Seventh Generation: Diva Review

Regular readers already know I’m a big fan of making my own cleaning supplies. You just can’t beat the price!

I know that MANY of you are not ready to start mixing your own cleaners – clearly your sanity is still intact. That said – You do  want to know the best options for non toxic cleaning in your own home.

When it comes to green home cleaning products you can’t get too far into any discussion without talking about Seventh Generation, a leader in the non toxic, greener  household solutions industry.

What they have to say:

Seventh Generation is committed to being the most trusted brand of household and personal-care products for your living home. Our products are healthy and safe for the air, the surfaces, the fabrics, the pets, and the people within your home — and for the community and environment outside of it. Seventh Generation also offers products for baby that are safe for your children and the planet.

Seventh Generation is their committed to inspiring change – their product labels are clear and you can understand what you are reading.  Their products will often  include a statement about the eco impact of your purchasing decision.  Statistics that have inspired me.

For Example

If every family replaced just one roll of virgin fiber 120 count Paper Towels with 100% recycled paper towels we would save 1 million trees!

If every family replace just one bottle of conventional liquid laundry detergent with a plant derived alternative we would save 466,000 Barrels of Oil!

Seventh Generation sent me their Free & Clear Home Started Kit to try out.

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The kit includes:
Free & Clear Natural Glass & Surface Cleaner
Free & Clear Natural All Purpose Cleaner
Free & Clear Natural Dish Liquid
Free & Clear Natural Laundry Detergent, 32 oz
Free & Clear Fabric Softener, 50 oz
Natural Paper Towels (-1) 120 Count
Reusable Tote

If you haven’t ventured into non toxic, eco friendly cleaning & household products, this is a great company to try.   As a leader in the “green household solutions’ market I’m proud to share their products with my readers. Seventh Generation is aware of the fact that if their products don’t do the job – people won’t use them!  So the product effectiveness is imperative to them.

As a company they have a goal of being as transparent as they can with consumers.  They share both their victories and where they fall short of their goals on their website.  Repeatedly their products lead the way for being some of the best choices from both an toxin standpoint and their environmental impact in the industry.  Green is more than a marketing ploy, it is part of their corporate vision.

As a mother – one of the most compelling things I read on their entire site wasn’t statistic or figures, rather this story that was shared in their corporate consciousness report:

Dear Seventh Generation:
My heart has been overflowing with gratitude since Saturday night. I was emptying the
dishwasher, and hadn’t realized that it had malfunctioned (all of the dishwashing powder
was still in there). My daughter had opened the little detergent door when I wasn’t paying
attention. I looked down to see her with two handfuls and a mouthful of your dishwasher
powder. Frantic, I called Poison Control. “My daughter ate dishwasher powder.” They asked
what brand it was. “Seventh Generation.” “Oh, it’s fine then. Just wash it off her hands, and
give her a glass of water.” Thank you, thank you, thank you!   — Gabrielle

From my perspective this letter illustrates so much of what motivates me to make better choices for my family and care more about the environment for the future.  It’s about our children and their future.

Seventh Generation has a great website full of information & coupons.  So don’t forget to take advantage and save a few dollars – it all adds up!

Seventh Generation is Giving One Lucky PND Reader a Home Starter Kit (Retail Value $42)

HOW TO ENTER:

There are a few ways you can enter, leave separate comments for each entry.

Mandatory

Become an Email Subscriber to PND using the form in the sidebar.  Leave a comment with a name I can print in our newsletter if you win!

• The subscription must be confirmed. You will receive and email that you must reply to for your entry to be valid.
• Already a confirmed Subscriber. Complete any one of the additional entries options – Leave a comment letting Diva know you’re subscriber name and the entry option you selected.

Additional Entries

1. Go to Seventh Generation and share your favorite fun fact about this great company!
2. Stumble, Digg, Kirsty, or Technorati favorite this post. Leave a comment with your name and the link.
3. Follow @purenaturaldiva (use link on the sidebar) and @SeventhGen on twitter. Leave your twittername in a separate comment.
4. Become a Fan of Pure Natural Diva & Seventh Generation on Facebook. Post this giveaway as an update, leave your FB Name or Name with a copy of your update in a separate comment. One entry for each.
5. Tweet this giveaway. Copy and paste “WIN Free & Clear Home Starter Cleaning Kit!!! Diva Giveaway  http://bit.ly/aFC7kB @purenaturaldiva”. Then come back and leave the direct link to your tweet (go to your twitter account, click on the words when your tweet was sent (ie. 5 seconds ago) and copy and paste that link in comments.
6. Write a post on your blog linking to my blog and to the – Good for two entries. Leave this comment twice so you get both entries!

