Rockin' Green Review/Giveaway! Ends Sept 7!

Congrats to Erlinda! Please watch your email, & respond within 48 hours to claim your Rockin' Green! Thank you to everyone who entered.

About a month ago I started testing Rockin' Green's Rage Against The Raspberries in the Classic Rock formula. I was sent one 45 oz bag to test. I've waited to do this review until I had the opportunity to really put this detergent to the test!

Rockin' Green is also offering one of my readers a 45/90 load bag of detergent in the winner's choice of scent/formula. The Giveaway will end on Sept 7 at 12 Noon CST. I will have the Giveaway details at the end of the review. This giveaway is open to readers in the US & Canada.

About the product:

In the Summer of '09 Rockin' Green was born out of necessity - sensitive skin being the problem. It started as a family business, run from home. Before long, the soap filled the house! They found a small office, & hired two employees. Before long, they outgrew the first office, & moved to a new one. They also had a warehouse. The business continues to grow as word spreads about this wonderful soap.

It's naturally scented, dye free, vegan, it cleans & deodorizes, it contains no enzymes or optical brighteners, is phosphate free, is an easy rinsing formula, works great on stink, comes in recyclable packaging, HE compatible, costs pennies per load, gluten free, biodegradable ingredients, SLS & paraben free, & works great on clothes!

If you're using cloth diapers, chances are good that you already know not to use detergents with fabric softeners in them. However, most laundry detergents have chemicals such as perfumes that can cause buildup on your diapers. Buildup can cause them to leak due to repelling moisture rather than absorbing it. Apparently, buildup can even be a problem with perfume free detergent! Not only will Rockin' Green not cause buildup, but it can even help you remove existing buildup from using other brands of detergent.

Different Formulas:

There are 3 different formulas to suit different water types. You can view their formula map for a recommendation for your area if you're uncertain what type of water you have. You can also have your water professionally tested by a pool or aquarium business.

1) Classic Rock - This is the original formula, intended for use in areas with <250 ppm. This is for water that's neither too soft or too hard. When in doubt as to which formula to use, start with this! Classic Rock is designed for customers with sensitive skin, but is available in a wide range of scents. It's designed to deliver more cleaning power per scoop. Many customers have found a 60 percent reduction in stains, and are able to reduce the amount of “rock the soaks” needed.

2) Soft Rock - Advised in areas with <60 ppm. This is designed for the most sensitive of customers! It's available only in unscented  (Bare Naked Babies). This is for those with soft water or those using water softeners. It's also designed to deliver more cleaning power per scoop. Many customers have found a 60 percent reduction in stains, and are able to reduce the amount of “rock the soaks” needed. 

3) Hard Rock - Anything higher than 250 ppm. It has a lower pH than most detergents. This means that it's gentler on fabrics & diapers. It's safer for sensitive skin. It's designed to deliver more cleaning power per scoop.

There's an extra product for hard to remove funk!

Funk Rock - This is an optional ammonia bouncer for serious funk.  It's a 100% natural compound that targets funk at the source. 4 tablespoons is enough to de-funk up to 20 diapers in one sitting. You can add a little to your pre-wash to keep the stinkies from coming back. A 16 ounce bag will keep the diaper funk away for over two months! Phosphate Free – Enzyme Free – SLS Free.

Scents Available:

Smashing Watermelons
Rage Against The Raspberries
Motley Clean
Earth, Wind, & Orchids
Lavender Mint Revival
Mighty Mighty Marshmallows
Bare Naked Babies (unscented)

My Experience:

It was funny because my Rockin' Green arrived the very same day that the itti bitti d'lish arrived for me to review. I quickly grabbed my dirty diapers, threw the itti bitti in with them, & washed them with the Rockin' Green.

As soon as I opened the Ziploc bag of Rage Against The Raspberry, the sweet smell filled the air of my laundry room! It smelled so yummy that I wanted to taste it! It reminds me of a tart candy scent. I've used the Rockin' Green exclusively to wash my diapers ever since receiving it. I have to say that I'm impressed with how long this 45 oz bag has lasted me! Rockin' Green said that the bag should last up to 45 loads in a top load or 90 in an HE machine. I've bee using it since July 10. I have a regular washer, & I still have three quarters of a bag left! I haven't been counting, but I wash diapers at least twice a week. I think this bag will last me about 3 months. I have to tell you that I haven't just used it on diapers! I have a 13 year old who is hard on clothes. Every time I turn around she has one mystery stain or another. I've soaked her stained clothes in it following the Rock The Soak guidelines, & the stains disappeared! The one stained item that really impressed me was a pair of beige pants with grass stains on the knees. The grass stain disappeared after soaking.

