Going Green Into the New Year ecostore Giveaway ::CLOSED

Finding a way to clean your home in an eco-friendly manner is tough considering the marketplace is FILLED with chemically laden and enhanced products. Ammonia based, alcohol based, harsh chemicals that linger and fumigate your home. I have two toddlers and my six year old and believe me, nothing I do not like more than to have harsh, dangerous chemicals in my home and around my children.

My cleaning is pretty unorthodox. I use cans of Coca-Cola to clean my toilet bowls (yes, just the way it eats at the porcelain at your teeth, it can acid wash your NASTY toilet too) so they are sparkling white, hot salt water and half lemons to clean my cutting boards, and cream of tartar to degrease. Need a bleaching? Lemon juice and the sun. What? You thought that combo was only for the nasty blond dye jobs? Think again.

I was asked by ecostore USA to review a few of the products in their line. I received Front Loader Laundry Powder and the Citrus Spray Cleaner to try in my home (in exchange for this review...*Hi FTC).

A bit of back information on ecostore USA:

Founded by Melanie and Malcolm Rands of New Zealand. The eco couple in their eco-village "shared a commitment to organic growing and healthy living, making this an ideal environment in which a young, environmentally conscious business could thrive. Each household in the village was responsible for their own waste water, which quickly highlighted the problems caused by using regular supermarket cleaning products that relied heavily on cheap, petroleum-based, synthetic ingredients" (ecostoreusa.com, 2009).

15 years later their idea to better the world with better and eco-friendly products now have them exporting into the United Kingdom, the USA, and Australia. How are the products better? How are they more eco-friendly? Well because the products are all plant based. Citrus, coconuts, palms, essential oils for fragrance, and minerals (like salt). The ingredients are not based on the creation in a "lab" but derived from nature.

The Front Loader Laundry Powder:
I was highly skeptical of this product. The scooper was small, and when you have been accustomed to commercial laundry soap for many years the change is drastic. I was even leery of the scent, however, after my first few loads I was impressed. I was truly blown away, I know by soap? But seriously if you have a front loader you know the "funk" you can get from time to time. I actually lost an trace of "funk" in my Frigidaire front loader when using this product. I even enjoyed the clean scent where the clothes actually smelled clean and not perfumy clean.

The Citrus Spray Cleaner:
The cleaner was effective. I used it everywhere around my house; bathrooms, kitchen, dining table, high chairs, anywhere that was goopy, nasty, and needed a good thorough cleansing. However, I was not thrilled with the scent. The scent was rough, harsh, even though vegan, the scent did emit a harsh chemical smell and air to it and I had to be sure to use it in open areas with windows open. But the scent was truly citrus and possibly the scent could have been the mixture with old nasty chemicals in the rooms. All in all though the cleaner was effective.

Now here is how you can win some of these great green and eco-friendly products to use in and around your home. Choose up to $25 worth of products with a giftcard, here's how:

Mandatory entry: 

Check out the ecostore USA and tell me what two products you would like to have in your home (aside from the two mentioned above).

Extra entries:

• Sign up for the ecostore USA newsletter (worth 5 entries)
• Follow my blog
• Fan The Fish
• Follow me on Twitter
• Follow ecostoreusa on Twitter
• Tweet this giveaway (Daily tweets available!!) : I'm going green with this giveaway from @KariewithaK and @ecostoreusa http://tiny.cc/nqOon 
  
• Blog this giveaway (worth 5 entries)

CONTEST ENDS JANUARY 1ST 2010

@ 11:59PM ARIZONA TIME

Best of luck!

The Ultimate Cloth review

The Five Fish are a "green," eco-friendly family and recently I was contacted to receive and review The Ultimate Cloth. My first reaction was Sham-Wow. I know...I am terrible but that was my thought. My second thought was that this cloth is like the Mr. Clean sponge and laden with formaldehyde and harsh chemicals.

When I received the Ultimate Cloth I put it to the test.

The first item on the list of benefits was "Guaranteed...never streak Windows, Mirrors or Glass."

Fabulous! Let's take a gander. So my children sit near a window in their high chairs, that window is the victim of many drive by foodings....lots of concrete applesauce and what have you accumulates throughout the day and quite literally I can spend hours scrubbing and then cleaning to obtain streak free windows. DAILY.

