Jess is unplugging!

19 Dec 2016 Leave a comment

by ecofriendlymamausa in Eco-friendly living, Resources

th

Jess is unplugging from Fb for a month! It has been an amazing year for me, one that is going to be hard to top but I sure will try! I’m a low tech Blogger Mama, I do not have a smart phone, have not had cable TV my adult life (I’m 37), no ipad.. So when I decide to unplug, I truly do unplug. I hope many of you will do the same, even if just for a day or 2! It has been an amazing year, here are a few top highlights:

At the end of Jan I blew the whistle on Ava Anderson, the worst greenwasher in the history of greenwashing, in my opinion. I heard from a college professor who was teaching a lesson on greenwashing, and was using this as an example! It was something that was not just months in the making, but years in the making and was a huge weight to get lifted off my chest, even though there was a bit, Ok a lot, of drama surrounding the event. You can read a summary here:  http://www.swnews4u.com/archives/30214/

In May I was blessed to be able to fly to NJ & attend the Poofy Organics Annual Conference- As most of you know, I’ve been a Poofy Organics Guide for 2.5 years now. I 1st fell in love with the line 3.5 years ago, so it was amazing to be able to meet the founder & owner of the company,  her family, and many of my fellow Poofy Guides. I was honored to speak at the conference on the topic of Be the Change, something near & dear to my heart.

May was a huge month as I was also followed around by a producer from WI Public TV. A week after they contacted me to let me know they wanted to feature me on their WI Life show, they were here to film.  They followed me around for 5 hrs, and in Nov. this 5 min episode came out J It is truly one of the greatest honors of my life to be featured on WI Public TV. http://www.wisconsinlife.org/story/natural-and-organic-product-blogger-exposes-greenwashing

Summer was amazing, with late nights catching fireflies with my kiddos, lots of swimming, camping trips…. I hated to see it end & am eagerly awaiting this coming summer!

Annnnnnnd: we’re going to Mexico in 2 weeks! We do not live on credit, we only charge what we can pay off that month (and take advantage of the points earned for charging!), so we’ve been saving for some time to make this happen. I will be away for 2 weeks in January which is very exciting as Jan is a long, cold month here in WI. I flew 3 times with my Son when he was under 2. He’s now 5.5 & has not been on a plane since. My daughter who is 3.5 has never flown. So this is a big deal. Wish me luck J  We’re spending 4 nights in a super fancy all-inclusive outside of Cancun, then a week on more laid back Isla Mujeres. I majored in Spanish education, but haven’t used my Spanish much since finishing up my student teaching then having my Son & deciding to not pursue teaching. I’m in love with the language & the culture (I know, Cancun isn’t a highlight of Latino culture) & am looking forward to exploring the grand ruins & soaking up some sun, sand & lots & lots of family time. My Dad & StepMom will be joining us for our week on Isla, in their own room in the villa we’re staying at. So Hubby & I may even get a date night ♥

 

Projects I’ll be working on during my non-Facebook time:

Toys by age list—I have my Safe Toys master list, but I’ve been meaning to break it down a bit more with my favorites by age & by vendor. My kiddos are now 3 & almost 6, I have a 1 & 4 year old nephew & niece, so I have lots of great ideas & I know it’ll be helpful to those not sure where to start. Here’s the Master list at this time: https://ecofriendlymamausa.com/made-in-usa-2/toy-list/

Companies to look into—I have a To Do list of companies to look into, company X comes up & I don’t always have time to look on the spot so I’ve been making a list & will be updating that Master list.

BUYING CLUB:  It is a ton of work but I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t love it. While they just take place quarterly, they end up stretching 2 months from the time I start taking orders, to the time I send out the last items from that order. I take orders for 2 weeks, spend days consolidating orders to then submit to the vendors. I have a few days of down time, then shipments start arriving daily. I start packing orders once I have all items needed from 25+ vendors. I spend days packing, invoicing, printing shipping labels, making trips to my post office. Then the paperwork, filing insurance claims for the few products that didn’t make it, having new product sent out… But the THANK YOU’S I start receiving when people get their box.  Being surrounded by all that great product & packing each individual box full of what I consider to be the safest products on the market. THAT is why I do it. And I look forward to 4 more orders in 2017! They happen in Feb, May, Aug, Nov, with delivery the beginning of the following month.

I’ve already secured 3 brand new, exciting vendors & am working on at least 1 more!

–Salonsolids, you can read my recent review here: https://ecofriendlymamausa.com/2016/12/10/salonsolids-review/

–Urban Baby Bonnets: http://urbanbabybonnets.com/

–Starlight Amber— She will offer a selection of her gorgeous jewelry to us, here’s an example of her work: https://www.etsy.com/shop/StarlightAmber

Also, I’m going to be looking into FedEx as well as other ways I can save money on shipping for the buying club. USPS rates are going up yet AGAIN in January (by some percentage, probably small but still, it is already quite expensive). I’ll be investigating Stamps.com & other programs out there that can hopefully save y’all some money getting your buying club box. I charge you exactly what it costs me to ship, and am hoping to bring that cost down.

I know this is a tough time of year for many. It’s not all cheer & joy. Families are struggling for a variety of reasons. Those who’ve lost loved ones can find this time of year especially difficult to cope with. My 1st cousins just lost their 1st cousin on the other side of the family who they were very close with due to a car accident. Syria and Standing Rock are both weighing heavy on my heart. While this has been an amazing year for me & my family on a personal, local level, there is a lot going on in the world that brings me great sorrow. I’m looking forward to down time. Yes, total down time. Completely unplugging for days at a time. Sled riding, hot cocoa, Chutes & Ladders, Candyland, train tracks, sheet fort building, new Christmas toys to play with… These are things I’m looking forward to very much. As well as many Birthday celebrations: My Hubby’s is on the 23rd, his Mom’s is the 25th, 2 good friends on the 26th, a few in early January. So many blessings!