Prior to using Rockin' Green, I used Sun Free & Clear. Because I was having issues with ammonia smell, I went ahead & Rocked A Soak on all of my baby's diapers. The ammonia wasn't noticeable all of the time - just when she wet a diaper. That problem went away as soon as I used the Rage Against The Raspberries. No more stink! Woo Hoo!

Another bonus - no more diaper rash! My baby has very sensitive skin. She's suffered with eczema on her face, neck, & upper chest since birth. At one point it was all over her body. I quickly realized that she was sensitive to scent. Even Johnson's Baby Wash caused her to break out in a rash. It was because of this that I was using Sun Free & Clear. I thought that would protect her little tush from eczema. For the most part it did, but she had this one area in the folds of her upper thighs near her groin that was a constant problem. That rash cleared up within 2 days of switching detergent!

Not only did it clear up her rash, but her diapers functioned so much better! I must've had buildup that I was unaware of. I didn't experience an obvious decline in absorbency over time, but boy oh boy did her diapers become more absorbent!

I did notice that the yummy smell didn't stay with the diaper after the rinse cycle. I went to the FAQ section at Rockin' Green & learned that was totally normal. Rockin' Green is designed to rinse out completely & easily, so that it doesn't leave a residue behind or irritate delicate skin.

Now is a great time to buy Rockin' Green because they're currently holding their Green Ticket Event. When you purchase your bag of Rockin' Green, open it up to see if there's a green ticket inside. If you’re a lucky winner, then you've won up to 150 prizes ranging from a bag of Rockin’ Green soap (scent of choice), a Shake it Up!, a Rockin’ Green Bundle…or one of two grand prizes - two concert tickets to the Ticketmaster event of your choice or a year's supply of Rockin' Green!

Pros of Rockin' Green:

1) The price for value! The 45 oz bag of 45/90 is $14.95. That may seem like a lot at first, but when you consider that this bag will do 45 loads in a regular washer you realize that it's actually a bargain at 33 cents per load. Yes; that may be a bit more than a traditional detergent, but a traditional detergent may be causing your diapers to be less absorbent.

2) Great for delicate skin! As mentioned earlier, my baby has eczema, & it cleared up the rash in her delicate areas.

3) Great at removing stubborn stains! It even removed grass stains from the knees on my 13 year old's pants!

4) The smell is yummy.

Cons:

1) It isn't available in stores locally. This isn't really a problem. It's easy to find online.

2) I suppose some might find the fact that the yummy scent disappears after rinsing to be a con. This doesn't bother me. I consider it a trade off for the comfort & health of my baby's skin.

The Giveaway:

This giveaway will end on Sept 7 at 12 noon CST. This giveaway is open to readers in the US & Canada. There is one mandatory task for entry, with 7 bonus entries, for a total of 8 possible entries per person. Please don't forget to comment with your name & email addy. It's the only way I have to contact you if you win. Thanks & good luck!

Mandatory Entry:

1) Follow me publicly with Google Friend Connect, & comment with your name & email addy. Previous followers count too - just comment with your details.

Extra Entries:

2) Subscribe to my blog via email & comment with your name & email addy. If you already subscribe, please comment & let me know. Don't forget to leave your contact details.

3) Vote for me on "We're On The Fence". Comment & let me know. Don't forget to leave your name & email addy.

4) Follow me on Twitter (@heartnbutterfly). Comment & let me know your Twitter ID. Include your name & email addy.

5) Tweet about this giveaway, & include a link to your Tweet in your comment. Leave your name & email addy.

6) Follow Rockin' Green on Facebook.

7) Follow @RockinGreenSoap on Twitter.

8) Comment with the formula/scent you would choose if you won. Don't forget to include your name & email addy.

FREE Pertussis vacine for parents!

I'm sure you've all seen the commercial on TV, a Mother is holding her coughing baby near a window, sort of pacing back & forth with a worried expression on her face. The baby has the telltale whoop associated with "whooping cough". Maybe you even had whooping cough as a child - I know I did, & I remember it well! However, did you know that Pertussis or "whooping cough" is life threatening to babies under a year old. The scary thing about that is that it's children under 4 who catch it most frequently. Check out the Sounds Of Pertussis website for more information. This is a wonderful website that's full of info!

My baby is now 6 months old. On a recent visit to the pediatrician I learned that it's recommended that all adults having direct contact with an infant should get the Tdap vaccine. My pediatrician said that most babies catch Pertussis from their parents or another close family member. He asked when we last received our vaccine, & I really wasn't sure. My husband, myself, & my oldest daughter received a tetanus shot upon returning to N.O. after evacuating for Hurricane Katrina, but the pediatrician was unclear on if the tetanus portion of the vaccine was separate from the pertussis portion, & recommended getting it again to be on the safe side. Apparently, babies aren't considered protected from Pertussis until they have 3 shots. So far, my sweet girl has only had 1. The Dr told me about a wonderful program in our area aimed at ensuring that adults protect their babies from whooping cough.