I was PLEASANTLY surprised to see that upon wetting the Ultimate Cloth and wringing the water from it that I truly did get a streak free shine as well as remove the drive by foodings. Amazing! Okay, so could it stand up to THE DOORS. Yes, my French doors. The doors that have received many a grubby hands, muddy feet and hands and slobbery dog faces smooshing on this door. AMAZING! Seriously the schmegma, gone. Just sa bit of extra elbow work into the cleaning and the French doors are now sparkling clean.

The secret is the Mira-Fiber technology. I was skeptical, as usual. Chemicals had to be in this product. Somewhere. Somehow. No way could this smooth cloth be so rough and durable. No way this cloth could take a beating around the house, be bleached, washed, used and repeat all over again and still not be in shreds.

I then put this bad boy to the true test of cleaning in the domicile of The Five Fish.....THE STAINLESS STEEL. If you have true stainless steel in your home you know what a PAIN the stainless is to keep, quite literally, stainless. Finger smudges are the worst along with the ugly black dust build-up. Stainless is only clean and steak free when using the stainless steel cleaner right? Nope. I used the Ultimate Cloth and again, extremely happy that I had a STREAK FREE appliance on my hands.

Now keep in mind. You must rinse after each use and wring in order to achieve maximum results.

The Ultimate Cloth is a great, green alternative to harsh chemicals and cleaners. I keep mine in the kitchen at all times for spills, little wipe downs, and tough scrubbings. What's great....they offer a money back guarantee on this product and a FIVE year warranty. Who offers those kind of benefits. Not to mention the green benefit of washing and BLEACHING this product for use over and over again.

Want one for yourself? Or hey maybe as a great stocking stuffer? The Ultimate Cloth generally sells for $6 but for a limited time you can take advantage of this great offer and pay just $0.01 plus s/h for this fabulous cleaner! Limit one at that price, but hey....for the price you could order another as a gift or for yourself, or a friend! Order one now!

I Heart My CSA

I just have to tell you all again how much I love my CSA.

What is a CSA you ask? Community Supported Agriculture

Agriculture? As in farm? You got it!

I had never heard of a CSA until one of my twin mommies told me about it and I have to tell you I am hooked! I don't think I can go back to the standard way of buying my produce and eggs from the store. I did a HUGE post about it some time ago, so you can go read all about the deets there and why CSA's are important to our community, the environment, and of course....YOUR HEALTH!!

But enough of my soap box....just take a gander at these beauties!

Look at all of that!! And that my friends and readers....is just a ONE WEEK basket from a CSA. Let me detail all the wonderful items in that picture for you if you can't already decipher:

One Dozen Eggs

2 Armenian Cucumbers (which are THE BEST, super crunchy and tasty!)

One watermelon (last of the season and still sweet as sugar!)

Butternut squash, perfect for fall

Licorice Basil (OMG the aroma...my whole fridge smells like it, and just YUMMY), I can't wait to make my famous Pan Chicken with this and some FABULOUS Organic Marinara Sauce

Now here we have Okra, which I fried up last night in a tablespoon of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, peppered and added some Parmesan and OMG was it to DIE FOR!

Organic Tomatoes, which are JUST again TO DIE FOR!

Organic Pomegranate which I am DYING to dive into today

Acorn Squash, again PERFECT for fall

Finally, a Purple Bell Pepper which smells divine and cannot wait to use in a recipe I have

So let me ask you.....Do you know where your produce and food comes from?

If not? You should!

Mine is made with lots of love from my fabulous farmer Mike.

This is his farm:

Learn all about CSA's and or Food Coop's by going HERE and enjoy all the benefits of Organic farming, supporting your local farmers, businesses, and heck the kids will LOVE going to the farm like mine do.

Revenge Is: Review and Giveaway

The Five Fish are some of the biggest advocates for "Going Green," recycling, reducing, reusing, and overall limiting our carbon footprint in this life. In addition to eating organic, supporting our community agriculture programs through a CSA, we wanted to make a bolder statement.

One day when searching green organizations on Twitter I ran across the fabulous fashion of Revenge Is. Little did I know HOW green they really are. As you can see their tees and accessories are just awesome. I mean the statements are totally BOLD! Taking revenge. Who doesn't want revenge and of course for a GREAT cause!

A little information on Revenge Is and the Mission Statement of the organization:

Mission

Global warming, energy dependence, war, economic turmoil, foreclosures and unemployment – these are some of the major crisis facing our world today. Developing alternative sources, practicing  “reduce, reuse and recycle” in our everyday lives, and demanding more effective diplomatic and economic policies of our government and business institutions will help. The old saying goes “the best revenge is living well.” Our belief is that, by taking action today, we can all live well tomorrow.

