I have a confession to make.  I am addicted to office supplies.  When school starts up every year, I get really excited to go supply shopping.  I just love being able to buy a box of crayons for 25 cents.  While I am always sure to stock up my classroom with all of my supply needs, this is also a perfect time to make sure my house is stocked up as well.

I once saw an episode of Will and Grace where Will decides that he is going to turn his spare bedroom into a wrapping room.  While most people would thing this as strange, I jumped up and got really excited.  I love to wrap gifts.  I spend a lot more time that I probably should to make sure my gifts look spectacular.  I am very particular about the type of gift wrap I use and the tape that I use to wrap them with.  In my mind, the only tape to buy is Scotch Magic Tape, everything else is just garbage.

Scotch Magic Tape just got greener with their new Greener Tape!

New Scotch Magic Greener Tape (including refillable dispenser, packaging and tape) is made from more than 75 percent renewable or recycled materials, including a plant-based adhesive. The boxed refill roll, including packaging, is made from more than 65 percent recycled or plant-based materials.

In addition to the new Greener Tape, Scotch also has more products that are available to make back to school more enjoyable:

The Scotch Pop-Up Tape Deskgrip Dispenser a has soft rubber base that grips onto smooth horizontal surfaces without adhesive, staying in place when in use but still easily moved from place to place on the desk or countertop. It dispenses pre-cut 2-inch tape strips, for quick, convenient use. There’s also a One-Handed Dispenser that parents, teachers and students can use to neatly and quickly apply tape at the precise length needed, making this a convenient addition to any homework station, classroom or home office.

As a teacher, I appreciate all of the new products that Scotch creates just in time for back to school.  The One-Handed Dispenser has been a lifesaver at work already.  Having tape available quickly is very important to first graders!  As a parent (and gift wrapper extraordinaire) I appreciate the durability and ease of use that these new Scotch Magic Tape products bring to the table.

Be sure to check them out and enter to win one of each product that I reviewed!

Buy It

Scotch Magic Tape products are available in stores nationwide.

Win It

One (1) lucky reader will win a Scotch Magic Tape Prize Package!

How to Enter:

I am going to make this simple, all you have to do is leave a comment and tell me your favorite school or office supply product!

Hurry… this giveaway ends Friday September 23.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Scotch and received Scotch Magic Tape products to facilitate my review, Scotch Magic Tape products to give away, and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Since Coco was born, I have become more interested in organic and natural products.  The new mom in me wants to be sure the foods I feed him, the clothes he wears, and the lotions and washes I use on him are non-harmful and safe for his growing little body.    I heard about Nature Certified, a new company that offers only safe and natural products for babies and their moms, and was excited to try out their products.  Nature Certified was created by a mom who has the same concerns as many of us moms out their – she wanted not only the best but the safest products for her children.  All the products this company offers contain natural resources and organic ingredients whenever possible.  Nature Certified offers a variety of products – lotions, bath oils, clothing and much more!  My favorite products are the organic cotton hooded towel and organic baby and child bath tea bags.  First of all, the towel is made out of 100% organic cotton and is super absorbent.  It is also the perfect size for my son, who outgrew all of his infant hooded towels.  The towel is soft and dries up well to be used for the next day.

Another Nature Certified product that I really like is the Organic Baby and Child Bath Tea bags.  The bags are 100% organic and are made out of rooibos, oat flour, coconut flour and chamomile.  They have a mild and soothing scent, which make Coco smell like a little flower when he gets out of the bath.  Recently, we switched Co to all formula and he was on his first antibiotics for Bronchitis, so as you can imagine, his poor little bum was a diaper rash nightmare.  I used these bags in his bath for 2 nights and his rash was drastically better the next day.  All I had to do was fill the tub with warm water, dip and squeeze the bag, follow up with a little bit of cool water, and then let the bag sit in his tub.  The tea bags also help with eczema relief as well.

So, as I venture out further on my organic search, I hope to find more mommy-friendly companies like Nature Certified that promise to offer only quality products that they would use on their own children.  The organic and natural goods that Nature Certified offers are consumer friendly and safe for babies, toddlers and their moms.  For more information, check out their website at www.naturecertified.com.

