$100 GC winner to The Tender Tush!

The moment you have all been waiting for! The winner of the $100 GC to The tender Tush is "thecatsmeow"
I was really surprised at this, due to the fact I had to re-draw the winner twice. The first person random.org chose, did not like the tender tush on FB!! The second person did not publicly follow my blog!
Congrats to the winner! You have been e-mailed and have 48 hours to contact me to claim your prize, or I will have to draw another!
Didn't win this time? I have three other awesome giveways going on right now!
Just click here to see all my active giveaways!

~Mama of the Littles~

People Towels review and #GIVEAWAY {US and Canada}

Do you use paper towels? Do you use paper napkins? I admit, we have been using both for a long time. But in an ongoing effort to reduce our carbon footprint, I've decided to go paper towel-less! Yes, that's right, no more disposable paper towels, or napkins for us! This is where People Towels come in!
Here is a bit of information about People Towels (taken from the People Towels website):

"What are PeopleTowels?

People Towels are the newest concept in sustainability, and the latest in eco-chic fashion. An on-the-go, sustainable alternative to paper towels in public facilities, these reusable personal hand towels are made of a patent-pending fabric that’s 100% certified organic Fair Trade cotton. The light-weight fabric is absorbent, yet dries quickly.

PeopleTowels are printed with eco-friendly dyes, and come in a variety of designs to appeal to different tastes and styles. Convenient hangtags even allow you to clip or loop your PeopleTowels to your backpack, belt buckle or purse.

PeopleTowels are machine washable and will last for years. The towels will soften and fade slightly after repeated washings. You may see slight variations in the towels"

I was so excited when I found out about People Towels, and even more excited when they sent me a 2-day supply in the "Heart set" for my review!
This is what I received:

A picture of the back of the towels, I love that they have that little loop, it's perfect for hanging on my kitchen cabinet for fast drying:

It even comes with a cute little 'eco-sac'

Why I love People Towels!
This is not just a company that has come up with a product to sell to make a profit. On the contrary, this is a company with a mission, to reduce the carbon footprint, we all leave on the earth!
I LOVE these towels. They are awesome, not to mention very chic!
They are made with 100% certified organic fare-trade cotton and are printed with eco-friendly dyes!
These towels are perfect for the diaper bag (think sticky fingers from the ice cream, simply get wet and wipe away). They are also great for wiping little one's faces (think runny nose)! I have used these towels in a variety of situations and I have been impressed with the quality of these towels every time!

You can even use them for a cloth wipe, though I'm not sure I'd like to smear poo all over that beautiful design (art work really)!
See for yourself some of the other chic designs:

You can purchase these awesome reusable towels directly from the People Towels website! A 2 day supply retails for only $15.99! One of you will win your very own 2 day supply of People Towels in winner's choice of design!

Giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents!

Simply fill out the Rafflecopter form below!

You may have to click "read more" to view the Rafflecopter form!

Good luck and have fun!

~Mama of the Littles~

Disclosure: I received the product(s) mentioned above in exchange for this review. No monetary compensation was received by me. This is my honest review and opinions are 100% my own and may differ from yours!

Kissaluvs Marvels One Size All In One #clothdiapers review and $15 GC GIVEAWAY {Bringing Home Baby} US only

The most recent diaper I was sent to try out was a Kissaluvs Marvels one size all in one! Miryam from Bringing Home Baby contacted me shortly after I had moved from MD to TN! Come to find out her shop Bringing Home Baby is located in Maryland!
I was sent the Kissaluvs Marvels AIO in Lagoon Blue!
This is what I received:

Inside of the diaper:

Outside of the diaper:

This is an All in one (AIO) diaper, so there is not stuffing involved....

The soaker is sewn into the diaper and it actually agitates out of the diaper during the wash for a very thorough cleaning!

As you can see in the picture above, the soaker is actually a bit longer than the diaper itself, but that works out great so that you can fold it and get the extra coverage where your baby needs it most!

Here is a little more information on this diaper (information taken from Bringing Home Baby's website):

"Kissaluvs Marvels One Size All in One Diaper
One Size, Fits 7-35 lbs. Quick Drying. No stuffing.

Our absolute favorite diaper! Super easy to use - simply snap on and snap off! Grows with the baby, so you’ll never need to buy another diaper again.