This giveaway will run through midnight on April 3, 2010 PDT, with winner being announced April 5, 2010 in the PND Newsletter. Winner will be chosen using Random.org from all valid entries. Winner will have 24 hours to contact me before the contest is re-opened until the following weekend.

Giveaway is open to residents of the U.S.

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Allison Mooney Design Jewelry: Review

By Tania Reuben

I love Etsy!  Their motto is Buy, Sell and Live Handmade.  Those who aren’t familiar need to check it out!  Etsy is a site for designers and artists to list and sell their wares.  One of the best parts about buying from an Etsy vendor is knowing that you are a part of truly supporting the person who made your item. My only problem with Etsy is there are so many vendors you can sometimes get lost browsing for hours.

One of my favorite finds on etsy this year is Allison Mooney Designs – CLICK HERE – to view her etsy shop.  Allison creates beautiful Jewelry, browsing through her site I wish I had most of her designs in my collection.

When she sent me a pair of her White Topaz and Filigreed Sterling Silver Drop Earringsto review I was thrilled.  So thrilled that I couldn’t chose on just one of her designs and had to order a pair of the Brushed Vermeil Trapeze Earrings too!  I’m glad that I did, the Trapeze Earrings are comfortable enough to wear all day long, super light and delicate yet dressy enough to wear out for date night.

The Silver Drop Earrings are gorgeous.  They are exrta light and comfortable. Dressy enough to wear at a cocktail party, but you could just as easily wear them with jeans and a t-shirt to add a little sparkle.  You do need to take care with the drop earrings, they will tangle if not stored correctly and you may find yourself spending a minute or two setting the dangle straight, such is the life of any dangle earring.

Allison’s designs are whimsical, elegant and have a timeless feel to them.  At the same time her pieces are perfectly current. Achieving that balance is a remarkable feet in design! I’m sure it was this balance that caught the eyes of Nordstrom buyers where her jewelry has sold.

Allison is a vendor with Nordstrom, but hasn’t shipped any new styles to them this year.  Her focus has shifted from volume production to motherhood.   She has missed attending Nordstrom trunk shows where she was able to meet her customers, socialize, and showcase over 200 pieces  allowing her to show her full range.

Allison is thankful for the positive response to her jewelry & her etsy store. She loves having a creative outlet that allows her to help support her family while still enabling her to be with her daughter during the day.

The holidays are Allison’s busiest time of the year, so she is grateful to have a supportive husband who steps up to the plate.  Taking care of the majority of the cooking, cleaning AND babywrangling.  Allison claims he’s her biggest fan, but I might have to fight him for that position!

Allison squeezes in her business with support from her husband, between baby naps (she’s lucky that little Mooney continues to take 2 naps!) and by sacrificing sleep, often staying up till midnight to complete orders during the holidays.

Take a few minutes to browse Allison’s store – you’ll be sure to find something you can’t resist!  If Santa didn’t bring you something shiny this year, pick out something yourself.

Congratulations to Carrie C, the winner of this great prize!

WIN a $30 Gift Certificate to Allison Mooney Designs!

HOW TO ENTER:

There are a few ways you can enter, leave separate comments for each entry.

Mandatory:

Become an Email Subscriber to PND using the form in the sidebar.

- The subscription must be confirmed. You will receive and email that you must reply to for your entry to be valid.

- Already a confirmed Subscriber. Complete any one of the additional entries options – Leave a comment letting Diva know you’re subscriber name and the entry option you selected.

Additional Entries

1. Go to Allison Mooney Desings at Etsy and share your favorite design here! I promise it will be tough to keep it to one!

