likes Paleo quite a lot.
Katrina loves her husband: theyouandmeshow.com
Katrina is an american indie photographer, poet & songwriter. in that order.
~If you are in Norfolk, you might like to have a look on our series at 208 East Plume Street, Suite 2, inside the Walls Fine Art Gallery.

To read “The Long Story” click HERE. Or, to learn even more, click HERE.

Wait, you want to know more? Okay, okay…

Who is Katie?

Instead of writing this in my own words (like I always do!) I thought it would be way more fun – and entertaining – if I shared snippets of Katie’s About Page with you—in her words. To be even more specific, the following information is taken from The You & Me Show, by Katrina King ~ a journal on modern marriage & the mayhem of it

Q. who is me {katrina}?

A. i’m a freelance writer, photographer, actor, singer, world traveler, design-lover, napper, Christian, avid dog lover {yet only has cats}, avid NYC lover (but country bumpkin at heart) wife, and blogger. a housewife is really the last thing I ever thought I’d be and I’m still always trying to find ways to get out of it! I also do not have any obsession with cupcakes…at all. i am *always* looking for a job. i am *always* up for travel. i’ve recently been dreaming of designing clothes with photography. my dream jobs are 1. La Fuerza Bruta 2. The Ad Council 3. National Geographic 4. Writing a book*

*I actually just finished my first poetry book. You should buy it.

Here [contact seller if sold out]
exhibitionist. idealist. loves mountains.

Q. if i was an animal: A. white flamingo

And the King?

Q. who is you {the king}?

A. old fashioned lover of sailboats, poetry, Judaism, history, language, coffee & chocolate. also by far the sexiest man I have ever seen. he has magic in his hands and in his lips. he is *always* up for ice cream. he is *never* one to whine. his dream jobs are 1. circumnavigating the globe 2. designing sailboats 3.owning a ranch 4. writing a book {and if truth be told, he can sing and act better than I ever could despite all my years of training….though he’d never admit it)
internal. cynic. loves the ocean.

Q. if he was an animal: A. dodo bird

we both have sunshine love

A Sense Of Place Photography takes dreams and puts them into tiny pixels, provides professional & unique artistic documentation for your event & creates fine art for galleries and interior decorating for your home and business. Run by husband & wife photographer team, Katie & Steven King. 

-Analog & Digital, Stark & Vital, we knock your socks off. –  www.asenseofplacephotography.com

Pretty awesome, huh?!

And they’re in favor of preserving our environment…

100% Recycled Packaging!!!!!

More detail!!!!

Personalized Note!!!!

Even MORE detail!!!!

Interchangeable Lids!!!

My favorite one!!!

(I love this one ‘cause I can just loop my finger through the hole and go.)

Another awesome lid!!!!

The whole kit and kaboodle!!!

A Sense of Photography Business Cards

(photo courtesy of their Etsy Shop)

Easy to Pack with Easy Lunch Boxes!

Pros

Of course the main pro of this water bottle is that by using it, you’re helping our beautiful environment, but there are other pros as well.

A few pros are that it’s:

• eco-friendly
• easy to grab and go
• easy to clean
• beautiful and cheerful
• fun to take with you
• holds a variety of drinks: water, tea, smoothies, juice, coffee
• and more!

Oh, and don’t forget it arrives in 100% recycled packaging!!

Here’s even more information from A Sense of Photography…

Description (from their Etsy Shop):

Be green and take your sense of place with you at the same time!
To work
To school
To play
and be hydrated with good old H20 on the way!
With buying this water-bottle, you pledge to
Say goodbye to plastic bottles that are harmful to our environment!
Our new bird on the wire water-bottle is dishwasher safe and comes with two screw-top options.
Explanation of the photos to the right:
1-Water bottle you will be receiving: Front
2-Sport’s top and back of water bottle
3-Trendy Screw Top
4-Tags, Business Cards, and sew on labels that come with your order.
5-A Sense Of Place Photography Logo
This thing is as tough as a brick, and looks great too! Be careful, soon it will want to go everywhere with you
Please visit: www.theyouandmeshow.com to learn more about how being in love helps us make our art.
Please visit http://www.asenseofplacephotography.com for our website, manifesto, and photo blog.
I love shipping overseas as well. Just quote me a price!

And the flowers make me HAPPY—they’re so cheerful!

It even has a built-in coaster!

Cons

As those of you who read all (or a lot) of my reviews, you know that two of the biggest cons I look out for are cost and taste. Well, taste doesn’t apply here, but cost might (in your opinion). This bottle costs $30 but even though that might make some of you cringe, it’s still hard for me to consider it a con (and y’all know how frugal I am!) because this is an investment that you’ll enjoy over and over again. If you think about it, you spend that much on 6 lattes—and they come in throwaway cups!