If you're the parent of a baby less than 1 year of age, & live in the Metro New Orleans area, you can receive a free Tdap vaccine from GNO Shots For Kids. After doing a quick search online, I found that many states have similar programs, so please do your baby a favor & do a quick search online for "Free Pertussis vaccine for parents" & add in your local area. Failing that, you can of course get it from your regular DR or the Health Department.

List YOUR Giveaway here!

Hi,
Since I do giveaways, I thought it might be nice to give others the chance to list their giveaways as well! It's always nice to share, & hopefully this will get your giveaway a few more hits. I think I'll leave this open indefinitely.

Please comment with any details you feel are relevant.

Thanks!

I just wanted to let you all know that there's another great giveaway linky via icefairy's Treasure Chest. Please visit her to list your giveaways!

Sand Gone Review/Giveaway! Ends Aug 22!

Congrats to quiet ct! I think you'll be happy with this. It smells so yummy! Please watch for my email.

Are you planning a trip to the beach soon? Do you live near a beach, or do you frequently visit one? If so, you're probably sick of that irritating feeling of sand plastered all over your body. Sand Gone generously sent me a 12 oz Family Sized container of their all natural powder to test out, & is offering one lucky reader a 12 oz Family Size as well! The giveaway ends on August 22, 2011 at 12 Noon CST. As usual, the Giveaway details will be at the bottom of the Review.

Don't forget to enter to win an itti bitti d'lish SIO Diaper! There's still time. The giveaway ends Aug 11, 2011 at 12 Noon CST.

About The Product:

Tiffany Smith is a Mom of 2, who spent a lot of time at the beach with her children. She grew tired of using water to wash the sand off her kids, so formulated a powder that became known as Sand Gone.

Sand Gone is made from all natural products. It contains vegetable starch, plant starches, & fragrance.

Sand Gone is available for purchase on their website. You can pay securely with Paypal. You can purchase an 8 oz Family Size for $12.95 plus shipping. She also sells a Sand Gone Beach Bag, with all kinds of goodies in it: an 8 oz Family Size, a 2 oz individual size, Almond Coconut Soap, & display bag. The Beach bag currently sells for $26.00 plus shipping.

My family finally made it to the beach this past week! I love the beach & Summer just isn't complete without it. Nothing says Summer like the smell of the ocean, the feel of sand between your toes, & the sound of waves & seagulls. However, as much as I love the beach I do not enjoy the feel of sand stuck to my body on the drive home. It seems like no matter how much you rinse off with water, towel it off, or try to brush it off with your hands it just lingers in the most uncomfortable way!

About a week ago I received a sample of Sand Gone. It's said to be perfect for beach goers. It claimed to remove sand with a dry body powder, leaving your skin clean & soft. I thought it sounded too good to be true, but couldn't wait to test it! I'll admit to being skeptical.

I live in a suburb of New Orleans, & have grown up going to the beach every Summer - Grand Isle (pre BP Oil Spill), Biloxi, Ship Island, Florida, & now Alabama. All are within driving distance to me.

I'd always heard how clean & beautiful AL beaches were, & that they rivalled FL beaches. Since I have a 5 month old baby that I'm nursing every 2 hrs, I wanted to keep the car drive reasonable, but I also wanted to go to a clean beach that was as far away from last year's oil spill as possible. Let me just give a shout out to Cotton Bayou Beach in Orange Beach AL. It was BEAUTIFUL, & well worth the 4 hr drive to get there!

My Experience:

We spent several hours on the beach & in the water, but before we knew it the time had flown by. It was time to hit the road. We had to walk about 25 yards across the beach to get to the pier that led to the parking lot, flip flops sending sand up the back of our wet legs. We had a pretty decent amount of sand on us by the time we reached the parking lot. My 13 year old daughter used the outdoor public shower to attempt to wash her sand off. I used the Sand Gone. My husband multi tasked by holding the baby while shooting video of me using the Sand Gone. Later he used the towel to try to remove his sand. Out of the 3 of us, I definitely fared the best. Unfortunately, they were too shy to let me take pictures or shoot video of them! However, I can tell you that when we arrived home at 9:00 that night, they both couldn't wait to jump in the shower to wash the sand off! On the other hand, I was too tired & waited until the morning to shower - that's how well this product worked!

It's hard to see the sugar white sand on my feet & legs, but I did my best to show you.

When I opened the container of Sand Gone, the very first thing I noticed was the lovely tropical scent of coconuts! It smelled so good! There was a powder puff inside to apply the Sand Gone to the sandy areas with a brushing/sweeping motion. I used it in the exact same way that I would normally use my hand or towel to attempt to brush the sand off with, dipping the powder puff into the coconut scented powder often. I started off using the powder sparingly, but quickly learned not to be shy about really digging into the powder. I could see the sand flying off of my skin with each sweep. I didn't feel like I was rubbing my skin raw with sand paper, which is how I usually feel when trying to brush off sand with a towel or my hand. Instead, the Sand Gone went on smoothly & gently. All I felt was the powder & powder puff. As stated earlier, I did use the powder very generously because I found that worked best.