Our individual actions may not change the world, but our collective actions will. Our message products make the statement that you care and you are part of the solution. Our newsletter will inform you about critical issues we face today. Our blog gives you the opportunity to voice your concerns and solutions about the many challenges we face today.

About from Marilyn Barrett:

Welcome to Revenge Is …

If you are visiting this site, you are likely a person who is passionate about our country, concerned about the direction it has taken in recent years, and committed to doing your part to solve the problems we face today. If not, you have been searching for ways to get involved and to seek inspiration from others who are well on their way.  Revenge Is… was created to be a powerful force in helping concerned Americans to channel their energy and emotions toward real and positive change that betters all of our lives.

The idea for Revenge Is… came to me about a year ago while taking a walk with my two favorite furry companions. The 2008 Presidential election cycle had started and the many problems facing our country and the world today were in the forefront of the news and political commentary – global warming, energy dependence, economic turmoil, and wars resulting in too many deaths and injuries. I felt angry and frustrated and wanted the people who were primarily responsible for these problems to stop…and pay for the pain and losses they caused. I know I am not alone.

As an attorney, I have often counseled clients over the years who, despite suffering serious harm from others, decided against pursuing legal action against them. Instead, they chose to focus their hard earned savings and precious time to rebuild their lives – making positive commitments to the age old adage that “the best revenge is living well.” Their actions were profound and struck me as a better way to enact positive change in my own life and in the world around me. Revenge Is… was born.

Our products and slogans have been conceived to acknowledge and validate our collective frustrations while at the same time encourage and inspire us and others to take action — to take meaningful steps toward a stable climate, a clean environment, energy independence, national security, a healthy economy, and a country of high moral principle and international regard that we can be proud of. Our product messages address the vital public issues of today while at the same time display simple yet meaningful ways to enact change — from the landfill up. To start, our  T-shirts and reusable tuck away carry bags are made from recycled plastic bottles and/or Organic Cotton. Our reusable hybrid coffee/tea mug and tuck away bag give each of us the power to completely end the use of plastic water bottles, Styrofoam cups, and plastic grocery bags that clog our landfills. They also completely eliminate our use of paper cups, hot sleeves and grocery bags.

At least 10% of our profits will be donated to charities (please visit “our causes”).   Our newsletter will keep you up to date on important issues of the day.

Now I was skeptical of how "soft" the t-shirts would feel. Think about the rough feel of a plastic bottle and the icky....not so much. So when our shirts arrived, I. WAS. IN. HEAVEN! The shirts feel like butter! I mean just silky soft, my kids were rubbing them on their faces and exclaiming how soft and comfy they are, how about that for softness! The shirts are made from a fabulous blend of 100% organic, yes you got it, ORGANIC (USDA Certified) cotton and the RPET (recycled Poly-ethylene, plastic). So along with the shirts being made of some silky fabulous material they make a statement.

Check out the messages on these shirts!

The original Revenge Is shirts demand that we are "Taking Back Our Country", "Energy Independence" with no OPEC, No Wall Street with "Main Street at Work", I fell in love with these shirts! They stand for everything our family and so many others work hard for! But if you think those shirts are rockin' take a gander at these!

These awesome tees boast of "All Love is Equal", "The best Revenge is Peace", and of course "The Best Revenge is Saving the Earth"! Don't fret if you were thinking that the kiddies are left out because they get in on the going green.

My kiddos love these shirts. Don't mind the Little Bitty, she's upset with all the chemicals, pesticides, lack of healthcare coverage for everyone, that's her revenge! Big G loves that he is helping out with the environment and living better he thinks "its cool" and so do we! They were fun to photograph because they went out and played in the water, the one day I wanted to shoot them in their shirts, they got sopping wet! Which is great because when you wash these shirts you don't have to throw them in the dryer. They retain such little water that I hang dry the shirts and in 15 minutes they are dry. How is that for energy savings and going green.

If you are wondering how else Revenge Is is green, well the dye you see on the shirts...SOY. You got it, a soy dye which means no harsh chemicals and damage to your kids with VOC's and chemicals in the environment. The shipping is even green with Tyvek packages that are recyclable.

Now here are the goodies, Revenge Is is helping me to host this FABULOUS giveaway. They went to all sorts of trouble for us where you, my faithful, green, fashionable readers will enter to win a choice of TWO t-shirts! Talk about an enormous value and all the good you will be doing.