Patent Pending Self-cleaning, No-stuffing design. Toss the diaper into your washing machine and the soaker will agitate out to get a thorough cleaning and dry in a jiffy, but will stay attached to the diaper. Depending on your machine’s agitation cycle, the diaper may turn completely inside-out in the wash. Upon drying, simply reach in and turn the diaper right side out.

Easy to use, Easier to clean. No stuffing, No touching dirty inserts!

Features:
•Waterproof exterior
•Super soft, stay-dry fleece next to skin keeps baby dry and comfortable
•Self cleaning: the soaker agitates out in the wash yet stays attached
•No stuffing or hunting for soakers in your washing machine!
•Gentl but effective elastic at legs and waist contains all messes
•Pocket in the back to stuff additional soakers if needed
•No messy Velcro. Adjustable snaps and overlapping wings ensures the diaper fits skinny and chubby babies alike
•One sized, fitting babies 7-35* pounds
•Super simple design, will be loved by dads and babysitters alike!
•Available in eight great colors: staple White (with White inner) and fashion colors with neutral inside colors: Gold Glow, Rose Dust, Grassy Green, Chocolate, Baby Blue, Butter, Lagoon Blue and Hip Pink"

This is a one size diaper, designed to fit babies from 7-35 lbs!
Here is the diaper on it's smallest size setting:

Medium size setting:

Largest size setting:

This is an awesome diaper. I ONLY use AIO's anymore for nap time for my 2 yo! They are the only thing that keep him dry for the 2-3+ hours that he naps! They are so easy to use too. No stuffing, or un-stuffing!
This diaper, is very well made, is very absorbent, and is very economical (considering it will fit your baby from 7-35 lbs)!
Here is this diaper on my 2 yo son:

It is a great fit. As you can see it is on the second rise setting and he has plenty more room to grow, and this diaper will still fit him!
You can purchase this diaper directly from Bringing Home Baby for $22.95 They come in many cute colors as well:

Bringing Home Baby also offers a wide variety of other cloth diapers, baby carriers, swim diapers, breast feeding supplies, skin care items and toys (to name just a few)!
Check out Bringing Home Baby's website to see what other awesome baby items they have!
Bringing Home Baby has generously offered one of you the chance to win a $15 GC towards the purchase of anything in their store!
To enter, simply click on the Rafflecopter form below! You may have to click on 'read more' in order to see the Rafflecopter form!

Good luck and have fun!!

~Mama of the Littles~

Disclosure: I received the product(s) mentioned above in exchange for my review. This review is my honest opinion based on my own personal experience, and may differ from yours. I did not receive any monetary compensation in exchange for this review!

Better Life {Clean Happens} Floor Care Kit Review and #GIVEAWAY {US only}

I LOVE our new home. It is a lot bigger than our old one, and we own it, as opposed to living on a military installation! Being that it's bigger, that means more for me to clean! I don't mind one bit though. It's nice to actually have a craft room, and the 'bonus room' above the garage (which is now known as the guest bedroom/play room)!
The one thing different in this home than in any other home that we have lived in is that it has hardwood floors! I was really unsure of how to care for hardwood floors. I mean, with two (very active and messy) boys, a yellow lab, and a cat.... in our old home (which was mostly carpet and laminate) I was vacuuming every day just to keep the dog hair under control!
I was researching green floor cleaner and my good bloggy friend over at Safe Mama suggested Better Life Natural Household Products! So off I went to do my research!
This is what I found out!
Better life offers a wide array of natural, non-toxic, green cleansing products for your home! How their products are non-toxic/green?? Glad you asked! Their products contain plant-derived ingredients. They contain no dyes, fragrances, sodium lauryl sulfate/sodium laureth sulfate (SLS), Sulfates, Bleach, Ammonia, or Petroleum! All their products are cruelty-free as well!
I just love this illustrated picture that can be found on their website:

How many times have you walked into a grocery store that has just mopped the floors and the smell of Pine-Sol (or some other toxic chemical cleanser) has just about knocked you off your feet? I can't even shop in places like that, the smell bothers me so bad. I wonder what those fumes are that I am inhaling that are making their way to my lungs, veins, blood and so on! Yikes!
When I became pregnant with my first son (who is now 4) I started making small choices to live a more eco-friendly/green/organic (whatever you want to call it) lifestyle! From the things I ate, what I put on my body, to what I use to clean my home!
I can so relate to this story (which can be found on the Better Life website) written by Tim (a scientist and father)!