2. Stumble, Digg, Kirsty, or Technorati favorite this post. Leave a comment with your name and the link.

3. Follow @purenaturaldiva (use link on the sidebar) on twitter. Leave your twittername in a separate comment.

4. Become a Fan of Pure Natural Diva & Allison Mooney Designs on Facebook. Post this giveaway as an update, leave your FB Name or Name with a copy of your update in a separate comment. One entry for each.

5. Tweet this giveaway. Copy and paste “WIN Gorgeous Handmade Baubles!!! Diva Giveaway: $30 Gift Certificate from Allison Mooney Designs http://bit.ly/52PMSh @purenaturaldiva”. Then come back and leave the direct link to your tweet (go to your twitter account, click on the words when your tweet was sent (ie. 5 seconds ago) and copy and paste that link in comments.

6. Write a post on your blog linking to my blog and to the – Good for two entries. Leave this comment twice so you get both entries!

This giveaway will run through midnight on Dec 30, 2009 PDT, with winner being announced December 30, 2009. Winner will be chosen using Random.org from all valid entries and notified via email. Winner will have 24 hours to contact me before another winner is chosen.

Giveaway is open to residents of the U.S and Canada.

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target=”_blank”>Click here to see the entire Blog Hop List….

Sprig Toys Dolphin Explorer Boat: Review

Founded in 2007 by an award winning trio of toy veterans Sprig Toys set out to create toys that would inspire children’s imaginations, be responsibly manufactured and green.  A tall order in the toy industry.

In a few short years they have made their mark.  Winning prestigious awards like, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award 2009, Creative Toy Award from Creative Child Magazine, Dr. Toy’s 100 best toy products of 2008 and others. This company has had a busy few years!

Sprig toys are made from Sprigwood™ a proprietary bio-composite of recycled wood and reclaimed plastic.  So it looks almost like a plastic toy, but not quite.  They use Sprigwood™ to make an assortment of eco friedly toys that they have broken into Series:

Sprigwood is dishwasher safe on the top shelf, so their non electronic toys can get squeaky clean with a little help from one of my favorite kitchen appliances.

Eco-Trucks – Excavators, Dump Trucks, and loaders oh my.  Playing in the sand and dirt is good clean fun with our affordable trucks.

Sprig Hallow -  Join Bee & Butterfly and other characters on adventures in the sand, garden, or pool. Includes playsets, vehicles, and outdoor tools all in one!

Story Builders – allow children to build and tell their own stories. They are a complete building playset and classic storybook rolled together.

The Adventure Series – a world full of vehicles, characters, and animals to stimulate fun filled expeditions on both land and water.

They recently sent Little Diva and Dude The Dolphin Explorer Boat from their adventure series.

The set consists of:

2 boats – Explorer Boat (largest item in the set) and smaller Rescue Boat
1 Life Preserver
2 Dolphins – Mother and Baby
1 Adventure Guide – Captain Owen
1 Adventure Hat – Interchangeable!
1 Backpack Accessory

Little Diva exclaimed on seeing photos of the Dolphin Explorer set “dolphins are my most favorite ocean animal ever!!!”  Picture the hands clasped over her chest.  She was so excited when the actual package arrived.

When I  opened the package for a sneak preview I was surprised to find the dolphin’s bottoms were hollowed out.  But after observing it in action I can see how this helps them float.  This also solves another common problem with toys that get water time… Mildew.  We have had so many toys end up thrown out because they had been taken over by mildew.  The open bottom of the dolphins enables for thorough cleaning.

The boat and dolphins float and their simple design allow your child’s imagination to dictate how they play with the set.

One Lucky Reader will win a Dolphin Explorer Boat, but if you just can’t wait find it on Amazon:

The winner has been announced in this weeks newsletter!  Check your inbox!

HOW TO ENTER:

There are a few ways you can enter, leave separate comments for each entry.

Mandatory:

Become an Email Subscriber to PND using the form in the sidebar.
– The subscription must be confirmed. You will receive and email that you must reply to for your entry to be valid.
– Already a confirmed Subscriber. Complete any one of the additional entries options – Leave a comment letting Diva know you’re subscriber name and the entry option you selected.

Additional Entries

1. Go to www.sprigtoys.com and share your favorite new toy here!

2. Stumble, Digg, Kristi, or Technorati favorite this post. Leave a comment with your name and the link.

3. Follow @purenaturaldiva and @SprigToys on twitter. Leave your twittername in a separate comment.

4. Become a Fan of Pure Natural Diva & Sprig Toys on Facebook. Post this giveaway as an update, leave your FB Name or Name with a copy of your update in a separate comment. One entry for each.