This giveaway was made possible by Nature Certified.  I was not compensated for this review other than a product sample. All opinions are 100% mine.

How did you celebrate Earth Day this year?  I thought that this year in particular many brands are realizing the importance of supplying buyers with Eco-friendly options.  More and more often I am seeing environmentally friendly products available at my local stores and this is a good thing.

I do my best to reduce my carbon footprint on the earth.  There are so many little things that you can do that all add up and can make a huge difference.  Recycling, eliminating the use of pesticides, reusing bags are just a couple of the things that we do.  Did you know that there are also options available where you can reduce or even eliminate the use of plastic sandwich bags that you use in your lunches?

Earth Swag is a company that was created out of a mom’s desire to eliminate chemicals coming into contact with her child’s food.  She needed plastic bags to transport her child’s food, but she hated that they all went into the trash so she created a reusable bag and wrap made of bacteria-inhibiting cotton that is also machine-washable, stain-resistant and printed in one of two great prints.

Our Thoughts

I love these bags!  It feels great to have a bag designed for snacks that I can just throw into the wash and reuse as many times as I want to.  The sandwich wrap is a wonderful idea that I haven’t seen anywhere else.  My co-workers thought it was really a great idea and it saves so many plastic bags that I have less of those to buy saving me money (you all know that I love to save money).  These products make it so easy to eliminate trash created from taking your lunch to school.  I am going to stock up on them for when TJ starts bringing his lunch to school.

Buy It:

You can purchase Earth Swag’s Reusable Snack Bags and Sandwich Wraps for their website at www.earthswag.com.

Win It:

One (1) lucky winner will win a set of 1 Reusable Snack Bag and 1 Sandwich Wrap from Earth Swag.

How to Enter:

Want to win? Simply leave a comment and tell me why you would like to win!

Want another chance to enter?  Visit the PTPA Blog and enter on my post there!

Please leave a comment about each entry, include a valid email address or you may contact me directly with your contact information.
Open to US residents only. This giveaway will end at midnight on May 15. Winner will be picked from Random.org. after combining comments from both this site and the PTPA Blog Post
Good Luck!

This giveaway was made possible by Earth Swag and PTPA.  I was not compensated for this review other than a product sample. All opinions are 100% mine.

Coco is finally at the age where I feel that shoes are necessary for everyday living, rather than just being cute and for looks. Since he is all boy, I wanted to find a stylish yet comfortable pair of shoes that he could grow into and that he would actually keep on. Most importantly, I wanted to find protective footwear for him that would offer healthy assistance as his feet grew. When my friend told me about Pediped, I knew that this footwear was exactly what I wanted for Coco!

The little shoes are cute and flexible, and actually mimic the feeling of walking in bare feet. They are also durable and slip resistant, so as he starts crawling and pulling himself up on things around the house, he won’t be tripping and falling over clunky shoes. Pediped footwear was created to ensure healthy development of your baby’s feet, so as he grows, the shoes will allow his feet to breathe and protect them from everyday usage both indoors and outdoors. The footwear is offered in a variety of colors and designs. I am in love with the new Adventure line. The colors and designs of this line are open and airy, which make them perfect for the everyday play during the hot summer days.

One of the great things about the Pediped company is their philanthropic involvement focused on helping children. In 2010, Pediped established the Pediped Foundation to support children around the globe. The foundation has donated over $1,000,000 in products and monetary support since the launch of the foundation.

The Spring/Summer 2011 collection is pediped’s largest and most innovative to date featuring  more than 75 new styles across pediped® footwear’s three lines, Originals®, Grip ‘n’ Go™ and Flex®. The collection features pediped’s signature comfortable fit and a broadened color palette of bright color combinations on trend for Spring and Summer. To meet consumer demand, pediped® has expanded athletic styles, and brought the popular Adrian style across all three lines in brighter colors for boys and girls.

Buy It:
To order your very own pair of these adorable shoes, visit www.pediped.com for more product information.

This product review was made possible by Pediped.  I was not compensated for this giveaway other than a product sample. All opinions are 100% mine.