"It is true that having children changes everything, and for me that included my career. For the past 13 years, I have worked as a formulation chemist. My professional life has been dedicated to formulating exciting new products that are safe, effective, and innovative. For much of my career, I devoted my energy to developing skin care products. When Tiffany and I had children, our lives became exciting, challenging, wonderful and a bit exhausting, and well, so did my career.

Like any father, I want a safe and healthy environment for our kids. As soon as my children started to crawl and explore, I realized that oftentimes the biggest dangers exist inside our own homes. Under the kitchen sink and in bathroom cabinets - our homes are filled with harsh, toxic and deadly chemicals. As a scientist, I know that these chemicals pose a serious risk to us, our children and pets, every time we use them. As a parent, I wanted to get these toxins out of my house. I started using so called “green” cleaning products because the labels told me they were environmentally safe, non-toxic and effective. Yet it bothered me that warning and caution statements still remained on the label and these products contained many of the same harsh chemical ingredients found in the traditional products. Tim and I set out with a mission: to create a high performing cleaner that is completely safe. Our result is BETTER LIFE. It's safe for our families and our planet. No warning labels necessary."
How many of you can relate? I know that as parents we want to do everything necessary to provide our children with a safe, fun, loving environment in which they can grow and learn!

I would do ANYTHING to keep my boys safe and healthy! By switching to non-toxic cleansing products, I am taking a step in that direction!
I love this easy to read diagram found on the Better Life website that compares the ingredients of other 'green' products on the market:

Many of us are concerned with the below ingredients commonly found in cleaning products.
At Better Life, we hold ourselves to the highest standards and keep these ingredients out of our products.

	Possible Concerns	Method bathroom cleaner1	Mrs. Meyers all purpose cleaner2 (lemon verbena)	Green Works all purpose cleaner3	Seventh Generation disinfecting multisurface4 (green mandarin & leaf)	BETTER LIFE all purpose what-EVER! (clary sage &citrus)
Dyes	Have been linked to cancer, can be toxic to animals, slow to biodegrade.			X		NONE
Alcohol	Respiratory and skin irritant, flammable, can act as an aggressive solvent which may damage surfaces in the home.	X		X		NONE
Synthetic Fragrance	Central nervous system depressant, respiratory and skin irritant, slow to biodegrade, toxic.	X	X	X		NONE
Sulfates (such as SLS & SLES) and/or sulfanates	Irritating to skin and eyes, may contain 1,4-Dioxane.		X		X	NONE
Ethoxylates (Petroleum Based Cleaning Agents)	Ethylene oxide/petroleum based, may contain1,4-Dioxane, many pose threat to marine life, linked to cancer and sterility.	X	X			NONE
Petrochemical Solvents	Petroleum based, many are respiratory and skin irritants, toxic, may damage surfaces in the home.	X				NONE

¹As published on http://methodhome.com - 10/3/2011
²As published on http://www.mrsmeyers.com - 10/3/2011
³As published on http://www.greenworkscleaners.com - 10/3/2011
⁴As published on http://www.seventhgeneration.com - 10/3/2011

I'll admit, I've used Seventh Generation products (and still have some in my home) and I've also used Mrs. Meyer's before too! My point?? Just because the label reads "green" or "eco-friendly" does not necessarily mean the product is totally non-toxic!

Ok, so I contacted Better Life and inquired about their products! I explained my situation with owning a new home with hardwood floors and not being too sure how to care for them!
Kate from Better Life graciously sent me a Better Life Green Floor Cleaner Kit!
This is what I received:

This kit comes with a mop head and frame, lightweight universal extension pole, 2 microfiber mop pads, and a 32 oz bottle of Simply Floored natural floor cleaner!
I really love that the extension pole is extend able! My 4 year old can use it on it's smallest setting, and if I were like 7 ft tall, I could use it on it's tallest! :)
The extension pole is universal and simply screws right into the mop head:

The kit comes with two microfiber cloths! One side is made of the microfiber (blue) the other side is the soft side that sticks to the ultra strong Velcro on the mop head itself:

The top of the mop head has little grabber circles... what are they for? Well, you can simply take a microfiber cloth, lay the mop on top of it, and tuck the corners of the microfiber cloth inside those holes and you have a perfect little dry mop for (in my case) getting rid of all that dog hair!

(Insert memory of high school janitor pushing around that huge white shaggy dust-mop) only by using the microfiber cloths, the dog hair and dust actually cling to it, rather than just get pushed around!

The kit also came with their Simply Floored natural floor cleaner!