5. Tweet this giveaway. Copy and paste “Diva Giveaway: WIN the Dolphin Explorer Set from @Sprigtoys http://bit.ly/7pc4mK @purenaturaldiva”. Then come back and leave the direct link to your tweet (go to your twitter account, click on the words when your tweet was sent (ie. 5 seconds ago) and copy and paste that link in comments.

6. Write a post on your blog linking to Pure Natural Diva and to Sprig Toys – Good for two entries. Leave this comment twice so you get both entries!

This giveaway will run through midnight on Jan 3, 2010 PDT, with winner being announced on January 4, 2009. Winner will be chosen using Random.org from all valid entries.  Winner will be notified via PND Newsletter – Keep your eyes posted! Winner will have 24 hours to contact me before another winner is chosen.

Giveaway is open to residents of the U.S.

Click here to see the entire Blog Hop List….

Sub Urban Riot T-Shirts: Review

By Tania Reuben

Sub Urban Riot has created a line of hip and approachable organic clothing. The foundation of their line is T-Shirts. Shirts that have been seen on Entourage’s Adrien Grenier and Sunny in Philadelphia.

The clothes at RIOT have cool screened graphics that carry hip, retro and eco messages. They are ultra soft organic cotton and made in the USA.

Riot recently sent me the Windstorm T-Shirt to check out.  The fit was very slim, too slim for Dude, it is marked as  their slim fit and slim it is.  The good folks at RIOT warned me!  If you’ve been working out and want to show it off, this is the t-shirt to do it in

I loved how soft the cotton was and how cool the design was in person.  It was the graphic design on this tee that first attracted me to Riot.

Prefer an “American Fit” t-shirt?  Don’t fret, they have you covered.  Check out; Charlie’s Famous Horse Tee, RIOT, Sunny Tee: Hell Yeah, Majestic Panther

RIOT has t-shirts, hoodies, and henleys for men and women. They offer 4 t-shirts for children and a few really cool t-shirt dresses for ladies.

Cross the Eco Hip off you holiday list this year with some cool duds from Sub Urban Riot.

To help with your holiday shopping use this code 10925 to take 25% off your order.

CONGRATULATIONS TO: Michelle P – Check your inbox!

Good News: RIOT has is giving one lucky PND Reader a Tee of their choice!

HOW TO ENTER:

There are a few ways you can enter, leave separate comments for each entry.

Mandatory:

Become an Email Subscriber to PND using the form in the sidebar.
– The subscription must be confirmed. You will receive and email that you must reply to for your entry to be valid.
– Already a confirmed Subscriber. Complete any one of the additional entries options – Leave a comment letting Diva know you’re subscriber name and the entry option you selected.

Additional Entries

1. Go to Sub Urban Riot – Share your favorite Style!

2. Stumble, Digg, or Technorati favorite this post. Leave a comment with your name and the link.

3. Follow @purenaturaldiva (use link on the sidebar) & @suburbanriot on twitter. Leave your twittername in a separate comment.

4. Become a Fan of Pure Natural Diva & Sub Urban Riot on Facebook. Post this giveaway as an update, leave your FB Name or Name with a copy of your update in a separate comment. One entry for each.

5. Tweet this giveaway. Copy and paste “Diva Givaway – Win a T-Shirt from Sub Urban Riot http://bit.ly/7q3FNP @purenaturaldiva”. Then come back and leave the direct link to your tweet (go to your twitter account, click on the words when your tweet was sent (ie. 5 seconds ago) and copy and paste that link in comments.

6. Write a post on your blog linking to my blog and to the – Good for two entries. Leave this comment twice so you get both entries!

This giveaway will run through midnight on Dec 12, 2009 PDT, with winner being announced December 14, 2009. Winner will be chosen using Random.org from all valid entries and notified via email. Winner will have 24 hours to contact me before another winner is chosen.

Giveaway is open to residents of the U.S & Canada!

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target=”_blank”>Click here to see the entire Blog Hop List….