Be sure of all else to thank the folks at Revenge Is for all their hard work and efforts to better the world we live in one shirt, reusable bottle, and bag at a time! I am so proud and honored to have the opportunity to sport their message and work with them. Thank you so much to Tamar and Marilyn, you folks are a class act and a pleasure to work with!

You can get further updates and fan Revenge Is on Facebook and Twitter!

The deets are here for the entry rules, PLEASE read through the rules first, but a quick breakdown for you:

• Sign up for the newsletter in order to enter to win
• Must remain a subscribed reader until the end of the contest

ENTER TO WIN HERE!

Easy Peasy Pumpkin Pie right? Right!
Be sure you leave me a comment to let me know you went over and entered!
Now go enter to win contest ends OCTOBER 26, 2009 and the winner will be notified OCTOBER 29, 2009 and you must claim your prize by NOVEMBER 6, 2009.


*Disclaimer: For all The Five Fish transparency and disclosure policies, 
be sure to click the link Looking in the Fish Bowl.

Ideas, sponsors, and feedback..Oh my!

So I want to do some fun stuff with being frugal in this economy. I am thinking of doing a frugal week but am lacking inspiration for some reason or another. Not quite sure why I am lack inspiration I mean I am the penny pinching bitch of mankind and I can handle money like no other but am lacking inspiration. I want to find some really frugal money saving products, I mean BIG savings, not just a few bucks here and there. I am not discounting (ha, pardon the pun) the smaller savings, but when you live on a budget, times are tough and the cost of goods is on the rise....you need BIG savings. If you are a company, fellow blogger, entrepreneur, or my favorite average Joe let me know your ideas or let me try out your product in ALL honesty to let you know the overall savings amounts. I mean I am a finance guru, I can do math like no other!! Compound equations got nothing on me!

I also want to do some really cool, innovative organic and or green products. I do not think we do enough to promote the importance of organic. Organic reduces the carbon foot print we leave by leaps and bounds, plus all the health benefits of not pumping extra chemicals and garbage into our systems. I am thinking a "Green Team" or "The Big O" on organic so give me your feedback and let's see if we can't do something fun on the net again.

I mean who really wants to bitch about BK's Square butts commercial? Not me!

Day 4 "FREE" Week Product Review - Dr. Ron's Ultra Pure Body Care Body Lotion

Good Morning for Day 4 of The Five Fish "FREE" Week!

Okay so we are showcasing the talented Dr. Ron again because why.....well we love his preservative free, super smelling products, and well they were FREE to try out so why not?

Today the review is of the Dr. Ron's Ultra Pure Body Care MSM Body Lotion in Kiwi. Sounds delish right? Well it absolutely is! Here is why I love lotion so much and wanted a preservative free lotion. I am a native of Arizona, when you think of Arizona you think Grand Canyon, Phoenix, HOT.....BLOODY HOT!! Then if you have ever met a native we always tell you, "It's a Dry Heat." We are truly full of it when we tell you this.....it's so hot you can bake yourself and a batch of cookies, your lipstick can melt in seconds, and your cell phone can be cooked so fast you have to put it in the freezer just to see the screen again. Plus shorts....forget it, when you get in your car the bottoms of your thighs just took a scorching too, they are now "tender loins"! Anyway, being that the weather here is so...dry...our skin is as well requiring lots of re-hydration. Plus swimming in the summer further parches our environmental armor, which means we need more lotion. Not all lotions are exactly alike. I have used Vaseline, I have used Nivea, I have used Aquaphor, I have used Aveeno, I have used everything known to man to soften and quench my poor skin. I am lucky I don't look like saddles bags walking my skin is so leathery. My skin also is prone to break outs, by break outs I mean all of the sudden I will have a rash........not sure where it came from, which product, but more than likely from my lotion or perfume so I have to be safe in what I use so I don't look like a spotted red leopard.



If you don't know Dr. Ron, check him out and here is some background and info on the

MSM Body Lotion in Kiwi:

MSM Body Lotion - Unscented or Kiwi

• A 15% MSM solution and botanical extracts in a base of apricot, almond and jojoba oils moisturizes, refreshes, restores and protects your skin.
  Soothing to aching muscles and joints.
  Use as a hand lotion, or after a shower or bath over the entire body.
  Unscented is a gentler formulation, for those with sensitive skin.
  Kiwi is scented with a higher concentration essential oils, including kiwi oil. Unscented and Kiwi, each eight ounces

When Dr. Ron sent me the shipment of all the beauty products, my first true product that I tried was the lotion. I am a lotion whore!! Ask my sister, she saw my endless collection of designer perfumes and lotions. But this lotion was like no other that I had tried. I put some on immediately after opening my bag of goodies. At first I smelled.....love the smell. A very soft, subtle, delicate hint of kiwi that isn't overbearing where you end up smelling like a tween at a school dance or like that stripper from your DH's, buddy's bachelor party....girls you know the smell! Anyway, I was reveling.....and then I applied.