I thank you all for taking the time to read this. For being involved in this wonderful online community we’ve built. At the end of February, on 2/22/17, my original page (the non-closed group), will be 5 years old! I’m approaching ½ a decade as a blogger, and that wouldn’t be the case if no one cared what I had to say. I truly believe it does take a village to raise a child, and for many of us, we’ve found our tribe online in addition to locally. My breast-feeding, baby-wearing days are over. Current topics I’m immersing myself in are treating Lyme’s naturally (after my Son was diagnosed and we’re on round 2 of antibiotics), homeschooling, safe toys for the 6+ crowd. There’s always something that needs more research, no matter how old our kiddos. I have no co-admins, it’s just me. If anyone out there who has young kids & has time (I know, doesn’t seem possible, but it is) to submit some of the hot, new products on the market, I’d sure appreciate it. There are so many topics of interest out there & just not enough hours in the day for me to cover them myself. I’d love for contributing authors to share what you’ve spent hours researching. Have a topic you’re passionate about? Put what you know into words & share it!   In the spirit of collaboration, community, peace & love, I look forward to all that 2017 has in store for us!

There is a TON of info on my blog: https://ecofriendlymamausa.com/

My original Fb page, which they finally added a search bar to, yay! Or you can scan the timeline, going way back to my 1st ever posts if you want: https://www.facebook.com/Eco-friendly-babyfamily-products-MADE-in-the-USA-397517646930548/

I will be checking my email occasionally, except for while in Mexico, so if you NEED to get in touch, do so here: ecofriendlymamausa@gmail.com

Kicking that nagging cough!

15 Dec 2016 Leave a comment

by ecofriendlymamausa in Eco-friendly living

image001

Above photo a random grab from Google images.

I will start out by saying I am not a doctor. I am not a nurse. My Mom is a nurse in a complimentary medicine clinic. I do seek out complimentary medicine whenever possible. I’ve heard from SO many of you who are dealing with the same thing as us, no matter when you live in the country: a persistent, nagging , dry cough. My almost 6 year old Son has had it a solid 2 months straight. My 3 year old Daughter has had it, gotten over it, had it again & kicked it again. I tried so many things in the past few months, and I wanted to share what I feel really helped us finally kick this. There is nothing worse than sleepless nights, sick & crabby kids & parents. As always, do your own research, consult a trusted medical professional with any questions/concerns, and follow your gut for what you feel is right for your family.

This is what worked for us:

 

Essential Oils: I upped the time I was diffusing essential oils. I diffuse Josiah’s Oils Germ Fighting Blend with Fir (safer around youngin’s): http://www.josiahsoils.com/store/p353/Germ_Fighting_Blend.html. In general I run my diffuser 20 or so minutes 2-3 times/day. I upped that to a good 40-min to an hour, on low/med output, a couple times/day & especially before bed in our room. I use this diffuser, I’m on my 3rd winter with it & can’t say enough good things about it. It’s quiet, adjustable (in terms of output) and has never given me a single issue: http://www.josiahsoils.com/store/p163/Atomizing_Diffuser.html. And finally, I also use their pre-diluted roll-on of the same blend & apply it several times/day to my kids spine. They do it to each other usually, up one side, down the other. http://www.josiahsoils.com/store/p349/Germ_Fighting_Roll-On_Blend_%28Pre-Diluted_and_Ready_to_Use%29.html

Immune boosting. I had been relying on homemade elderberry syrup on & off over the fall months, and I do believe in it (I use Wellness Mama’s recipe). But like anything, our bodies become used to something so I feel making the switch to Echinacea tea was a good one! We love the Traditional Medicinals line. I bought the last pack my food co-op had & it was going to be 2 weeks before they got more so I grabbed a 6pk from Amazon to stay stocked up for winter. I have their Throat Coat, Cold Care assortment too, but my Son who especially needed an extra boost (he’s fighting Lyme’s as well, a topic for another post) really prefers this over all the others: http://amzn.to/2gJw7Uj. As with elderberry, from what I understand it’s best to do a few days on, then a few days off, that goes for most remedies. And that’s what we’ve been doing with the tea. We hit it hard for about 3 days when I really ramped up my efforts on all the things listed here. And then took a couple days off. Now we’re back to a couple cups/day for a few days.

 

Drosera by Boiron. I picked this up at my food co-op, it is labeled for a dry cough that is worse at night, exactly what we had. It was 30C & I gave 3 pellets every 2 hrs (waking hours) to both kids for 2 days. Here’s an Amazon link, but these actually were a better deal at my food co-op as they had a $2 off coupon if you bought any 2 Boiron remedies. http://amzn.to/2hLL1qP

Chestal syrup: This is something I will not be without again. I picked it up at my food co-op for $13/bottle, not cheap, but it worked so, so well. The adult version has a blend of 5 homeopathic remedies, and does have dosage for children 2+ on it (it has honey so should not be used under 2). There is also a Children’s formula, it has a blend of 9 remedies. My Son disliked the children’s blend because he said it was too sweet, but my daughter loved it so I kept both around & both worked great as needed. There were several nights when I failed to give it before bed because they seemed fine, but when they laid down they started coughing & coughing. After a capful of this, they’d be out the rest of the night. It does have sodium benzoate in it, I wish it did not but it is so beneficial otherwise that I give & recommend it without hesitation. I posted about this in my group page & heard from many, many others who’ve had great luck with it as well! You may be able to find it locally, or it is on Amazon of course: http://amzn.to/2hriIl0http://amzn.to/2hfcm5Nhttp://amzn.to/2hfcm5Nhttp://amzn.to/2hfcm5N