Ingredients:

Now to put this stuff to the test!
Before picture of my hardwood floors:

I went over the floor first with a microfiber cloth attached to the mop in order to get rid of all that dog hair, crumbs and dust!
Now, to use the Simply Floored, you don't need a whole lot! In fact, a little bit goes a long way! You get the mop head wet and wring it out. Then I took the jar of Simply Floored and made an S shape on the floor:

Then I used the damp mop to go over it and here are the results:

You can see from the first picture taken of the floors (the before pic) there are several little dark spots on the floor. Those were probably drops of a sippy cup or something of that nature, but after I went over the floor with the Simply Floored, all those dark spots were gone, and my floors were very well conditioned and oh so shiny (as seen in the picture above)!

I also tried this stuff on my laminate in my laundry room! Yes, this is where my nasty litter box is:

 Yucky cat litter dried to the floor :(

The end result:

I'm in LOVE with this stuff!

There are a whole slew of awesome products offered by Better Life (all of which I am dying to try)! They even offer a nursery cleaner and a kit for dog lovers!! Oh and did I mention that not only are their products safe around your littles, they are also safe to use around your pets too! I'm dying to try some of the hand soaps and lotions!

Better Life has free shipping on orders over $25.00 and let me tell you, if all the other products they sell are as awesome as the floor care kit I received, you will not be disappointed! In fact, Kate (who sent this kit to me) did her own review of this kit as well. You can read her review here!

Right now, you can purchase this Better Life Floor Care Kit for only $29.00 (with free shipping)!! Or, you can enter to win one here! That's right, Better Life has graciously offered one of you the chance to win a Floor Care Kit of your very own!!
To enter, simply use the Rafflecopter form below. You may have to click on "read more" for the form to completely load!


Good luck, have fun and Happy Cleaning!!

~Mama of the Littles~

Disclosure: I received the product(s) mentioned above in exchange for my review. This review is my honest opinion based on my own personal experience, and may differ from yours. I did not receive any monetary compensation in exchange for this review!

Plastic surgery {Lifefactory glass water bottles with silicone sleeve} Review and #GIVEAWAY {US and Canada}

Ever since I had children I have been seeking out ways to green and detoxify my home. To what we eat, to cleaning products to personal hygiene items!
Ever since I read somewhere back when that plastic water bottles can leach out harmful toxins into the water (especially if it's left in your car or in direct sunlight) I started searching for safer options. I bought all BPA free sippy cups for the kids (even have a few Kleen Kanteens for them as well). On my search to have plastic surgery (ie: remove all the plastic items from my home) I came across a few really interesting websites. Have you heard of Reusit.com? This on-line store has everything you could ever need or want to make your lifestyle a bit greener and much more non-toxic!

They carry every green item known to mankind. They have an especially nice selection of glass water bottles which really caught my eye. I was sent the 22 oz glass water bottle made by Lifefactory in midnight blue!
This is what I received:

I LOVE this bottle! It is perfect. 22 oz is just great for me to take with me to my Crossfit workouts! I fill it with about half ice and the rest filtered water. The best thing about these glass bottles? They are glass! That's right. You don't have to worry about Bisphenol (BPA), phthalates, and other harmful chemicals, because this bottle is made of glass!
It comes with a silicone sleeve which is great for keeping this glass water bottle from breaking. Believe me, I've dropped it before and it did not break! :)
Reueit.com carries these beautiful glass water bottles in several colors as well.

You can purchase this same Lifefactory 22 oz glass water bottle from Reuseit.com directly for only $21.95, or you can enter to win one here!

One of you lucky ducks will win a 22 oz glass water bottle of your choice!

Giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents!

Simply fill out the Rafflecopter form below!

You may have to click "read more" to view the Rafflecopter form!

Good luck and have fun!

~Mama of the Littles~

Disclosure: I received the product(s) mentioned above in exchange for this review. No monetary compensation was received by me. This is my honest review and opinions are 100% my own and may differ from yours!

A Slew of Winners and some important announcements!

Before I announce the winners, I’d like to take a moment to let you all know what is in store here at Life With My Littles. I have a few awesome reviews/giveaways that will be posted this week. After these are completed, I have decided to take a summer sabbatical. I really feel in my heart like I need to concentrate more on family and home life, as it looks like my husband *may* be getting deployed (again) in the fall. Summertime is a very busy time for us here too. We take trips; spend a lot of time outdoors, in the pool and so on! I am looking forward to spending this summer with my family, ‘unplugged.’