Here are the after pics. The white that you see near my toes in the bottom pic is the Sand Gone powder.

My hubby attempted to video me using the product. I apologize in advance for not resembling anything near a swimsuit model! The most important thing is to watch the sand flying off of me! You'll see it as little sparkly flecks. You will hear my know it all 13 year old in the background doubting that it works (gotta love teens!). However, you will literally see the sand flying off of me - especially on the 2nd leg.

Video of me testing Sand Gone

I think the video speaks volumes! However, if you're still skeptical, you can check out the videos on Sand Gone's website.

This will be a permanent part of my beach bag from now on!

Pros:

1) Smells delicious! I would use this powder any time - not just at the beach! I've been tempted to use it after baths except that the powder now has sand in it (as you would expect it to).

2) It works! I found that it removed much more sand than any other method.

3) It leaves your skin feeling so soft, & leaves a lovely tropical scent of coconuts.

4) Is a pleasant & relaxing way to remove sand. You feel like you're pampering yourself.

Cons:

1) This isn't really a con, but something I want to mention to my readers to make using the product easier for you. I think some people might try to put it on sparingly. I was guilty of that myself at first, but quickly learned that it was more effective to really dig into the powder with the powder puff.

2) I suppose some people might find ordering it online to be a con, though this doesn't bother me in the least! I tend to do most of my shopping online, but some people are a little afraid of making payments online (mostly people in a more advanced age group). Paypal is a very secure way to make payments!!!!!

3) It does take some time to rub yourself down with the powder puff, but honestly so does any other method of sand removal. I don't think there's a quick fix to getting rid of sand. :o) Besides, I found it to be pleasant & relaxing. It was so soft & smelled so good!

There you have it! I don't think there are really any cons to Sand Gone at all! If you're planning a trip to the beach, or frequently visit beaches, I highly recommend this product!

The Giveaway:

This is open to both new & existing readers. However, if you're already following me you still need to comment to let me know. This is for residents of the USA who are 18 & older only. Please play fair & enter with only one email addy. You have the opportunity to enter 6 times by completing the tasks & commenting with your name & email addy. However, the 1st task is mandatory for all entries! I will be checking to make sure that all tasks have been completed, & if they haven't the comment will be deleted. The drawing will be on August 22, 2011 at 12 Noon CST. I will use random.org to select the winner.

Mandatory Task

1) Follow me publicly with GFC. Comment with your name & email addy letting me know that you've done so. This applies to those who are already following me as well. :o)

Extra Entries

2) Subscribe via email & comment with your name & email addy.

3) Follow me on Twitter (@heartnbutterfly) & comment with your Twitter ID, name, & email addy.

4) Tweet about this Giveaway. Include the link to your Tweet, name, & email addy in your comment.

5) Follow @SANDGONE on Twitter. Comment with your Twitter ID, name, & email addy after doing so.

6) Like Sand Gone on Facebook. Post a thank you for the Giveaway on their wall & tell them that my blog sent you. Please comment with your Facebook name & email addy letting me know that you've done so.

Good luck!

What's your favorite homemade ice cream recipe?

Don't forget to enter to win an itti bitti d'lish SIO diaper! The drawing will be 8-11-11, at 12 noon CST. http://heartnbutterfly.blogspot.com/2011/07/itti-bitti-dlish-snap-in-one-cloth.html

It's the end of Summer (sadly), & apparently July was National ice cream month. I just learned that last night on the news. I'm always late finding out things!

I'm not done with Summer yet. I have a list of things I want to do yet. My family has been waiting for the nasty thunderstorms to pass, so we can go camping! We also want to hit the beach with our 5 month old baby girl for her very first time. One of the other things I want to do is get out my ice cream machine & make some homemade ice cream! Nothing says Summer to me like homemade ice cream!

I have many memories of my Momma, who is with the angels now, & I miss her dearly. One of my favorite childhood memories is of helping her make ice cream. She made many flavors - fresh peach, chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, coffee, but my all time favorite was banana pecan! Unfortunately, she wasn't one for writing her recipes down. Oh, how I wish I knew her recipe! All I remember is that she used cans of evaporated milk, sugar, I think she used one can of condensed milk, mashed bananas, & crushed pecans. I don't remember if her recipe had eggs in it or not, but I do know that she didn't cook anything first.

Can anybody help me out here? I've scoured the Internet, but can't find anything that sounds like what she used to make.

Please share your favorite ice cream recipes with me too - even ones other than banana pecan! :o) I think it would be fun to share our favorite ice cream recipes. Thanks in advance!