Humidifier! We burn wood & have a very small & tight house. We constantly have a pot of water on the wood stove, and I’m not a fan of the humidifier running constantly. I hadn’t pulled it out for the year yet but once I did, in conjunction with all the above remedies I mentioned, I did feel it helped. Also, getting a good hygrometer can be beneficial too (measures humidity). Dry air can aggravate a cough, and knowing the humidity level in your house helps. This will be our 3rd winter with the following humidifier (we call it our fog machine). Yes, it’s plastic, and made in China, 2 qualities I try to avoid but believe me, for this category there are not many alternatives. It is quiet, very easy to clean, does not leave stuff around it wet & I’ve been very happy with ours! http://amzn.to/2gCZ80E

NAPS! Huge of course. My Son will be 6 in March and has been a very regular napper until the last few months, when we started skipping them most days & going for earlier bed times. Although he’d maintain he was NOT tired, he’d be out within a couple minutes of laying down with me & his Sissy. I knew he needed them!

So, the combo of those things were what finally seemed to kick this cough for our family. Could any 1 remedy alone have worked? Of course. It’s not a controlled study. It’s my life experience & that’s what I share here. I’m sharing in hopes this will help at least 1 other family struggling with kicking this too! Do you have a remedy that has worked well that you’d like to add to this list? Let me know, we can’t have too many options!

salonsolids Review

10 Dec 2016 Leave a comment

by ecofriendlymamausa in Eco-friendly living, Reviews Tags:

salonsolids1

I want to start out by stating: I love doing what I do. Not a day goes by when someone doesn’t join my group or discover my website for the 1st time. And I never, ever know what that next person has to contribute to my eco-friendly, made in the USA mission. One day, not too long ago, out of the blue, a gal named Sarah commented on a shampoo question in my closed group page: ” I notice that preservatives are something you recognize are worth avoiding if possible. Check out Salonsolids- Hair cleansing/conditioning solids delivered in PCR paper tubes you add water to create product. Because of the waterless delivery products can be preservative free! Just 6 carefully selected ingredients!” Her motto: “Six simple ingredients, no harsh chemicals, and salon quality results in environmentally friendly packaging. Most conventional products sold in the salons contain a long list of unnecessary ingredients many of which are chemicals that are toxic to you and the environment. Simply the effective ingredients that serve a purpose carefully chosen combined with healthful essential oils without the preservatives and synthetic fragrance.”

About Sarah & her mission: “As a stylist and salon owner with over 20 years in the business I’ve used the best products available and was not willing to compromise effectiveness. What I’ve learned is that while salon products may give you temporary satisfaction they are not consciously made to be good for you or your hair long term. You may not realize it but hair loss and scalp and skin issues can show up later and you may not know it is a result of the chemicals in the products you’ve been using. When you know better you can choose better. We hope you choose to join with us in taking back your health and creating change.”

This was the 1st time I’d ever heard from her, but she had me pegged: I hate harsh preservatives & avoid them at all costs.  I also hate plastic & do my best to seek out alternatives. I was in love with the concept of her product, but of course, things can sound great on paper, but do they really work in real life is the question. She sent me a sample of the shampoo & conditioner.

She set my expectations pretty low in terms of how much lather the shampoo would create.“The shampoo I sent you does not contain any lathering agents but does a nice job cleaning. If you would like more lather I do add sodium cocoyl isethionate to some of my clients custom blends who prefer a lather. My favorite method of use is applying conditioner on ends and then apply shampoo to roots.” The ingredients are simple, yet effective: Made from organic quillaja extract(cleansing agent from chilean soapbark tree), sodium cocoyl glycinate(from glycine), organic cocoa butter, guar gum(from guar plant), + essential oil.

I’ve been using natural shampoos for years, so am pretty used to the lather they create. My expectations were blown away. After mixing one capful of the dry powder (which smells soooo good) with hot water to fill the rest of the glass bottle & then shaking, I had myself a shampoo that was the same consistency of my other natural shampoos, and lathered just as good as them. I honestly could not believe it. My hair is just past my shoulders but super thick, check out the little amount I needed to thoroughly wash my hair in the photo below. I was able to get 5 thorough washings out of that tiny jar, and there are 4-5 refills/ cardboard container so that’s 20-25 washings which will last me several months. Again, no plastic. It says to use within 2 weeks. One thing I do just to make sure I’m not pushing anything is just mix up enough for 1-2 washings instead of 5, since I only wash my hair a couple of times/week.

salonsolids2

On the conditioner: I did like the 1st batch she sent, I thought it worked pretty well. It’s best to mix it up & let it sit an hour or so, it thickens up nicely & looks like a normal conditioner we’re all used to. But she let me know she was still tweaking it & would send me a new batch to try shortly. About a week later I received that. She advised using boiling water as the conditioner sample was a pretty solid, waxy chunk. I thought: oh, I’ll just let my tap water get really hot & see how that works (it does get really hot), but I should’ve listened to her. It didn’t dissolve well. A week later I had batch #3 in my hands & it is perfect. The granules dissolve nicely in hot water, and it treated my hair well. It felt conditioned but not greasy. Like the shampoo, it smells WONDERFUL!! Another plus of being a dry powder is it can ship for quite a bit cheaper than its liquid counterparts. The conditioner ingredients: amla extract, brassica isoleucinate essylate & brassica alcohol (conditioning agent from brassica plant),amino acids, + essential oils. She also makes a styler that at least 1 Mama I know has tried, she LOVES it for her curly hair, ingredients: Made from dehydroxanthan gum(from non-gmo xanthan gum), glycine betaine(beet sugar extract), organic cocoa butter, bamboo extract.