Plan Toys: A Different Kind of Toy Company

By Tania Reuben

Plan Toys is one of a handful of green companies in the toy business.  They make high quality toys that will inspire creativity in your child from birth through to about six years of age.  As a parent, when your child plays with Plan Toys

you can have confidence the toys are safe in all the ways that matter.

Last year we wanted to buy a Parking Garage for Lil’ Dude, after great deliberation we settled on the Plan Toys Parking Garage

.  This was a more expensive choice, but all the other brands seemed poorly made, and most were made of plastic.

The Plan Toys Garage is classic.  It has a working elevator and in the past year it’s survived the wear and tear of my two children and it still looks as good as new.  It’s nice to know this toy will have a life in the future with another family.

One of the pegs that holds the ramp in place on fell off, a quick email to customer service and they were on it – no questions asked – just where can we send the part.

Plan toys are made from recycled wood.  Rubber wood is planted to produce latex, typically when it’s finished producing latex the wood is burned. Not if it’s going to become a Plan Toy!

The Rubber Wood destined to become a Plan Toy isn’t fertilized for the last 3 years of growth to ensure that it’s toxin free. Then the wood is kiln dried without the use of chemicals.

The toys are assembled using E-Zero glue this replaces traditionally toxic wood glue.  Then Plan Toys are decorated using Non Toxic Water based dyes.

You probably still won’t want your children chewing on their toys, but at least when they do gnaw a little, you’ll have peace of mind.

As you make toy purchasing decisions for your family, consider the merits of spending a little more, buying a little less, and taking care of what you have so it can be passed along to friends and family for years to come.  Plan Toys makes that kind of toy.

CLICK HERE

– to the best prices for Plan Toys from Amazon.

John Masters Organics Honey & Hibiscus Hair Reconstructor: Review

By Tania Reuben

John Masters Organics began creating this upscale line of salon quality organic beauty products in 1991. John believes that harsh chemicals were only created as cheap substitutes for organic compounds that do a better job.

All of their final products must be 75-100 % organic. All essential oils are steam released to maintain the effectiveness of the oils, and plant oils are cold pressed for the same reason. They use no artificial, colors, fragrances or fillers.

They recently sent me the Honey Hibiscus Hair Reconstructor to try on my lovely locks.

With a Diva Total of 14.5 out of 15 points this product is: Divaliscious

Click here for review criteria:

8 Points for Skin Deep Low Hazard Rating ~ 3
2 Points for being Organic – Eco-Cert, Organic Crop Improvement, Quality Assurance International.

2 Points for effectiveness – This conditioner left my hair feeling soft, shiny and smelling good.
.8 Point for Texture – This conditioner has a nice thick texture, so it doesn’t end up on the shower floor during application. It doesn’t have a slick feeling on application, yet my hair was easy to comb through after rinsing (and I have a lot of hair at the moment!)

.9 Point for Fragrance – This product really smells great. It’s a slightly spicy floral fragrance. It’s delicate and not overpowering. It leaves your hair smelling delicately yummy.

.5 Points for Packaging Appearance – The entire line of John Master’s Organics looks understated and chic. The Reconstructor is packaged in Dark Brown with white writing.

.3 Points for Packaging Sustainability – The packaging is made of MDPE (2) Plastic, which is recyclable.  All closures are made of HDPE and is accepted at many recycling stations. None of the plastics are made using recycled content, which would be a great next step.

Overall:

This is an excellent conditioner that can be after each shampoo or as a weekly treatment. With ingredients like Capuacu Seed Butter to help moisturize and Kelp Extract to soften smooth and add shine it will leave your hair feeling great.

This is a perfect conditioner for the diva or dude looking for a high end salon product with an eye for taking care of the planet or the performance.

Skip the Bumble & Bumble ~ Choose John Masters Organics.

The Honey Hibiscus Hair Reconstructor Retails for $28

Juice Beauty Green Apple Antioxidant Moisturizer: Diva Review

Juice Beauty Green Apple Antioxidant Moisturizer

With a Diva Total 14.7 of out of 15 points this product is: Divaliscious

Juice Beauty is a sophisticated high quality organic line of skin care products that performs up to expectation.