The only other “con” I can come up with (and y’all know I have to find SOMETHING because cons have to be listed in reviews due to FTC rules) is the fact that you’ll have to wash it. That’s no big deal (at all) to me. But to some of you who despise washing a dish—or even using the dishwasher—you might not enjoy washing a to-go bottle.

Verdict/Grade?

Overall, I must give this beautiful, eco-friendly, reusable bottle – and A Sense of Photography company – an A+ because not only do the folks behind the business put their heart and soul in to everything they touch, the bottle is something that won’t harm our precious environment any more than it already has been! And that’s a HUGE plus in my book!!

If you haven’t tried a reusable bottle, I urge you to start today! Get your own HERE!!! And not only do they offer a Steel Water Bottle with an Interchangeable Top, they offer a beautiful Eco-Tote-Woman’s Sailing Bag!!

Time for a GREEN drink!

After chugging a few (DELISH!) sips…

Ginormous Green Banana Juice Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 (large) banana (frozen in chunks)
• 2 (ginormous) handfuls spinach leaves
• 2 tablespoons flax seed, ground
• 2 tablespoons Nutiva hempseeds
• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt (Vegans could substitute with nut-based or coconut yogurt—or just leave it out.)
• 1 1/2 cups herbal tea (or any liquid you want—my tea was an herbal tea combo my mom made)

Directions:

Toss everything in to your blender and process until smooth and well blended. Pour and enjoy!

It was DELISH—and it held me over extremely well. I wasn’t even the least bit hungry until after 2 p.m. in the afternoon!

I’ve also enjoyed lots of yummy water in my eco-friendly bottle. And I plan on enjoying many more to-go juices and smoothies in this beauty.

Do you carry your juices, smoothies, water, tea, coffee, etc., in a reusable bottle? Or do you always buy bottled water or other drinks that come in paper or plastic cups? Does it bother you? What about just an occasional treat—like a latte or smoothie in a to-go cup? Is that okay with you? I’m not judging here—just curious as to how you all feel about needless paper and/or plastic products. Also, do you like your smoothies super-duper thick, or runny? This smoothie is runny and that’s why I thought the name was a fun one. Of course, it isn’t technically a juice because you don’t juice bananas.

Oh, and are you wishing YOU had one of these beauties? Awesome! ‘Cause guess what’s coming up next? Yeah, you know me—a GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!!

Stay tuned…

Updated to Add

The contest is live!!! You can now enter to WIN your own A Sense of Place Water Bottle!!!

Remember that beautiful pink package from ShimmerOrganics? And the interview with Lisa Ann Turkel, owner of that RAWsome, organic, eco-friendly beauty company?

You know… the one that made me look like this:

Well….

She’s given me the RAWsome opportunity to HOST A GIVEAWAY for ShimmerOrganics!

Thank you, Lisa!!!

Winner receives the 4.5 ounce Mandarin and Honey Revitalizing Mask (the biggest container) – a $36.00 value!

There are FIFTEEN ways to enter the ShimmerOrganics contest (US residents only):

#1 is mandatory – the others are optional. But the more entries you get in, the greater your chances are of winning!

1. Leave a comment sharing  why you absolutely MUST try the ShimmerOrganics Mandarin and Honey Revitalizing Mask.
2. Become a fan of ShimmerOrganics on Facebook. Leave a comment saying you did.
3. Become a fan of Raw Juice Girl on Facebook. Leave a comment saying you did.
4. Add ShimmerOrganics to your Hot List on Artfire. Leave a comment saying you did.
5. Do you use Twitter? Tweet about this contest and then leave a comment with your Twitter name. You can swipe this tweet: RT @RawJuiceGirl is giving away a 4.5 ounce container of #raw #pure #ecofriendly ShimmerOrganics clay mask! ( http://tinyurl.com/y8uhde7 )  Then, leave a comment that you did – with your Twitter name or status link.
6. Do you Plurk? Plurk about this contest and leave a comment with your Plurk URL.
7. Share this contest on your blog, linking back to this post. (The pingback will be counted as an extra entry.) If you don’t see your pingback, just email me at healingwithjuices at gmail.com and let me know. It may have gone to spam for some reason.
8. Follow @RawJuiceGirl on Twitter. Comment, saying you did.
9. Are you a Stumbler? Stumble and review any post you want to–just leave the link to your SU review in (its own) comment.
10. Do you have a Digg account? Digg one of my posts. Take your pick. Come back and leave a comment on this post with a link to your Digg post.
11. Leave a comment on the ShimmerOrganics Mandarin and Honey Revitalizing Mask review post . Come back here and leave a comment letting me know you did that.
12. Leave a comment on the package arrival post and let me know what you like about (or recommend for) the packaging. Come back and let me know you did, with a comment on this post.
13. Leave a comment on my interview post with ShimmerOrganics owner, Lisa Ann Turkel. Leave a comment here saying that you did.
14. If you share this contest on Facebook or some other social media account, I’ll accept that as an extra entry. Just share the link to this contest on that site and leave the link here in the comments to let me know you did.
15. Follow me or friend Lisa Ann Turkel (or me) on any of the social media sites for an extra entry. If you follow or friend Lisa (or me) on more than one social media site, simply add an extra comment sharing that you did.