My dry head of hair: it feels healthy, light, not greasy or waxy at all. I really, really like it! But do note, my hair has long since went through the detox phase from conventional products. There can definitely be a transitional period, results will vary for all of us depending on what we’re coming from, our hair & water type, etc.

14222085_10154552882624297_1220600956390766685_n

There are currently 5 fabulous scent options for the shampoo & conditioner: orange peel, peppermint, lavender, frankincense, or forest (Douglas fir). She does have it so you have to select a subscription plan, you can select monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly. You can cancel at any time with no penalty. Since this is a product used on a regular basis, she wants to make sure you don’t run out! But, you can also buy it from your quarterly buying club order in the future, via me! Yes, that’s right, she will be a new vendor on Feb Eco-friendly USA One-Stop Shop list. In the meantime, you can contact her for a free sample!   It means so much to her to get this product into the hands of others who value what it has to offer.  So, she’s happy to send samples out to those who want to try it, contact her & tell her I sent you, she’ll send you a sample!

This product has been 9 years in the making for Sarah. I seriously applaud her for thinking outside of the box, having that ‘ah ha’ moment & following through with it. It is not easy to spend a decade of your life thinking about anything, and this is her thing.

You can check out her website here: http://salonsolids.com

And her Fb page here: https://www.facebook.com/salonsolids/

A recent pic (01/17) , I just LOVE this stuff!!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

A fresh henna/indigo dye job using Poofy Organics USDA certified organic powders, and a fresh wash with salonsolids shampoo & conditioner!

15% off Poofy Organics Black Friday-Cyber Monday Sale Extravaganza

23 Nov 2016 Leave a comment

by ecofriendlymamausa in Eco-friendly living

12194922_10153777842264297_1938281227662268495_o

Poofy Organics sales are rare. And when they do happen they’re almost always 10% off. So this 15% off, coupled with my personal offering of 1/2 price-free shipping on qualifying orders is too good to pass up! There will be many gift sets available too, something for everyone on your shopping list! ANY questions, just ask! Here are all the details: https://ecofriendlyusa.poofyorganics.com/parties/3209-poofy-organics-by-jess-black-friday-cyber-monday-special-event.aspx

 

I was featured on Wisconsin Life

12 Nov 2016 Leave a comment

by ecofriendlymamausa in Eco-friendly living

One of the greatest pleasures of my life to date, it’s going to be hard to top this 🙂 http://www.wisconsinlife.org/story/natural-and-organic-product-blogger-exposes-greenwashing

The Real Pantry Review

10 Nov 2016 Leave a comment

by ecofriendlymamausa in Reviews

square-ranch-600x600

Review of The Real Pantry, based in Tampa, FL.  When asking for new vendors to add to my November order of the Eco-friendly USA One-Stop Shop, someone recommended The Real Pantry to me & I was thrilled when Loriel, the owner, agreed to both send me some samples & be my newest vendor! With the Holidays right around the corner I thought this would be a perfect addition. About the products: The products are free from: preservatives, additives, artificial flavors and colors, “natural” flavors, genetically modified ingredients (GMOs), soy, and highly processed salt and sugar. Basically, if you can’t find it in your pantry, you won’t find it in our products.  All baking mixes are creating with an aluminum-FREE baking powder and our garlic powder is sourced from the United States instead of China.

Current product offerings include: a ranch & French onion mix, Italian seasoning, lemon herb, pumpkin pie spice, taco seasoning, a sampler pack, moist maple cornbread, chewy brownies, fluffy waffles. She plans to add more herbs & spices soon!

I was sent a ranch dip mix & a cornbread mix to try out. My family thoroughly enjoyed both! My kiddos are huge ranch lovers, I can get them to eat just about anything if there is ranch on the plate to dip it in, and I’m ok with that. If a little bit of ranch drizzled on top of an avocado does the trick, I’m all for it! You just mix the 1 oz packet with a 16oz container of sour cream for a nice dip for carrot sticks etc. or for a salad dressing Simply start with a small amount of sour cream, add whole milk or buttermilk to get your desired consistency, and then add Ranch season to flavor. Top it with a squeeze or two of fresh lemon juice you have a delicious dressing. She has this recipe for a 5 minute Ranch Dressing on her website: https://www.real-pantry.com/real-food-ranch-dressing-5-minute-prep/

Here’s what’s in it:

  • Organic parsley
  • Organic garlic powder
  • Organic minced onion
  • Organic onion powder
  • Organic dill
  • Unrefined sea salt
  • Organic black pepper

Available in a 1 oz packet for $5.25 or 2 oz for $10.

The cornbread is DELICIOUS! Here’s a description from her website: Not your typical cornbread, our Moist Maple Cornbread is fluffy and cake-like with a nice crisp golden top. Sweetened with real maple syrup and butter, it’s decadent, delicious, and makes you go back for more.

We use only 4 simple ingredients in our Moist Maple Cornbread mix: organic einkorn flour, organic corn meal, aluminum-free baking powder, and unrefined sea salt.