While I can’t tell you the difference between aeroponics and hydroponic gardening,  I am environmentally responsible, I shop!

Some of you might be wondering how someones vice could also help our natural resources.  Well, when I shop I look for environmentally friendly companies.  For instance, check out these adorable shoes from Umi:

Umi uses only non-toxic drum-dyed leathers and other environmentally friendly components in their shoes. They also come protected in recycled packaging.  Buying these is a great way to be environmentally responsible.

I am also going to be purchasing some trucks from Sprig Toys for TJ’s birthday.  Sprig Toys uses SprigwoodTM – a child-safe, bio-composite material made from recycled wood and reclaimed plastic to make all of their toys.  As TJ loves trucks and tractors I know that he will love these toys!

I also am environmentally responsible when I shop for myself!  I love my yoga clothing from Bamboosa.  I wear this skirt practically all summer long. Being responsible has never looked so good!

I love all the eco-friendly options that we have when we shop for our families.  It is no longer the days of wearing ugly hemp to help the planet, it is now stylish and comfortable.  Children can now play with toys that allow their planet to be just a little bit more taken care of.  It is important for our children to be as responsible as we can.

How do you help reduce your carbon footprint?

We purchase bottled water to drink in my house.  Our city water is disgusting and I only use it to wash myself, clothes and dishes with.  I have recently been looking for ways to reduce our carbon footprint on the earth and one major way we can is to reduce the  buying of  bottled water and therefore reducing the amount of trash we produce.  The problem is that we love cold filtered water and the filter on our faucet can only get the water so cold.

We recently were sent a Filtrete Water Pitcher through our relationship with Mom Central.  I was very excited to try this pitcher our for several reasons.  First, I have only used Brita pitchers in the past and I am very disappointed at how much room in the pitcher the filtering process takes.  It takes forever for the water to filter through and  half of the pitcher itself is taken up by the filtering process.  The Filtrete is different.  It uses a circular filter that doesn’t take up as much space leaving more capacity for the filtered water.

I also love that the filter lasts longer than traditional water pitchers.  One of my biggest complaints about my old water pitcher is how often I had to change the filter.  It was not only annoying to have to run to the store to buy a filter, it was also costly.  I am trying to save money every chance I get so having to go and buy twice as many filters is not something I can do right now.  The result is that I just ended up using the filter long past its longevity and thus cancelling the point of have a filtered water pitcher in the first place.

Overall, I love the capacity of this 12 cup pitcher and the space saving in my refrigerator.  It takes up a lot less room that a 24 pack of bottled water.

You can register to receive seasonal e-newsletters featuring money-saving offers, filter change reminders, better home living tips and more by signing up on the Filtrete Water Filtration Products website.  You can also follow Filtrete Water Filtration Products on Twitter (@FiltreteWater) or like the brand on Facebook for healthier living tips.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Filtrete and received the water pitcher to facilitate my candid review.

My family and I have been concentrating on eating healthier meals.  I want to make sure that all my hard work in the gym is going to pay off.  Being from Idaho, I grew up on meat and potatoes.  While I might live in the Midwest now, you can’t take the Idaho out of me. I love to eat steak.  If I could handle all the cholesterol that goes with it, I would eat steak every day. Fortunately for people who feel the same way I do there is Bison.  My family was very fortunate to have had the chance to try out a healthy alternative to usual steak dinner, a bison steak from High Plains Bison.

High Plains Bison is a company specializing in Bison food products including steaks, hot dogs, sausage, burgers, roasts and more. Here is a little bit more about High Plains Bison:

I was so excited when I found out that I was going to be a mom that I went straight out to my favorite store (Target) and started my love affair with baby products.  Included in my first shopping trip was a bottle of Johnson’s Baby Lotion, we all the the one that makes your baby smell like a baby.  I stocked up on the stuff.  Little did I know that my poor son would inherit his mama’s eczema and extremely sensitive skin.  I had to give all of my baby lotion away because it caused TJ to break out (sadly I did keep a bottle and every once in a while I smell the baby powder smell and think of babies).