98% of the ingredients in Juice Beauty are organic.  They are able to obtain this high organic content because they use a juice base instead of water.  Juice Beauty has the following to say about their organic content:

Some brands would like you to believe that all of their ingredients are organic. Unfortunately, they only use a few organic ingredients in a water base that makes up most of the product – making the organic content less than 5%. Instead of the typical water base that cannot be “organic or pesticide free,” Juice Beauty created an antioxidant rich organic juice base which is much more nourishing for your skin.

Juice only purchases ingredients from USDA certified organic farms.  Additionaly 80% of their  products are produced with solar power.

CLICK HERE for review criteria:

8 Points Skin Deep Low Hazard Rating ~ 2
2 Points for being Organic

2 Points for effectiveness – The moisturizer left my skin hydrated. I also love the list of natural antioxidents like apple, lemon and grape juices. To read more about each ingredient and what makes it’s effective for your skin CLICK HERE. Read the product information guide on the Juice Site.
.8 Point for Texture – The first time I tried this moisturizer I used a little too much resulting in a slightly tight feeling when it dried on my skin (it relaxed in short order). For subsequent uses I used a little less than a dime sized amount and it was perfect. The texture is a little thinner than some heavier night creams, it almost has a gel like consistency.
1 Point for Fragrance – This product has a fruity smell, with hints of pineapple reminiscent of tropical punch, without being too sweet.  You can actually smell the juice.

.5 Points for Packaging Appearance – This moisturizer is packaged in a glass tub with an aluminum tone plastic top. It stands up to any department store brand in aesthetics. It should it’s retailed in stores like Nordstrom and Sephora.
.4 Points for Packaging Sustainability – In addition to the glass tub, the moisturizer is packed in a box, which seems like an extra we could forgo.  That said the packaging uses 100% recycled paper and cardboard.

Overall:
The Green Apple Antioxidant Moisturizer delivers a concentrated punch of moisturizing antioxidants.  Remember, a little goes a long way.

Juice Beauty is a a great skincare line for the woman who wants an entire line she can trust be extremely low toxin, using high quality organic raw materials to deliver fabulous performance .

Green Apple Antioxidant Moisturizer retails for $45.

Are you ready to try Juice Beauty for yourself?

Winner – Jessie C!  Congratulations check your email!

From Juice Beauty

HOW TO ENTER:

There are a few ways you can enter, leave separate comments for each entry.

Mandatory:

Become a Verified Email Subscriber to PND, use the form in the sidebar.
– After subscribing you will receive an email – check your junk mail – you must verify your subscription using this email to win!
– Already a confirmed Subscriber. Leave a comment letting me know you’re subscriber and have completed any one of the additional entries options.

Additional Entries

1. Go to www.juicebeauty.com – share your favorite Juice Beauty product or something about their corporate vision.

2. Stumble, Digg or Technorati Favorite this post. Leave a comment with your name and the link.

3. Follow @purenaturaldiva (use the link on the sidebar) and @JuiceBeauty on twitter. Leave your twittername in a separate comment.

4. Become a Fan of Pure Natural Diva (link in sidebar) and Juice Beauty on Facebook and post this giveaway as an update, leave your FB Name with a copy of your update in a separate comment. One entry for fan… One entry for update.

5. Tweet this giveaway. Copy and paste “@PureNaturalDiva Diva Giveaway – Juice Beauty Mineral Light Moisturizer http://bit.ly/dqR9F”. Then come back and leave the direct link to your tweet (go to your twitter account, click on the words when your tweet was sent (ie. 5 seconds ago) and copy and paste that link in comments.

6. Write a post on your blog linking to my blog and to the Juice Beauty website – Good for two entries. Leave this comment twice so you get both entries!

This giveaway will run through midnight on Nov 23, 2009 PDT, with winner being announced Nov 25, 2009. Winner will be chosen using Random.org from all valid entries and notified via email. Winner will have 24 hours to contact me before another winner is chosen.

Giveaway is open to residents of the U.S.

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target=”_blank”>Click here to see the entire Blog Hop List….

Grounds for Change Coffee: Fair Trade Focus

By Tania Reuben

The day hasn’t really started until you’ve had a cup of coffee? Sound familiar? It does for me! It doesn’t even matter if it’s “leaded,” I just love the flavor and aroma as it wafts through the house.