Simply add 2 eggs, some melted butter, milk & maple syrup & you have a very delicious corn bread. My whole family really enjoyed this with a bowl of chicken noodle soup for dinner last night. It is  currently on sale for $7.  We only ate 1/2 of the cornbread for dinner that night & I’ve been snacking on it for 2 days since, it’s still moist & delicious 2 days later! I enjoyed learning about einkorn flour, she has a whole blog post devoted to why she uses it. This is one thing I learned about it: What really caught my attention about einkorn was that it was completely unhybridized and one of the most ancient forms of wheat! Learn more here: http://www.naturallyloriel.com/why-i-use-einkorn-flour-10-einkorn-recipes-to-get-you-started/

I think these products could make excellent gifts (especially that sampler pack) for that hard to shop for person on your list, who doesn’t love the gift of wholesome food? Here’s the link to the website to purchase products: https://www.real-pantry.com/

Here is a link to her blog with many recipes: https://www.real-pantry.com/blog/

Review of Essential Oils Use & Safety Guide by Ninette Jackson

23 Oct 2016 Leave a comment

by ecofriendlymamausa in Eco-friendly living, Reviews

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Although only 89 pages long (with blank pages in back for notes), this little book packs in a ton of practical information for the average user of essential oils. I recently gave away my copy of Modern Essentials as it was just more info than I needed. I don’t need an encyclopedia covering every possible oil out there & all potential uses, I need to know the basics & not be overwhelmed with too much additional info. This book is perfect for my needs, and many of yours as well I do believe!

 

I first reviewed products from Josiah’s Oils way back in June of ’13 (will link to that below) and have offered the products via my quarterly buying club order for each of the 13 orders we’ve done now. So, we go way back! I’ve developed a deep trust & respect for Ninette’s advice, she is my go-to for any essential oil questions & I’m so happy to have her in my closed group where I can tag her for advice as needed. It is true that even amongst professionals you’ll get a variety of opinions as to what oils are safe for what age, etc, but for me, Ninette is the final word.

 

About the author:   Ninette is a wife, mother of five (including her special son, Josiah), retired lawyer, and a Certified Clinical Aromatherapist who has been working with essential oils for over 10 years and has undergone approximately 860 hours of study & testing to obtain her certifications.  Her Aromatherapy shop, Josiah’s Oils, has been in business since 2011 serving her customers with the highest quality essential oils and therapeutic blends, as well as diffusers, lotions, shampoos, conditioners, salves and more – ALL hand-made with Ninette’s own recipes.  

 

Her book covers the following topics:

  • Which oils are safe for kids
  • Which oils are safe in pregnancy
  • Safe dilution ratios
  • Why drinking your oils isn’t safe
  • Blending Made Easy (with recipes!)
  • Which oils help with which issues
  • Research studies
  • And MUCH more!

 

It is available via their website for $14.99: http://www.josiahsoils.com/store/p544/Essential_Oil_Use_%26_Safety_Handbook.html

Amazon for $19.99 (some used ones for cheaper): https://www.amazon.com/dp/1534966382/ref=rdr_ext_tmb

My original review of Josiah’s Oils products, I could/should/will update this as I’ve tried many more products & her line has really grown in the 3+ years since I’ve written this: https://www.facebook.com/397517646930548/photos/a.568349859847325.144572.397517646930548/678783912137252/?type=3&theater

Butter Bay Review

11 Oct 2016 Leave a comment

by ecofriendlymamausa in Reviews Tags:

141020cc-0054-2-2_1024x1024

The above photo is the Pomegranate Butter Bay I was sent to review. This pic is borrowed from the Butter Bay site. My camera takes lousy pictures!

I LOVE checking my email daily, I never know what I’m going to find. When I had this email: “I saw that you have an extensive list of products made in the USA and I wanted to make a suggestion for that list. Butter Bay is a butter dish that is 100% made in USA” honestly I wasn’t super excited. Cool I thought, a made in USA butter dish to add to my list. I always do enjoy adding to my Made in USA Master List, that’s for sure, but a butter dish wasn’t all that exciting at the time. THEN I started clicking around the Butter Bay site & I realized this is no ordinary butter dish, it is a French butter crock. I LOVE learning about new things, and indeed French butter crocks have been used for centuries, but are totally new to me. Suddenly, I was very excited about butter. If you’ve never smelled or tasted rancid butter, consider yourself lucky. It’s YUCKY! Read on to discover how a Butter Bay can help prevent rancid butter!

One of the 1st questions I ask of any type of ceramics is: is it lead & cadmium-free? I’ve learned it’s not safe to make this assumption. Here’s their response: Yes! Butter Bay has been certified to be 100% safe and meets California Proposition 65 requirements for no lead or cadmium. One thing all vendors who contact me have in common: they’re super, duper proud to bring us a made in USA product. The Butter Bay is made in Ohio, and you’ll see how proud of that they are when you visit their website as well as when you receive your Butter Bay. Made in USA is stamped all over the packaging.

So, the question: why do I need a Butter Bay? This link from their website explains why it was created:  http://thebutterbay.com/pages/about-us

When I got it, I honestly was a bit confused. The stick of butter is larger than the vessel it is supposed to fit in. So I watched this very short video that clearly shows how to use it: https://thebutterbay.com/pages/how-it-works. But still, I managed to find my stick of butter floating in the water below after 1 day. That is the 1 & only time it has happened to me, thankfully. My mistake the 1st time was not letting my butter sit long enough to reach room temp, it was still too firm thus didn’t pack perfectly. Since then I have let it sit on the counter for ½ hr or so & it packs in there perfectly & I’ve had spreadable butter any & every time I’ve needed it. I change the water every 2-4 days.

We have our own flock of chickens so eat quite a few eggs with either a buttered bagel or toast. I occasionally use butter when cooking quesadillas or other dishes, otherwise we don’t eat a whole lot of butter but it sure is nice to have it there & spreadable when needed! What was I using before this? A small Pyrex dish with a lid & I’d take out a couple TBSP at a time. That works for sure, but I did find myself running out a lot. Now with the butter crock I can pull a whole stick out & that lasts us ~10 days give or take. As soon as I scrape the last butter from its sides, I wash & dry the crock & refill it (it is dishwasher safe, but I’ve only hand washed it). It truly is nice to have fresh, creamy butter any time you need it! And while I’m not a super fancy Mama, this Butter Bay certainly looks much prettier on my countertop than my Pyrex dish with green plastic lid…. I’m curious to see how the butter holds up during both the heat of summer & the heat of winter as we use wood heat & at times it does get quite warm in our house & my butter melts (will report back).