Hmmmm, silky, soft, smooth, glides over every inch without having to reapply more, hmm, not sticky, still damp. So I gave the lotion a bit more time so I could really gauge the effectiveness and overall results. The damp feeling subsided which was very nice, I hate feeling like I just lubed up with something, I want to feel like a woman, not someone who is attempting a circus feat. Some lotions leave this greasy, heavy residue and often all the perfumes and other additives make my skin feel weird and even more dried. Or the damp and sticky feeling stays and when you get dressed your clothes stick to you. So I liked that Dr. Ron's lotion dried but without drying me out. So ladies and gents if you love you some lotion but don't want to smell like you put on perfume, but you still want to smell fresh then Dr. Ron's is the way to go.

Make it a great Thursday!! The week is almost up...tomorrow is internal review day!

The views and opinions expressed on this blog belong purely to Karie Herring. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party in question.

Day 3 "FREE" Week Product Review - Traba Door, Traba International

Welcome to Day 3 of The Five Fish "FREE" Week!!

I promised and so I am delivering.....since I got off on some tangents in the last 24 hours.

Okay so as I mentioned in yesterday's post you can actually make over your home in a preservative FREE fashion! Okay, I know you are saying, there are no preservatives in my home...what could have preservatives, what would need to be preserved? Well for one the wood in your home is made with preservatives. Yup, some of the good old 2X4 or 2X6 construction has what is called "green" wood (it actually is colored green) which is great for fighting those nasty little buggers called.............TERMITES!!! Plus "green" wood is treated so it is less likely to warp due to weather and takes longer to burn when your house is on fire from what DH has told me. I'm no "wood" pro (*giggle) so ask your local contractor or one of those fabu guys at the Home Depot.

Alright, so the biggest thing next to the overall construction is paint, which they have VOC free stuff (again click on the HD above) your carpet (same linky) and DOORS!!! Yes those fabulous things to keep our privacy are LOADED with nasty stuff that we are completely unaware of. Here is what a standard MDF door is filled with.........FORMALDEHYDE!!! Tell me that is not a preservative?! I mean we use it on the dead......good thing they are dead because it causes....you guessed it.....CANCER!! Hello, preserves them right? Preservative. Now luan doors, pictured below, you would think are super safe and preservative free right? Because they are a species of a mahogany in the veneer on the door. Nope they use the same type of glue as the MDF, the glue holds down that luan veneer that looks so great right? Nope...ugly doors!

Those photos are straight out of my home when I bought it in 2004. Aren't they stunning?

I hear crickets................

that must be a FAT NO!!

Alright so here is what my home looks like now.....mind you I made all the simple and inexpensive makeover options: paint and doors, plus a nice set of runners. All of that cost $240! But that includes the two runners, the doors you see in the above pictures (8 doors @ $20 each for a slab) and the paint! Now the best part of these doors......they are FORMALDEHYDE FREE!!












How is that? Well the new doors being distributed by Traba Door beginning this year have to be formaldehyde free due to legislation passed in California which is where Traba headquarters are located. California Air Regulation Board passed a law about airborne toxins in products that have formaldehyde, among other toxic and carcinogenic preservatives, such as cabinets, doors, the whole gamut. So every door that is manufactured and sold by Traba has to meet the CARB regulations.



Here is some info on Traba straight from their website:


Traba is pleased to present an international line of doors infused with historic design and hand crafted with a rich blend of materials. Everything from the doors core construction to its beautiful finish is completed with relentless attention to detail ensuring every door is as strong as it is beautiful. More than just a brand, Traba retains old world craftsmanship with unmatched value.Traba Classic Series doors feature a unique 1 ½” solid wood edge along the top and sides; plus a 4” solid wood bottom rail. The deeper edges make the door capable of accepting longer screws while also providing extra room to customize for a special floor treatment or tight space. The stiles are 5” wide adding flexibility to incorporate an over sized lock set. A one piece veneer finish eliminates seams that appear over time in normal stile and rail constructed doors.