NOTE: Please leave a comment for each entry (tweet, plurk, etc.) because each comment will be counted as a number when I enter the total number of comments at Random.org once the contest ends. (Don’t just say “thanks for the contest” or something like that–I do not publish those type of comments because they seem like spam and aren’t fair to the other contestants who leave a thoughtful, genuine answer.) Thanks!

This contest is open to US RESIDENTS ONLY (sorry, international readers!!) – 0h, and I’ll be using Random.org to choose the winner.

Contest ends Wednesday, January 20th. I’ll accept comments until midnight. (Central Time). Winner will be posted the next morning.

That gives you TWO weeks to get your entries in. Hurry and spread the word. The more entries you have, the higher your chances of winning!!!

Let the contest begin!!!!

Wednesday, August 19th is FINALLY here! You still have a few hours left for entering to win a yoga mat (of your choice) + a yoga DVD (by Instructor Stacy McCarthy). Contest ends at 9 p.m. (Central Time) and there are SEVEN ways to enter. Hurry, while there’s still time!

As the yoga mat + DVD contest is nearing its end, I’ve been working hard to gear up for other reviews and contests. Some will just be reviews of products I’ve received as samples. Others will be both reviews and contests like I normally host. I’m exciting to have the amazing opportunity to review the following and share my thoughts with you!

Books from Book Publishing Company

(The Book Publishing Company (www.bookpubco.com) is a health-minded book publishing company.

It’s their desire to be your #1 resource for health reference, recipes, and enjoyment.)

The Raw Food RevolutionDiet, by Cherie Soria, Brenda Davis RD, Vesanto Melina, MS, RD

Raw Food Made Easy, by Jenny Cornbleet

Raw for Dessert, by Jenny Cornbleet

I can’t wait to dig in to these books. Thanks, Richard!

(Autographed Copy!!!) of Gillian McKeith’s Boot Camp Diet

I’ve been a HUGE fan of Gillian McKeith’s for years. I love her approach to a healthier lifestyle, and she’s quite thefeisty little lady! (See for yourself: www.gillianmckeith.com) And I’m SO honored that she not only sent a copy of her Boot Camp Diet book for me to review and one to give away–they’re BOTH autographed! Eeeek! Thank you, Gillian!!!

Sarah’s Wicked Witch Hazel Spray

(This is an eco-friendly yoga mat cleaner from The Bolder Mat Company. Can’t wait to try it!)

Manitoba Harvest Hemp Milk (Bliss)

Thanks to my contact at Manitoba Harvest (www.manitobaharvest.com ) for sending me one of each of the Hemp Bliss flavors they offer:

Chocolate

Vanilla

Original (sweetened)

Original (unsweetened)

They’re all organic and I can’t wait to pry into ‘em and see how blissful they truly are!! Eeeek!!

Been Busy!

Besides working hard on quality reviews and planning awesome upcoming contests with fantabulous sponsors (I love you all!), I’ve been busy helping my mom with her herb business. We’ve been setting up at outdoor markets. Her blog is updated now with one of our latest marketing adventures. You might want to take a peek. You’ll get to see me dressed up in a pioneer dress and a bonnet!

Upcoming Contests Featuring these Fabulous Companies

• 2 Food Matters DVDs (I’ve watched this now… it’s AMAZING! Review + Contest coming tomorrow!!)
• Detox 4 Women by Natalia Rose (I read this book last night and it’s awesome; it really helps you understand water retention, etc!)
• Oh Nuts! (raw macadamia nuts and pecans) <— These are seriously delicious nuts–and they’re JUMBO sized!
• E3Live (Green-tasting (which I don’t mind!), but I REALLY notice that it’s making me feel better. It was definitely put to the test through my recent stressful events!)
• 2 books (Coconut Water for Health and Healing and Oil Pulling Therapy: Detoxifying and Healing the Body Through Oral Cleansing by Dr. Bruce Fife
• and MORE!