What I love about this: of course that it is made in the USA. As with any made in USA product, it takes a great deal of motivation, dedication, determination & LOVE to bring a product to market. In addition to being available online of course, there are numerous states which have retail locations carrying the Butter Bay. I hope you’ll check out this link & if you see a local retailer, support them with your purchase: https://thebutterbay.com/pages/butter-bay-is-now-sold-in-stores

And finally, here is a link to their website. They are running a shipping special now-Christmas: $1.99 shipping on any order of 2 or more, so grab one for yourself & one as a gift for that hard to shop for person in your life! https://thebutterbay.com/

 

Cornucopia Institute’s new toothpaste guide is out!

23 Aug 2016 Leave a comment

by ecofriendlymamausa in Eco-friendly living, Reviews Tags: ,

CI_ToxicToothpasteReportScorecardGraphic.png

And just when I think I can’t be any more proud to be an independent Poofy Organics Guide, I AM! Poofy made their top 5 picks. I’m not surprised as it is one of the only USDA certified organic toothpastes on the market, but some other very popular options like Jack N Jill didn’t make the top slot. I thoroughly agree with the report ranking brands like Seventh Generation & Honest Co very poorly. I’m also extremely proud that the Cornucopia Institute is based in my state of WI, they’re an incredible advocacy & watchdog group for the organic industry!

“Behind the Dazzling Smile:  Toxic Ingredients in Your Toothpaste, describes how the quality of “natural” toothpastes varies significantly between brands and how these personal oral care products commonly include nonessential ingredients that may be harmful.” http://www.cornucopia.org/2016/08/report-finds-toxinscarcinogens-in-popular-brands-of-toothpaste/

FULL SCORECARD HERE: http://www.cornucopia.org/toothpaste-scorecard/

And to shop via my Poofy Organics link: when you purchase using my link your order will ship straight from Poofy to you, and I earn a bit of affiliate income which helps me keep doing what I’m doing. With 500+ products, many of them certified organic, ALL made with the safest ingredients available, by hand in small batches, ethically & with love, you will find all you need for your body & home & then some. I offer 10% off your 1st order via a rebate, just place the order using my link then send me an email to let me know if you want the 10% rebate (towards product total) sent via check or PayPal & it’ll be done!

2 paste options: https://ecofriendlyusa.poofyorganics.com/search.aspx?searchterms=toothpaste

AND one of my favorite products: USDA certified organic mouth wash! https://ecofriendlyusa.poofyorganics.com/products/1201-happy-teeth-total-mouth-rinse-organic.aspx

And from those links you can just keep on browsing & shopping! Let me know if you have any questions: ecofriendlymamausa@gmail.com

 

**Clay-based toothpaste is not without controversy. I use it for myself & my kids, but would like you to read this to make the best, informed decision for your family: https://ecofriendlymamausa.com/2014/05/15/lead-in-bentonite-clay-based-toothpaste-is-any-amount-safe/

 

IF you are not comfortable with the clay, I created my own homemade recipe which receives ammmmmazing reviews, you can read the details here: https://ecofriendlymamausa.com/buying-clubdeomy-poofy-organics/eco-friendly-usa-homemade-toothpaste/

Very thorough & disappointing Berkey test results

17 Jun 2016 4 Comments

by ecofriendlymamausa in Eco-friendly living Tags: , ,

Before you read the very lengthy & thorough report below, I wanted to share one of several emails I’ve received since 1st sharing our independent (TRULY independent) Berkey test results:

“I just want to thank you for posting your Berkey results/dealings in detail for concerned consumers to read. I’ve been researching this very suspicious company for days now, and you are practically the *only* site to share honest lab test results, instead of a generic and baseless “tastes so good! Berkey must WORK!”

After tracking down complaints from other consumers, I discovered that the company refuses to annually test their filtration devices, lies about their NSF certification (they’re not listed at http://info.nsf.org/Certified/DWTU/), won’t ship to California because of their zero-lead laws, and in at least two claims:

(https://www.amazon.com/rev…/R1FRTDKE2G2VBZ/ref=cm_cd_pg_pg4…)

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGWAB4y6S60)

their filters actually tested positive for coliform bacteria.

I feel this is an important issue that deserves more attention, because Berkey is conning thousands of concerned people and parents into believing that they’re drinking safe water–and at a premium. (It’s my opinion that a $300+ water filter should actually work.) And I thank you again for being the only one I could find willing to share their own honest story.

All the Best (And then Some)”

 

NOW, WHAT YOU CAME HERE TO READ:

Important note from Catherine, the consumer who is sharing the following with us:

No group sponsored this testing. It was all coordinated and paid for by myself (Catherine).

 

Also, I delayed sharing these results for a very long time, in hopes that Berkey could correct it or at least to give them a chance to resolve this issue with a refund. However, I am now sharing it since many people are interested in my testing results, process, and extremely poor customer service experience.

 

Timeline of interactions with Berkey

3/5 Ordered a Berkey Royal plus a stand and 2 fluoride filters (and 2 shower filters). $454.06

3/9 Our Berkey dealer from the group buy notified us that the Royal was on backorder so we needed to upgrade (or downgrade) so we upgraded to an Imperial. $22

3/22 Picked up Berkey system

3/23 Dropped off sample from my tap water and Berkey filtered water to compare fluoride levels. $30

3/24 Received results and fluoride was only reduced 77%, not the 95-99.9% they advertise

3/25 I talked to Daniel from Berkey customer service and he told me to get a pool PH test from Walmart and red food coloring. He told me if the PH is under 6 that it won’t work as efficiently. He said the red food coloring test will show if the black filters are working since they assist with fluoride filtration, not all of it is the fluoride filter. He offered to refund it if we can’t resolve the issue.