Have you ever wondered about where your coffee is grown and the conditions of the workers that are growing them. In the early 2000 coffee prices dramatically dropped causing extreme hardship for growers. During the recovery a surprising industry shift began, fueled by a demand for organic and fair trade coffee.

Some coffee growers began to focus their efforts on growing higher quality beans for almost double the price regular beans garner, and better still farmers converting to organic can expect to earn 3-4 times what the low quality beans garner. Slowly these changes are beginning to have a real impact on the industry.

As the Fair Trade market grows, growers can offer more jobs, pay better wages and consider offering benefits like health insurance. Things previously not an option in the past. We can continue to support these changes by making Fair Trade choices.

Grounds for Change is one place you can support changes like these. They are a family run company based in the Pacific Northwest, doing their part to bring a great coffee to the marketplace.

They roast organically grown fair trade beans in small batches, creating top of the line coffee in the coffee meca of the US. They don’t stop there, they make every effort to run their business sustainably, through the purchase of carbon offsets, composting efforts and recycling – to name a few of their efforts.

They are Certified Organic, Carbon Free and Fair Trade.

They recently sent PND some of their coffees to sample, we tried:

Peru “Cafe Femenino”, a dark roast with chocolate aroma that was rich enough to keep dude happy. It’s also grown by women – ergo the name.

Nordic Blend, a dark roast with notes of black cherry and chocolate. Another rich roast to make dude smile.

Decaf Midnight Blend, this blend is the darkest of their decaf offerings with chocolaty notes.

Grounds for Change decaffeinates using a water process to preserve the coffee’s organic certification.

With the holidays coming up consider a fair trade gift for the coffee lover on your list, with the coffee of the month available in 3, 6 & 12 month options.

Try the 3 pack sampler, on sale for $18.95.

Congratulations to our Winner Carol D!

Better yet, Grounds for a Change will be giving one lucky reader a 3 Pack Sampler!

HOW TO ENTER:

There are a few ways you can enter, leave separate comments for each entry.

Mandatory:

Become an Email Subscriber to PND using the form in the sidebar.
– The subscription must be confirmed. You will receive and email that you must reply to for your entry to be valid.
– Already a confirmed Subscriber. Complete any one of the additional entries options – Leave a comment letting Diva know you’re subscriber name and the entry option you selected.

Additional Entries

1. Go to www.groundsforachange.com – Share your favorite blend or something new about GFC.

2. Stumble, Digg, or Technorati favorite this post. Leave a comment with your name and the link.

3. Follow @purenaturaldiva & @grounds4change on twitter (use link on the sidebar). Leave your twittername in a separate comment.

4. Become a Fan of Pure Natural Diva & Grounds For Change on Facebook. Post this giveaway as an update, leave your FB Name or Name with a copy of your update in a separate comment. One entry for each.

5. Tweet this giveaway. Copy and paste “Diva Fair Trade Giveaway, 3 Pack Coffee Sampler – Grounds For a Change http://bit.ly/3DSpX7 @purenaturaldiva”. Then come back and leave the direct link to your tweet (go to your twitter account, click on the words when your tweet was sent (ie. 5 seconds ago) and copy and paste that link in comments.

6. Write a post on your blog linking to my blog and to the Grounds For A Change Website – Good for two entries. Leave this comment twice so you get both entries!

This giveaway will run through midnight on November 11, 2009 PDT, with winner being announced by the morning of November 13, 2009. Winner will be chosen using Random.org from all valid entries and notified via email. Winner will have 24 hours to contact me before another winner is chosen.

Giveaway is open to residents of the U.S.

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target=”_blank”>Click here to see the entire Blog Hop List….

Santa Cruz Organics Iced Tea: Fair Trade Focuse

By Tania Reuben

Santa Cruz Organics, known for their wonderful juices has created a line of yummy organic, fair trade brewed teas.  The teas are flavored with real fruit.  I enjoyed it in mango, raspberry, and lemon flavor. It also comes in peppermint, which was decidedly not my favorite. Odd, because peppermint tea is delightful to me hot.  Organic Juices are a natural flavor source and sweetening component. I say component because like most ready to drink teas, they do have added sugar, which I’d love to see eliminated all together or replaced with agave.