You’ll definitely want to stay tuned!

Be sure to subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life PLUS get to enter all sorts of awesome contests!

First, I’d like to send out a huuuuuuge thank you to Mic and everyone at Navitas Naturals for not only sending delicious samples for me to try, but for sponsoring this contest so you’d have the opportunity to try some, too! Thank you!

And the Winner Is…

There was a total of 14 comments. When I went to Random.org to find out which comment number won, it generated #1–and who was the #1 commenter on the Navitas Naturals Contest post?

Angela!

Here’s what Angela’s winning comment said:

1 Angela { 06.11.09 at 11:35 pm }

“Oh my gosh- what an amazing contest. Like you Michele, I have never tried a goji berry. I would love to try these. I am also a big fan of cashews and can definitely use an eco-friendly canteen for our almost daily hiking treks. Thanks so much for the contest. You Rawk!!!”

Congratulations, Angela! E-mail me at healing with juices at gmail dot com with your mailing address and I’ll get your package in the mail!!

Upcoming Contests Featuring these Fabulous Companies

• 2 books by Nomi Shannon, The Raw Gourmet (These two books have GORGEOUS photos and the recipes are amazing!
• 2 Food Matters DVDs (Haven’t had a chance to watch this one yet, but do check out their site–they have a RAWsome message to share!!)
• Detox 4 Women by Natalia Rose (I read this book last night and it’s awesome; it really helps you understand water retention, etc!)
• Living Tree Community (Raw almond butter and organic coconut mango persimmon butter!)
• Oh Nuts! (raw macadamia nuts and pecans) <— These are seriously delicious nuts–and they’re JUMBO sized!
• E3Live (Green-tasting (which I don’t mind!), but I REALLY notice that it’s making me feel better. It was definitely put to the test through my recent stressful events!)
• and MORE!

You’ll definitely want to stay tuned!

So… be sure to subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life.

First, I’d like to send out a huuuuuuge thank you to Mic and everyone at Navitas Naturals for not only sending delicious samples for me to try, but for sponsoring this contest so you can try some, too! Thank you!

Navitas Naturals Goodies

Check out that eco-friendly canteen! Now you can re-use your water container and help preserve the environment! And look at those delicious cashews and goji berries. Eeeek!

I was super excited when my package from Navitas Naturals arrived. I absolutely love cashews and I was pleasantly surprised by the freshness of this brand. I had never tried goji berries and to be honest, I wasn’t sure if I liked them at first! They grew on me, though–and there’s so many ways you can incorporate them into your meals or snacks:

• smoothies
• oatmeal
• granola
• cookies
• or just by the handful

Navitas Naturals: The Company

It’s nice to know a company has the health of their consumer in mind when they’re creating and selling their products. Here’s what Navitas Naturals shares on their About page:

“Health conscious consumers choose our nutrient-rich products because they are loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Our premium quality “superfoods” are always free of additives and trans fats; the absence of these elements speaking to the purity and effectiveness of the products.”

Do you know what “Navitas” means?

I learned what it means when I checked out their website: The “Navitas” in our name is the Latin word for energy.

How awesome is that?! Healthy snacks from a healthy company–and the root of the company is based on energy! Who couldn’t use a little more energy in this crazy world, right?

What do I mean by “healthy company”?

Look what else I discovered on their About page:

“And like our name implies, our mission is to provide premium organic functional foods that increase energy and enhance health. Part of this effort is to continually search for the world’s most beneficial natural foods. Navitas Naturals is a certified organic, green business headquartered in Marin County, California.”
Healthy for our bodies–and our world? Now that’s a winning combo in my book!

And…. you can follow them on Twitter! @NavitasNaturals

Navitas Naturals Contest!!

What you’ll be winning:

• 1 eco-friendly canteen
• 1 package of raw cashews
• 1 package of goji berries
  

You’re allowed FOUR FIVE SIX entries for this contest:

Note: Please leave a comment for each thing you do (tweet, plurk, etc.) because each comment will be counted as a number when I enter the total number of comments at Random.org once the contest ends. Thanks!

