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

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!

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!

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!!!

(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!

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!

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!

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!!!

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!!

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!