A few weeks ago I learned that Johnson’s created a new Natural line of products formulated with 98% natural plant & fruit-derived ingredients I was hopeful that TJ would finally be able to have his Johnson’s experience.  Here are the products in Johnson’s new Natural line:

• Johnson’s Natural Baby Lotion
• Johnson’s Natural HEAD-TO-TOE Foaming Baby Wash
• Johnson’s Natural Baby Shampoo
• Johnson’s Natural Kids 3-in-1 Shampoo Conditioner & Body Wash
• Johnson’s Natural  Kids 2-in-1 Hand & Face Foaming Wash

All of the products include Johnson’s famous No More Tears formula.  The product line also features Johnson’s ALLERFREE fragrance.  I was a little concerned about a fragrance being an ingredient (usually that is what breaks out sensitive skin) so I went to Johnson’s website to learn a little more:

The ALLERFREE™ fragrance found in our JOHNSON’S® NATURAL™ product line does not contain any synthetic ingredients. Our product formulations feature a combination of plant and fruit derived ingredients and our ALLERFREE™ fragrance, an allergen-free fragrance rooted in natural ingredients like fruit and vegetable oils and sugars. Unlike other natural products, the fragrance in our JOHNSON’S® NATURAL™ line does not contain highly concentrated essential oils, which can be irritating to baby’s skin.

Armed with my new information I was encouraged to give it a try.  I always try out new products on myself before trying them out on TJ.  I know that if my sensitive skin breaks out, TJ’s definitely will.  I tried out the products with great results.  While it isn’t the baby smell that I was hoping for, the fragrance is nice and I didn’t break out.  We have been trying all of the new products on TJ during bath time and his skin looks great.  We especially love the 3-in-1 Shampoo, Conditioner and Body Wash.  I love that we can grab this one bottle when we go out of town and we have everything we need, and anyone who has bathed a baby knows that if you can clean and condition in one step you should do it.  None of the products have irritated TJ’s eyes, and his hair has been looking very nice after his shampoo.

In addition to using natural products, Johnson’s has created its new line of products uses up to 60% post-consumer recycled material in the packaging.  They also never test their products on animals.

After everything is said and done, I feel like we have a winner.  The Natural line from Johnson’s is a great addition to the famous pink bottle.  I feel confident in using these products and I can feel good about helping the earth by buying Eco-friendly packaged products for TJ.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by  Mom Central on behalf of Johnson’s and received the products necessary to  facilitate my review. In addition, I received a gift certificate to thank me  for taking the time to participate.

I don’t know about you, but I refuse to drink water out of the tap. Our water taste disgusting so our family drinks exclusively bottled water. As you can imagine this can get expensive. I was researching different water filtration systems for our family when I came across the Zuvo Water Filtration System.
The Zuvo Water Filtration System uses uses a patented five-step process to produce clean, healthy, great tasting water:

STEP 1: OZONATION
In nature, ozone is generated by lightning and cleans the air where rainwater forms. The Zuvo Water Purator mixes ozone with incoming tap water to treat taste and odor contaminants and improve taste. Like chlorine, ozone is a powerful oxidizer. Unlike chlorine, ozone leaves no chemical residue.

STEP 2: ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT
The ozone saturated water is flooded with high-intensity UV light – the same as the solar energy that cleans water in the upper atmosphere.

STEP 3: PHOTO-OXIDATION
The Zuvo Water Purator combines UV and ozone in a patented process known as photo-oxidation which releases powerful oxidizers to further treat the water.

STEP 4: FILTRATION WITH LEAD REMOVAL
Pure spring water is created by passing through fine particles in the earth. Zuvo uses the same principle by passing water through a Class 1 Particulate Reduction Filter, reducing chlorine taste and odor, lead, and tiny particulates.

STEP 5: POST-FILTRATION UV
The filtered water is again exposed to high-intensity UV light as it leaves the Zuvo Water Purator, ensuring that you get clean, healthy, great tasting water…just the way nature intended!