What does that mean? Well, I’ll still be checking in periodically via FB and maybe a few blog posts here and there. I just don’t want to get burned out on blogging. It has taken a lot of hard work, time and effort to get this blog to where it is today (thanks to all of you also)!
I have about half a dozen things to review and giveaway but after that, I will be taking a little break from the blog for awhile!
But don't, I’ll be back. The best thing you can do is subscribe to my blog via e-mail (right side bar about half way down) so when I do start things back up, you won’t miss out!

There is still one contest going on right now on my blog. It’s open world-wide and one of you will win a $100 GC to The Tender Tush. She is trying to make it to 1000 FB fans, and last I checked she only needed 9 more likes until I pick a winner! It is a referral contest, so you can ask your FB friends to like her and then claim them as an entry for YOU for your chance to win!

Read more about that contest here!

Also, I’d like to thank you all for voting for me for the Thanks Mama photo contest. I was a runner up and received a $50 GC to Thanks Mama!

Ok, onto the winners!!

Here is a HUGE list of the latest Life With My Littles winners!
The winner of the $20 GC to Baby Belle Bottoms is Amanda A.
The winner of the Imse Vimse swim diaper from Cotton Tail Baby is Amy.
The winner of the two Fuzzi Bunz one size diaper talk diapers and Wahmies wet bag is Bonnye S.
The winner of the $25 GC to Happy Green Baby is Lindsay.
The winner of the package of GroVia Bio liners is Bonnie M.
The winner of the $25 GC to The Tender Tush is Justice M.
The winner of the Rumparooz G2 diaper and extra hemp/bamboo insert is Beth R.
The winner of the $15 GC to Earthy Crunchy Mama is Jessica P.
The winner of the $15 GC to Abby’s Lane is Kristi R.
The winner of the Earth Mama Angel Baby “Mama Bottom Balm” is Angelique K.
The winner of the bag of Rockin Green soap is Chris D.
The winner of the set of 3 Wooly Rounds felted dryer balls is Rachel G.
The winner of the Sprig Soarin’ Sea plane is Beth C.
The winner of the bag of Nellie’s all natural laundry soda is Nikole.
The winner of the Applecheeks swim diaper is Antonia T.
The winner of the diaper of choice (giveaway sponsored by me) BG Freetime in Albert OR the BG 4.0 in grasshopper is Beth R.
The winner of the $15 GC to Cloth Diapers Inc is Joanne B.

A HUGE thank you to our most awesome sponsors and thanks to all of you for reading my blog and entering to win these awesome prizes!

Winners have been e-mailed and have 48 hours to claim their prize(s) before another winner is picked!

~Mama of the Littles

#CLOTHDIAPER #GIVEAWAY!! Bumgenius Free Time in "Albert" OR Bumgenius 4.0 in "Grasshopper" giveaway! {US only}

Okay, so I've been thinking.... alot! I've read and re-read your comments on the blog post regarding asking for votes in order for you to win a diaper (or other prize) from me. I was originally going to offer this giveaway in exchange for your votes for the Jack Be Natural photo contest, but not anymore! I'm still going to sponsor this giveaway, and one of you will still win one of the two diapers below!

The entries for this contest do NOT require you to vote!
I want to really thank all of you for posting your honest opinons about asking for votes in exchange for entries. I have been really convicted about it. Here is why, I was looking at all the beautiful pictures on the Jack be Natural contest page! Every single person pictured there has his/her own story. What if someone that submitted a picture was on the brink of poverty or in real need of some supplies for their baby? Those are real people, with hearts, thoughts and feelings. I want every person to have a fair chance at winning!

I am still going to be entering the giveaway and I would love for you guys to vote for my picture "Angela Clarksville, My second son bringing me so much joy!" Though I will not be offering you anything in return, just a word of thanks for showing your support! 

Contest details:
This Facebook voting contest is being held over at Jack Be Natural's Facebook page!
It will start on 8 May at midnight EST (so really at 9 May at 12:01 AM) and will end on 13 May at midnight (EST)! You can vote every 24 hours!

I am going to be giving away a diaper of choice to one of you, just because! The winner will be able to choose from either a Bumgenius Free Time One Size cloth diaper in "Albert" print

OR a Bumgenius 4.0 One Size diaper in "Grasshopper" (both have snap closure)!

This giveaway is open to US residents only!

I appreciate all of you!!

~Mama of the Littles