Environmentally Friendly Manufacturing

While the value of the engineered core is reflected in the superior strength and stability of the door, our real value is in the savings for the environment. Our engineered products are constructed of recycled industry bi-product which reflects our commitment to naturally sustainable construction and our environment. We are committed to improving the environment around us and we welcome any opportunity to contribute or participate in environmentally friendly projects focused on the sustainability of the resources around us. Our direct influence and participation in our facilities allow us the ability to control the adhesives and products we use and therefore reduce the quantity of indoor air contaminants.

So with the doors being preservative free they are also a GREEN alternative!! The doors are made of composite materials, so the materials that would normally be thrown away. Click the MDF link above to read more about it. They do also have a wood product, Knotty Alder and I have to say that after reviewing all the beauty shots of the door I was head over heels.

Now you might also be wondering about warranty info and if you aren't here is the info.....every good door has a warranty!



Warranty - Classic Series

Limited Lifetime Warranty
A limited Lifetime Warranty is provided on all The Classic Series of MDF Interior Doors offered by TRABA INDUSTRIES. The Limited Lifetime Warranty is offered as long as the MDF Interior Door is in its originally installed location.
The Limited Lifetime Warranty covers all The Classic Series of MDF Interior Doors against warping, cracking and splitting. The Limited Lifetime Warranty does not cover any damage caused by cuts, abrasions or scratches on the surface of The Classic Series MDF Interior Doors. The Limited Lifetime Warranty excludes any doors used for the purpose of an exterior application. Only an authorized TRABA INDUSTRIES representative may give written consent to replace any of The Classic Series of MDF Doors.
Limitations and Exclusions
Priming of Traba Doors must be applied on all six sides (top, bottom, edges, front & back) within 72 hours. Failure to prime all six sides within 72 hours will void the limited lifetime warranty.Limited lifetime warranty pertains to doors for interior use only. If used for exterior applications, the limited lifetime warranty is void. Normal wear and tear including wear-through of the finish or deterioration for reasons other than materials and workmanship of the door itself.Abusive handling.Doors left sealed/unfinished at the job site, exposed to the elements. Appearance caused by failure to follow recommended handling, and finishing guidelines is not covered by this warranty.The appearance of field finished doors is not warranted in any event.Natural variation in the color or texture of wood not considered being a defect.Warp is not considered a defect unless it exceeds 1/4" in the plane of the door itself. "Warp" is any distortion in the wood itself and does not refer to the relationship of the door to the frame or jamb in which it is hung. The term "warp" shall include bow, cup and twist. For doors larger than 3/0 x 7/0, warp shall not exceed 3/8" in the plane of the door itself.If warranted door(s) are found to contain defects stated, the manufacturere may, at its option, either:Repair the door(s) without charge.Replace the door(s) without charge, in the same stage of fitting and/or finishing as was originally supplied.



If you are interested in a super easy, inexpensive, preservative free, beautiful home makeover and would love to see Traba in your home....be sure to contact Chad and he can point you to the many distributors and door shops all over the U.S. (and soon Canada!) that carry Traba Doors. I know here in Arizona, Legacy Custom Doors is carrying Traba. When you contact Traba by emailing Chad, let him know you read the Traba Door review here at Five Fish, so you get the superior treatment I received from the gentlemen at Traba.

Make it a Great Wednesday!

Day 2 "FREE" Week Product Review - Dr. Ron's Ultra Pure Body Care Body Scrub

Here we are Day 2 of the Five Fish "FREE" Week!

Alright so I have lots to show this week courtesy of Dr. Ron. He was so generous to provide all these wonderful items to try out!! So in addition to shampoo and conditioner we have body scrub.

Now scrubs can be a bit precarious because of their dual action. First of all scrubs scrub, they exfoliate all the dead cells and eliminate the free radicals looming on our skin. Then the scrubs cleanse, leaving our skin feeling fresh and supple. However, some scrubs have the harsh chemicals and rather than leaving your skin soft, supple, and refreshed, your skin in left barren and dry and literally exposed.

You know about Dr. Ron and his pioneering of these fantastic beauty products, so here is the info on his body scrub straight from his website and his catalog:


MSM Body Scrub

• Jojoba beads with crushed Apricot Seeds and Walnut Shell Powder creates an invigorating whole-body treatment. Peppermint oil, a natural deodorizer, makes the skin feel cool and fresh. Eight ounces.