Here is a video demonstration about how the Zuvo Water Filtration System works:

So… does it work?  After a few weeks of using the Zuvo, I have noticed a distinct taste difference in our tap water.  It tastes just like bottled water.  It really works!  It looks really cool on the counter top and everyone who sees it comments on how neat it looks.  TJ loves watching the water bubble through the Zuvo as it fills his sippy cup.  It is an all-around hit in our household.  Now we can save money and help the environment by reducing all of our plastic water bottle waste.

Buy It:

You can purchase the Zuvo Water Filtration System for $299.99 at the Zuvo online store here.

Win It:

One (1) lucky winner will win a Zuvo Water Filtration System of their very own! (Above-Counter model ARV $299.99)

How to Enter:

Visit Zuvo’s website and tell me one thing you learned about the water filtration system.

(You must complete this entry before completing any of the bonus entries)

Bonus Entries:

• Follow me on Twitter and Tweet: Win a Zuvo Water Filtration System (ARV $299.99) @AMomsImpression http://wyn.cc/zbsls  (You may enter daily, just leave a comment with each Tweet’s link)
• Like A Mom’s Impression on Facebook
• Like Zuvo-Water on Facebook
• Blog about this giveaway (Please leave a link to your post)
• Grab my Button and post it on your blog.
• Subscribe to A Mom’s Impression by Email (2 Entries, please leave 2 comments: Please remember to confirm your subscription)
• Comment on any non-giveaway post on A Mom’s Impression. (just tell me what post you commented on)

Please leave a comment about each entry, include a valid email address or you may contact me directly with your contact information.
Open to US and Canadian residents only. This giveaway will end at midnight on July 25. Winner will be picked from Random.org. 
Good Luck!

This product review was made possible by Zuvo. I was not compensated for this review other than a product sample. All opinions are 100% mine.

We have planned a lot of fun outdoor activities this summer.  TJ and I are going to be going to the playground, swimming in the kiddie pool and taking walks.  With all of the outdoor sun exposure I wanted to be sure TJ is protected from the harmful UV rays.  As many of you are aware, TJ has extremely sensitive skin so finding products that won’t cause TJ to break out is fairly difficult.  I was ready to begin the search for a sunblock and bug spray,that is very gentle yet effective,when I came across a website that specializes in natural products for outdoor play.

All Terrain began because the founder, Todd Hakanson, was hiking when his bug spray leaked inside of his backpack.  The bug spray contained DEET and ate through his backpack and even melted the keys on his calculator.  He researched the harmful effects of DEET and became so concerned about what he learned that he developed his own all-natural insect repellent. All Terrain’s products have all natural ingredients and their packaging is made from recycled material, recyclable and/or biodegradable.

All Terrain sent us Kid’s Herbal Armor Spray, Kids Eczema Cream and their AquaSport SPF 30 sunblock.  Right before the products arrived, TJ and I were playing outside on the deck.  Sometime during that time TJ was bit by a bug and had a huge gub bite on his upper arm.  We used the Kid’s Herbal Armor spray the next time we were out and I didn’t notice a single bug bite.  As a mom who is very concerned about the safety of insect spray use on toddlers, I can rest easy knowing that every ingredient in the Kid’s Herbal Armor Spray is all natural.  Not only is the product 100% DEET free, it has been clinically proven to be 100% effective for over two hours, 95.8% effective for three hours and 77.1% effective for four hours. My niece is highly-allergic to mosquito bites.  If she is bit by one her face swells up.  This product is perfect for her and my son who also suffers from eczema.  The repellent is gentle on the skin and TJ has yet to break out in a rash because of it.

We have also had great success with the AquaSport SPF 30 sunblock.  I opted to go with the adult version of the AquaSport instead of the kid version because I really needed something strong for myself.  I am extremely fair-skinned.  I burn easily in the sun. TJ and I both used the sunblock and neither of us were burned and neither of us broke out in a rash (which is saying something).  I love that we can both use the same formula of sunblock so I don’t have to pack several different tubes when we go out.

Buy It:

This summer stay protected outdoor with All Terrain natural products for active lifestyles.  You can purchase them on their online store here.

This product review was made possible by All Terrain.  I was not compensated for this review other than a product sample.  All opinions are 100% mine.