1. Leave a comment sharing why you want to try Navitas Naturals products. (DO NOT just say “thanks for the contest” or something like that–I do not publish those type of comments because they seem like spam and aren’t fair to the other contestants who leave a thoughtful, genuine answer.)
2. Do you Twitter? Tweet about this contest and then leave a comment with your Twitter name.
3. Do you Plurk? Plurk about this contest and leave a comment with your Plurk URL.
4. Share this contest on your blog, linking back to this post. (The pingback will be counted as an extra entry.) If you don’t see your pingback, just email me at healingwithjuices@gmail.com and let me know. It may have gone to spam for some reason.
5. Add Healing with Juices to your favorites on Technoratori. Comment again to let me know, with a link to your technoratori profile to show you added us.
6. Are you a Stumbler? Stumble and review any post you want to–just leave the link to your SU review in (its own) comment.

NOTE: ANYONE can enter this contest. You DO NOT have to be in the United States. Oh, and I’ll be using Random.org to choose the winner….

Contest ends Monday, June 15th, at 9 p.m. (Central Time) so you have FOUR DAYS to get all your entries in. Have fun trying to win!!

After this contest ends, you’ll be competing for more raw nuts, raw nut butters, books, DVDs, and lots more–so don’t miss out on upcoming posts!

Be sure to subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life.

I’m pleased to announce that Healing with Juices is once again in contest mode! I’ll be posting a new contest tomorrow featuring awesome products from Navitas Naturals. This is a fantabulous company. They have super customer service, great products, and it’s an honor that I get to review and host a contest for some of their goodies!

What will you win?

The winner of this contest will receive THREE awesome prizes!!

An eco-friendly canteen!

A package of yummy raw cashews!

A package of tasty goji berries!

I’m busy writing a deserving review of the above and the contest will launch with that post (like always). I’m so excited to be back in contest mode again, you all. I love, love, love being able to inspire you to eat healthier by offering you healthy treats!!

Upcoming Contests Featuring these Fabulous Companies

• 2 books by Nomi Shannon, The Raw Gourmet (These two books have GORGEOUS photos and the recipes are amazing!
• 2 Food Matters DVDs (Haven’t had a chance to watch this one yet, but do check out their site–they have a RAWsome message to share!!)
• Detox 4 Women by Natalia Rose (I read this book last night and it’s awesome; it really helps you understand water retention, etc!)
• Living Tree Community (Raw almond butter and organic coconut mango persimmon butter!)
• Oh Nuts! (raw macadamia nuts and pecans) <— These are seriously delicious nuts–and they’re JUMBO sized!
• E3Live (Green-tasting (which I don’t mind!), but I REALLY notice that it’s making me feel better. It was definitely put to the test through my recent stressful events!)
• and MORE!

You’ll definitely want to stay tuned!

So… be sure to subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life.

Copyright of Healing with Juices

Posted Sunday, August 2, 2008

By

Michele L. Tune

One of the topics I’ve decided to add to this blog is living green. I’m very proud of the things I do to help protect our beautiful environment. See that box of peaches in the photo? Those came from a local farmer’s market. They were grown locally. By buying them, I’ve helped the environment in a variety of ways. How, you ask? Well, for starters a semi truck didn’t have to drive them to the grocery store. Look at all the gas that was saved. Also, it supports the local farmers when we buy from them so they can keep growing food that will keep us healthy. Another good thing when you buy from local farmers, they normally don’t use as many chemicals on the produce as it grows. Sometimes they don’t use any. All these things help the environment.

I adore farmer’s markets. There’s nothing like seeing all those vendors selling nutritious, home grown food! Fruits, veggies, and herbs that are grown organically are the best. The flavors are so fresh and delicious and just think of all the nutrients we’re getting – instead of nasty ole chemicals!

I know you’re thinking I’ve made peach juice or a peach smoothie out of these beauties. I will, but for now I’m enjoying their sweet taste as is. Just look at how beautiful they are!

I’m not sure how expensive peaches are where you’re at, but for this big box it only cost me $7.00 (U.S) -  definitely a huge savings there! So, I get to enjoy all these tasty peaches on a frugal budget while living green. How awesome is that?!

Here are a few tips for living green:

• purchase reusable, cloth shopping bags and take them with you when you shop – no more plastic!
• shop local – saves gas on your part and the delivery trucks
• use a quality, natural home made soap as shampoo – eliminate those chemicals and plastic bottles!
• use cloth napkins
• walk rather than drive short distances
• use essential oils instead of chemical fragrances, sprays, or toxic candles to make yourself and/or your home smell fresh

I’ll share more green tips in upcoming posts.

Don’t just buy food from the vendors at farmer’s markets. They also sell soaps, lotions, shampoos, lip balm, clothing, and so much more. Spend some time there and purchase things that will not only help the vendors keep coming back, but help you live as green as possible. Hey, you might even learn to make or grow some things to sell yourself!

Here’s to life, health, and healing with juices!