Now I have to say again, I love me some beauty products!!! I mean I have tried St. Ives, Dermalogica, the whole gamut of beauty scrubs and this one was like lightning. The peppermint leaves you feeling more than cool and fresh, my skin was tingling almost as if an electric current was running across it after I had applied and rinsed. The scent is super invigorating with a soft citrus scent, apricot, and the eye awakening, get your blood moving scent of peppermint. I mean my body felt like my mouth had after a good cleaning and gargle of mouthwash. I was jazzed and energized and ready to take on the day. But I do have to admit that the tingle is something to get used to. While I am all about a sensual feeling and experiencing all things new the peppermint was interesting, especially when the temperature outside is 90 degrees and you have the air conditioning on in the house and you have the peppermint to add......interesting. I did feel like my skin was very warm and then cool, much like Icy Hot or Bengay, but curiously wonderful and like I said, leaving me feeling jazzed. Be sure to check out Dr. Ron, let him know that Karie of The Five Fish sent you and check out all of his wonderful products, remember he also has many many other products not listed in his catalogs and he gives private consults! How fantastic is the man who offers us preservative free!!

Make it a great Tuesday and be sure to check back tomorrow for a

look inside a preservative free home makeover!!

The views and opinions expressed on this blog belong purely to Karie Herring. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party in question.

Day 1 "FREE" Week Product Review - Dr. Ron's Ultra-Pure Body Care, Shampoo and Conditioner

Welcome to Day 1 of The Five Fish "FREE" Week.

Today we are going to explore the preservative free products of Dr. Ron's Ultra-Pure Body Care. You might be asking how can body care products such as shampoo and conditioner possibly have preservatives. Well I wondered as well and began to research and found that almost every shampoo on the market has this #1 nasty ingredient, ready, "SODIUM LAUREL (LAURYL) SULFATE".

Okay, so I know you are wondering what this compound mineral is in our hair products. Sodium laurel sulfate is a cheap detergent and is what makes our shampoos as sudsy as they are. You know what I mean, that great foaming action that makes us believe our hair is getting so clean...WRONG! In fact sodium laurel sulfate is an irritant and is a carcinogen...yup washing your hair can cause cancer, who would have thought. The second preservative is paraben which prevents bacteria and fungal growth in almost all beauty products, again another irritant, allergenic, and carcinogen.

So I came about researching this because I have been trying to find organic or as close to organic as possible for my family. Buying organic products not only reduces our overall carbon footprint, but the products are absolutely superior for your overall health. Big G has eczema so I have to be careful with what I use on his skin or he is a mess and takes months to clear him up. The Squids are also new babies, but have so far (so good!) been a-ok with standard OTC products. I, on the other hand, I have to use glycerin type washes or my skin is a mess as well.

The staff and Dr. Ron sent me the MSM Shampoo and MSM Moisturizing Conditioner. Here is some information straight from the Dr. Ron website about the products and about Dr. Ron:


MSM Shampoo


With herbs, nutrients and essential oils, MSM strengthens hair and restores elasticity. A rich supply of mucopolysaccharides and protein in our conditioners leaves hair soft, light and shiny. We avoid the use of sodium laurel sulfate, a cheap, harsh detergent often derived from petroleum and disguised in pseudo-natural products with the phrase “comes from coconuts.”

• Soft, shiny hair results from superior nutrition – but our great shampoos and conditioners will bring out your hair’s natural qualities like no other products.
  Our unique blend of oils, herbal extracts, and nutrients strengthens hair, restores elasticity and repairs split ends.
  MSM Shampoo contains a rich concentration of sulfur in the form of MSM for maximum benefits

MSM Moisturizing Conditioner

• For dry or damaged hair, our MSM Moisturizing Shampoo and MSM Moisturizing Conditioner have an extra high concentration of essential oils. Eight ounces each.
  Blended with coconut and olive oils, herbal extracts and nutrients, essential oils have exceptional moisturizing qualities and help restore beautiful luster to your hair.
  Essential oils contain characteristic plant aromas that leave a gentle fragrance and help hair stay fresh between washings.

Here is a little about Dr. Ron, straight from his website:

Dr. Ron’s Ultra-Pure began in 2000 to provide our patients with the purest and most effective nutrients, formulas and special foods. Many other people now use Dr. Ron’s products. We thank all of you, especially members of the Weston A. Price Foundation and the Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation, two organizations that are doing so much good work to further accurate understanding of nutrition. We are committed to providing the finest supplements to complement traditional diets.
We Source Materials from America, New Zealand and Europe
Most of our source materials are from America. We secure organs and glands from free range, grass fed New Zealand animals raised without pesticides, hormones or antibiotics. High-vitamin cod liver oil is imported from Norway and meets the strictest standards of purity. Other materials are occasionally sourced in Europe, Japan and Korea, depending on quality and availability of supplies. Contamination of source materials for supplements and pharmaceuticals in recent years has led us to avoid sources with potential problems. Careful and selective sourcing of raw materials provides an extra measure of safety. You may be confident that all Dr. Ron’s Ultra-Pure products contain only and exactly the nutrients listed prominently on the labels.
The Ultra-Pure Promise of Purity, Quality, Potency and Value
Dr. Ron’s Ultra-Pure products are designed and manufactured by a team of supplements professionals and health care providers with extensive clinical experience in natural medicine. Source materials are carefully tested for purity and potency. Many of our products, including Doc’s Best and other innovative formulas, New Zealand organs and glands, and high-vitamin Norwegian cod liver oils, are unique. In our formulas, we combine synergistic ingredients at optimal doses to create maximally effective products. We use no lubricants, fillers, binders, coatings, flowing agents, or other added ingredients of any kind. Because we use only the pure nutrients, our supplements achieve maximum absorption, and are truly hypoallergenic.

Ron Schmid, ND, has practiced naturopathic medicine since 1981. He served for two years as Chief Medical Officer and Clinic Director at the University of Bridgeport College of Naturopathic Medicine. Ellen Triplett , Lac, has a Master’s degree in Chinese Medicine.
Dr. Ron is the author Traditional Foods Are Your Best Medicine and The Untold Story of Milk. He is on the honorary board of the Weston A. Price Foundation and has written for Wise Traditions, the quarterly journal of the Foundation.

You must be itching to know......how did a "free" shampoo and conditioner measure up? Well I have tried a lot of salon shampoos/conditioners, claimed "organic" shampoos/conditioners and I have to say that Dr. Ron's is by far the most enjoyable and fabulous product I have ever used. Like I said I have used the expensive salon shampoos, and we all know how our hair feels after leaving the salon...like silk.....well I got that same feeling from this shampoo and conditioner.

The best part was the smell. I am such a smell oriented person, I mean I smell all of my produce, meats, etc at the store before I buy it, so when I cracked open the package and my hair smelled like I was rolling in herbs I was in heaven. It was clean without feeling stripped and my hair smelled fresh without the harsh smell of added perfumes, and I had to get used to the little to no sudsing since the nasty emulsifiers and detergents aren't in these products.

Then I conditioned. Mind you I have the worst hair known to man. I have chemically treated it since I was oh.....8 (I grew up in the 80's, perms were so HOT back then, I was rockin'!) I color it and then add that I live in the driest state of the union, Arizona, so I swim half the year which wreaks even more havoc on my hair. So I have to use a lot of conditioner, anti-frizz, and smoothing products. With Dr. Ron's I didn't have to use my daily routine of "Tame the Beast" smoother's. The conditioner has a wonderful citrus scent that energized me in the shower and was a great morning pick-me-up. Plus when I rinsed my hair didn't feel just soft, but smooth and silky and stayed that way even after I blow-dried my hair. Most products leave your hair feeling weighed down or they rinse out immediately leaving your hair barely conditioner or feeling repaired. All day....no fly aways, no tangles, no dry feeling, just smooth, soft, manageable, touchable, play with my hair type hair. I am in love!

Be sure to head on over to Dr. Ron's and check out all of his wonderful beauty and health products. In addition to all over well being he does offer consultations! How awesome, get a consultation on how to live an all around healthy life. Also if you go to buy his products like I am going to, be sure you let him know you found his product review on The Five Fish and that Karie Herring of The Five Fish sent you. Thank you again Dr. Ron for sharing this wonderful product with me and my family!

Make it a great Monday!

The views and opinions expressed on this blog belong purely to Karie Herring. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party in question.

Mystic Wonders Giveaway!

How would you love to never have to buy those bulky bottles of laundry detergent again? Or how about those annoying little dryer sheets that you have to fish out of your clothing every time you fold clothes?

Well my fabulous sister Brittany over @ the Greer 5 is giving away the Mystic Wonders product. She has the complete laundry system which is One laundry ball and two dryer balls. Could you imagine the money you would save not buying any laundry accessories for a year?

No detergent = SAVINGS!!!
No softener = SAVINGS!!!
No Dryer sheets = SAVINGS!!!
PLUS a reduced dry time as the dryer balls disburse the heat as they tumble through the clothes thus reducing the dry times and amount of energy you use = MORE SAVINGS!!!!

Please rush over and check out her one of many giveaways, this one is fantastic among others. be sure to check out the Mystic Wonders site to see what the organization is all about and all the fantastic products they have to offer.