Have you ever read the ingredients in Lipton Ice Tea (Lemon for this analysis); water, high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, sodium hexamet(something), ascorbic acid, honey, natural flavors, phosphoric acid, sodium benzocte, potassium sorbate, calcium disodium edta, carmel color, yellow 5, blue 1.

Compare that to Santa Cruz Brewed Mango Tea (water, green, black and white tea, organic evaporated cane juice, organic white grape juice concentrate, organic mango puree, organic pineapple juice concentrate, organic natural peach flavor and citric acid.

These teas are a much better choice for Snapple and Lipton Ice Tea fans from the perspective of ingredient analysis.

I love that the teas are fair trade certified.  Additionally they contain green tea, which is renowned for it’s health benefits.  If you are going to enjoy a glass of ice tea, why not get a few health benefits too. Green Tea has been studied to be effective as an anti-carcinogen, lowering stress levels and boosting immune function, to mention a few.

If you don’t have time to brew your own ice tea, this is marked improvement over conventional selections.

A 32 oz bottle retails around $3.

In celebration of fair trade month Santa Cruz Organics is giving 3 lucky readers a prize pack of Tea. Each winner will receive two bottles of each of Tea Flavor (lemon, peppermint, raspberry and mango).

THE WINNERS – Dymphna, Tamara & Vicki – Congratulations!!!

Santa Cruz Organic Tea

HOW TO ENTER:

There are a few ways you can enter, leave separate comments for each entry.

Mandatory:

Become a Confirmed Email Subscriber to PND using the form in the sidebar.
- New Subscribers will receive an email that you must confirm for your subscription for your entry to be valid.
- Already a confirmed Subscriber. Complete any one of the additional entries options – Leave a comment letting Diva know you’re subscriber name and the entry option you selected.

Additional Entries

1. Go to the Santa Cruz Organics – CLICK HERE website and share something you learn.

2. Stumble this post. Leave a comment with your name and the link to the stumble.

3. Follow @purenaturaldiva on twitter (use link on the sidebar). Leave your twittername in a separate comment.

4. Become a Fan of Pure Natural Diva on Facebook and post this giveaway as an update, leave your FB Name or Name with a copy of your update in a separate comment. One entry for each.

5. Tweet this giveaway. Copy and paste “@PureNaturalDiva Fair Trade Giveaway from Santa Cruz Organics http://bit.ly/3mPJAt”. Then come back and leave the direct link to your tweet (go to your twitter account, click on the words when your tweet was sent (ie. 5 seconds ago) and copy and paste that link in comments.

6. Write a post on your blog linking to my blog. Good for two entries. Leave this comment twice so you get both entries!

This giveaway will run through midnight on October 27, 2009 PDT, with winner being announced by the morning of Oct 29, 2009. Winner will be chosen using Random.org from all valid entries and notified via email. Winner will have 48 hours to contact me before another winner is chosen.

Giveaway is open to residents of the U.S.

October is Fair Trade Month

By Tania Reuben

This is the month to take a few moments to think about the people that are making & growing much of the “stuff” we consume in our daily lives.  The scope is quite remarkable, think; coffee, tea, rice, cocoa, cotton, sugar, honey, bananas, fruit juices, nuts, fresh fruit, herbs and spices, wine, magoes, quinoa footballs, etc.

In general Fair Trade seeks to ensure better wages for workers, it seeks to educate workers with the knowledge, skills and resources to improve their lives. Additionally it is intended to guarantee that no child labor has been employed in the productions of goods.

CLICK HERE to read more about The Fair Trade Certified™ label guarantee.

Over the past years more attention has been given to this issue. As a result the market share of fair trade products is growing. They generally account for 1-20% of all sales in their product categories.

Throughout the month PND will be featuring a few fair trade products and hosting a few fair trade giveaways.  We hope you participate.

We hope by featuring these companies, products we can help generate further awareness about the fair trade options available to consumers.  At the same time it’s a chance to pause,  thinking about the working conditions that are a reality to workers around the world and how choosing fair trade can make a difference to them.

Learn more about the impact of choosing fair trade CLICK HERE.

Throughout the month as you shop for your family look for fair trade certification and when you can buy fair trade.

Fair Trade Organizations:

Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International
TransFair – United States USA

Click Here to learn more about the history of fair trade.

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