3/27 Ordered PH test strips from Amazon since that seemed like it would be more reliable than the pool kit at Target. $10.40

3/28 Bought red food dye from Kroger and realized 1 filter and 3 white plugs were defective. $3

 

3/29 PH test strips arrived

3

Ozarka is the left test strip, looks like 5. My tap water are the other 3 test strips. Not a great match but seems closest go 7.

4/1 I called Berkey and spoke to Tiffany and she said they would replace the defective black carbon filter and the white plugs. I just needed to email them proof of purchase. She also said water should be between 5-7 PH for optimum fluoride filtering but I challenged her on that because their website says this. She said their test results say 5-7, so I asked why their FAQ is different and she said it needs to be updated.

4

4/1 Requested proof of purchase from my dealer.

4/4 Received receipt from my dealer.

4/4 Emailed Daniel from Berkey

Hi Daniel,

I spoke with Tiffany Friday and she said to email you my proof of purchase to get the black carbon filters and white plugs replaced, which failed the red food dye test. These are brand new, I only filled it once before the test. (My PH is 7, by the way.)

Please let me know if you need anything else and advise when the replacements will arrive.

My address is: XXX

Best Regards,

4/5 They emailed me return instructions for the defective parts however they wanted me to pay return shipping. I objected since I had contacted them within 10 days of receiving my product and had been talking to them/ troubleshooting, so they agreed it was an error and they provided a return label.

4/12 Received the replacement parts and re-did the red food dye test and it passed.

4/13 Dropped off the 2nd Berkey sample to re-test the fluoride. $15

4/18 Received the results and it was only a 80% fluoride reduction, hardly any improvement from the original test.

4/19 Email to Daniel:

Hi Daniel,

I received the fluoride test results and the results aren’t much better after replacing the defective black carbon filter and the plugs. I am getting an 80% fluoride reduction.

Based on this, I am considering returning it but wanted to reach out to see if there is any additional trouble shooting to do first.

Thank you,

4/19 Daniel’s response:

Did the test mention the PH level of your water? The reason I ask is because at lower PH levels, the fluoride filters do not work as effectively. Follow this link for an explanation.

 

If the test did not mention what your PH level is, then a standard pool test kit can tell you what it is.

 

Thank you,

 

4/19 My second email to Daniel

Hi Daniel,

Yes, I did this before you sent the replacement carbon filter. The pool test showed PH = 7 so based on the article it is not too low.

Please advise.

Thanks,

4/20 Another email to Daniel (still no response)

Hi Daniel,

I wanted to follow-up to see what you suggest. Is there any test to determine if the fluoride filter is defective? Since one black carbon filter was defective, it makes me wonder about the fluoride filters.

Thanks,

4/20 Daniel’s reply

Once your PH reaches 7 is when it will start experiencing diminishing results for the fluoride filters. The only way to test the effectiveness of a fluoride filter is via a water test.

 

Thank you,

 

4/20 My reply to Daniel

Daniel,

Okay and since I did the fluoride test and the fluoride filter is not filtering at your claimed/ advertised level, can you send me replacements so we can see if that’s any better?

Thanks,

4/22 Another reply to Daniel (still no response)

Hi Daniel,

I wanted to check back with you. Since 1 carbon filter was damaged in shipping or defective from production, couldn’t one of both of the fluoride filters be damaged/ defective too??

Thanks,

4/25 Daniel’s reply

It is highly unlikely that the fluoride filters are damaged, merely that they are experiencing diminished effectiveness due to your PH balance. Due to this, replacing the product is not advisable as it would not fix the problem, since the issue is with the PH balance of the water.

 

Thank you,

 

4/25 My reply to Daniel

Daniel,

Can you tell me why it’s highly unlikely? I don’t understand why the black carbon filter could be defective but not the fluoride filter?

Thanks,

4/26 Daniel’s reply

It is possible, however it is more likely that the issue is caused by the PH level rather than the filter actually failing.

 

5/4 Dropped off a tap water sample to test my PH. $15

5/4 My reply to Daniel

Daniel,

To confirm my pH level, I dropped off a sample today to the local health department since that will be more accurate than the home DIY color match test that I got. I will update you once the results come back.

Also, please review these videos, based on feedback I’ve gotten from other Berkey owners, the fluoride filter that is going at constant stream doesn’t seem right. They said it should be filtering, which takes some time. The carbon filters seem to be at an even speed.

Please advise.

5/6 Daniel’s reply

It is not abnormal for filters to flow at different rates, as it can vary greatly depending on the specific composition of the media within both the Black Berkey Elements and the Fluoride Filters.

 

Thank you,

5/6 My reply to Daniel

Hi Daniel,

 

That’s interesting.

 

I’d like to return my Berkey and filters. I got the result back and my tap water PH is 7.82. When I purchased it, that was within the range according to your site (6-8), but now you’ve changed it to 5-7 for some reason. This seems strange (especially since my health department says 6.5-8.5 is normal so you have a very narrow range for what your filters work for, 6-6.5 PH).

 

Please let me know the process.

5/9 Daniel’s reply

It looks like your purchase was made through one of our authorized distributors, so you will need to contact your distributor to return your product, as the transaction was made through them.

 

Thank you,

 

5/10 Requested refund from our Berkey dealer. (She mentioned – I haven’t heard back from them yet, my original rep left, so all her accounts are being shared with the remaining 2 account reps and they are so swamped they said to me yesterday.)

5/31 Still no response from Berkey…

6//1 I sent this summary to my Berkey dealer in hopes that it will help progress this case.

6/2 My Berkey dealer sent the summary to them. They said they will review everything and be back in touch.

6/7 Still no response from Berkey… my dealer said “I have emailed AND called them again today, no one answered so I left another voice message. Part of the problem is I don’t have an account rep right now, my former rep left the company and no one is handling my account, like it seems like I am being ignored, and I am getting very impatient and irritated by there lack of response and the time it is taking them to get things figured out.”

 

So I emailed Daniel myself

It has been a month since I requested the refund of my Berkey system. I reached out to the distributor and provided very detailed information of our conversations/ troubleshooting/ testing. She said her account rep left the company and that she hasn’t heard back from you all despite her continued efforts.

Please let me know what is still needed for this return. This seems unacceptable and I am disappointed in the lack of customer service. When I talked to you the first time, just 3 days after getting my Berkey, you assured me a refund if we couldn’t resolve the issue. I don’t understand why you aren’t following through on that.

6/8 Daniel’s reply

It is my understanding that you wish to return the product. Since we are the manufacturer, and not the company which you purchased your product from, we cannot accept your return as it must be done through that company. As the manufacturer we cover manufacturing faults, but we cannot cover returns on orders not done directly through us.

If you have any questions, here is a link our returns/warranty policies.

6/8 My reply to Daniel

Right, you told me to go through the distributor and I did, a month ago. Why won’t you respond to her so we can all move forward?

6/8 Daniel’s reply

The return is processed entirely through the dealer, meaning they don’t need our permission or knowledge to process or not process your return. That being said, please notify me which dealer you are using and I may contact their temporary account manager so they can confer with them.

6/8 My dealer said she FINALLY was able to speak to her new rep. She sent him my summary and he will review it and get back to her about what type of refund they will offer. He said that theirs is a chance they’ll take a 20% restocking fee but with my documentation she is hopeful they will provide a full refund.

6/9 My dealer said that they are moving the claim to the claims department from her account rep.

6/14 My dealer received this email

Upon approval, the returns department will issue you full store credit on the items purchased except on the Berkey base (there will be a 20% restocking fee on this). Also, you or the customer will have to send back the entire system to our location before we apply this store credit.

 

Please call me if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you for choosing Berkey.

Warmest Regards,

Dami

… A store credit is definitely not what I want so she replied to them informing them that doesn’t help… This story will be updated once we finally resolve this.

6/15 My dealer received this email

I apologize for the mix up in the earlier email. The breakdown I gave you was an optimistic resolution to the return request. However, based on the return policy, your return request will be rejected.

NMCL does not allow for return based on buyers’ remorse. We do handle returns for incorrect, missing or damaged items. If a client decides the system does not work to their satisfaction this would be classified under buyers’ remorse. A return such as this is regrettable but it is the cost of doing business.

 

 

 

I would also point out that PF-2s are Fluoride Reduction filters. We do not make any claims that PF-2s remove all Fluoride. Please call me if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you for choosing Berkey.

Warmest Regards,

Dami

 

This is so strange that they deny making claims, check out their Facebook page. (They did scrub their website of any claims but other owners and dealers have said they have seen claims made too.)

5

 

 

 

I spent $365.21 on a Berkey system that I can’t use because it doesn’t filter fluoride sufficiently and it cost $73.40 (not including tolls and gas, 130 miles) for testing and troubleshooting. I would not have purchased this if their website had been correct and clear up front about the PH limitations. I’m frustrated by the false advertising (changing the optimum PH from 7 to 5, after I told them my results) and then their extreme lack of response for my refund request.

 

 

Now their website has been updated to show the new PH requirements.

 

The PF-2 test results say “Note that the material is most efficient between a PH of 5 and 7 with PH=5 preferred.” However PH 5 is acidic and I can’t imagine any tap water being that.

 

Also, their website mentions that initially their carbon filters help a bit with fluoride reduction, see here, which means that my results could have been a bit inflated and with continued use, the fluoride reduction could be even lower. That is why these test results show a 99.9% reduction in fluoride, without even using the fluoride filter.

 

 

My results

6

 

 

 

What should you do?

If you have Berkey filter results to share, email me at filter.results@gmail.com.

If you haven’t tested yet, I’d suggest doing the red food dye test first to ensure you don’t have any defective or incorrect installed pieces to your system. This is also cheaper to do up front rather than having to repeat the fluoride testing.

If you are considering buying a Berkey system and are concerned about fluoride elimination, test your PH first, this should be ~$10 at your local health department. This will determine if you are within the recommended PH range by Berkey for optimal fluoride reduction results. If you are not within that range, the Berkey with fluoride filters will reduce fluoride but will likely not be 95-99.9%. If you are not within their suggested PH range, you may want to consider an RO system.

UPDATE 6/30/16: So I wanted to give an update that after submitting the Better Business Bureau claim,  Berkey had a change of heart (6.5 weeks after my request for a refund). They agreed to issue a store credit to my dealer who had a current buy going, which she started a while back. She was ready to be done with it so she closed it early and was able to issue me a refund back through PayPal. So I’m glad to finally have a refund, though I wish they had better customer service from the start.

the 2 original tests that also were disappointing: https://ecofriendlymamausa.com/2015/09/29/berkey-fluoride-filter-test-results/

*******AN ALTERNATIVE THAT TESTED VERY WELL, BASED ON ONLY 1 TEST. I’D LOOOOOVE TO SEE MORE TESTS OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS, BUT FOR NOW I HAVE THIS GOOD NEWS TO SHARE: https://ecofriendlymamausa.com/2016/12/20/aquasana-finally-a-water-filter-living-up-its-claims/

Previous Older Entries Next Newer Entries

Design a site like this with WordPress.com
Get started