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Walking in the sand at the beach and building sand castles near the shore. Munching on chilled watermelon slices while dipping our feet in the lake. Taking a long and leisure stroll through a field of summer flowers. Those are all images I imagine when I think about Late July. Even their adorable packaging depicts similar images and reminds you of simple yet magical times in the summer.

If you’ve never heard of Late July before, then you are in for a real treat. Our family enjoys their snacks immensely and we always keep a few of their products in the pantry. Late July is a family-owned and operated company that makes organic snacks that are wholesome and good for you.  Their organic snacks range from chocolate sandwich cookies to cheese crackers to saltines. And they use only the finest natural and organic ingredients in all of their products so you know you’re eating a delicious snack without any toxic pesticides or chemicals in them. Their products also carry the USDA Organic label which is important because it ensures their products are made with organic ingredients and go through a rigorous certification process. Eating as much organic food as possible is crucial to your health and to the planet and Late July is one of the companies out there that necessitates it. Their products also do not contain any preservatives or artificial color and flavors. There are no unnecessary additivies and flavor enhancers – it’s all pretty much natural goodness.

Late July’s enduring mission is to provide people with wholesome and realistic snacks that can be enjoyed by anyone. Young or old, Late July’s organic snacks is reminiscent of innocent and carefree moments when you want something that tastes homemade and satisfying. Their snacks are also fun to eat too and their packaging a delight to the eyes.

It all began over 20 years ago with the Cape Cod potato chips company who revolutionized the snack industry by producing all-natural potato chips without the use of trans fats, hydrogenated oils, corn syrup, artificial flavors, artificial colors or preservatives. With the same objective in mind, Late July was born and created to make all-natural and organic snacks “that kids and parents think taste great using simple, responsible, high quality, organic ingredients”. They don’t have a huge selection of snacks to choose from, because they want to keep their organic snack line simple, although they are vastly growing and recently came out with the organic whole grain chips.

I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to try an assortment of their organic snacks. The products I tried were their Mini Sandwich Cookies in Cheddar Cheese, Peanut Butter, and White Chocolate; Bite Size Cheddar Cheese crackers; and Dark Chocolate Sandwich Cookies. However, they also make Classic Saltines, Multigrain Chips, and Dark Chocolate with Mint Sandwich Cookies which I tried during the Christmas holiday season. Their sandwich cookies comes in bite-sized, regular-sized, and multipack which is really convenient for lunches, snacks, and even as party favors.

Late July has kindly offered one LUCKY winner an assortment of their organic snacks. The winner will get a selection of their goodies which includes their bite-sized cookies, crackers, and regular-sized cookies.

Here is how to enter in the Late July organic snacks giveaway:

MANDATORY ENTRY:

#1 entry – “Like” Late July on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/latejulyorganic and write on their wall that you are entering the Late July contest at www.happymomblogger.wordpress.com. Please put HAPPYMOMBLOGGER as the heading.

ADDITIONAL ENTRIES:

#2 entry – Visit  http://www.latejuly.com/ and tell me what other products you would like to try from Late July.

#3 entry – Subscribe to my Blog.

#4 entry – Enter in my other contests.

#5 entry – Vote for me at Top Mommy Blogs using the link provided below.

You can enter as many times as you like but you MUST enter in the Mandatory entry to qualify. The more you enter, the more chances your name will be drawn.  You can enter by telling me the 5 entries in the LEAVE A COMMENT box. Please be sure to give me your name and email address so that I may contact you if you win. Contest is open to residents of US only. 18 years and older please. Please be sure to provide a physical address and not a P.O. Box.

Contest Start Date: March 5, 2011

Contest End Date: March 20, 2011 (CONTEST CLOSED – WINNER WILL BE SELECTED).Congratulations to Lori D. who won this giveaway.

Only 1 winner will be chosen at random and I will post the winner’s name on my blog.

GOOD LUCK AND THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING!

Disclaimer: The product(s)were sent to the author for review by the manufacturer/PR. All reviews on “Happymomblogger” remain unbiased and unpaid and are the sole decision of the author. The opinions of these product(s) were not influenced in any way, shape, or form. As always, please read the ingredients carefully when trying new products. 

Please read the labels and ingredients carefully and follow all manufacturer’s instructions (if any). The products selected for the giveaway were generously donated by the companies/PR to help readers learn more about their products. The winner’s choice in using/consuming these products are entirely up to the winner and will not hold the author and her family liable nor the companies/PR liable. These products are made with non-toxic ingredients but always be safe with what you use and consume.

http://www.topmommyblogs.com/blogs/in.php?id=storm

I love eating freshly made fruit bars and Pure Bar comes pretty close to making it right in your own kitchen. Fruit bars that are made with all-natural ingredients and in the case of Pure Bar – organic ingredients – are more natural to the taste and a lot more wholesome. But Pure Bar is more than just a fruit bar-making company. The company is dedicated in making snack bars that contain only the purest ingredients and the freshest around. In fact, their bars are so “fresh” that they call them “Raw” meaning ingredients that aren’t cooked above 118 degrees. But why make them “raw”? Because raw foods aren’t overcooked thus maintaining their nutritional value. Thus Pure Bar sets themselves apart from other fruit and snack bars.

What I liked most about Pure Bar snack bars is that their ingredients are very simple yet pack a whole lot of nutrition and flavor. They’re also lightly sweetened with organic agave nectar although the agave nectar is almost unncessary because it’s sweet enough. Pure Bar’s snack bars are almost like eating a handful of fruits and nuts except in a bar form and definitely much easier to carry around. They’re also certified organic by the USDA so you know that you’re eating food that haven’t been touched by toxic pesticides so they’re better for your health and for the planet. Another great thing about Pure Bar snack bars is that they are gluten-free so they’re a good choice for gluten and wheat-intolerant folks. Their bars are also minimally processed and contain no dairy products so vegans can enjoy them as well.

Currently, Pure Bar fruit bars come in 6 different flavors – Chocolate Brownie, Wild Blueberry, Cherry Cashew, Apple Cinnamon, Cranberry Orange, and Trail Mix. My favorite is, can-you-guess, Chocolate Brownie because it tastes extraordinarily like a chocolate brownie except with an extra kick to it since it contains organic cashews, walnuts, and almonds so it’s also quite filling. You can find Pure Bars in most natural food stores and you can even order them online: http://shop.thepurebar.com

Pure Bar was developed by a mom who wanted to create something delicious and satisfying for her vegetarian daughter. And like its name entails – pure ingredients and pure deliciousness are packed into each bar. As a family-owned and operated business, Pure Bar is able to maintain the integrity of their ingredients and their mission is simple – providing natural and wholesome snacks for everyone. By using organic ingredients in their bars, they are already contributing to the sustainability of our planet but they also go one step further in helping the world by teaming up with the Celiac Disease Foundation and planting one tree for each 3 bars that are sold. A company that helps people and the environment – how can they go wrong with that?

I was greatly fortunate to receive an assortment of their snack bars to try and to give away to 3 LUCKY winners! Each winner will receive a variety pack filled with all of the flavors mentioned above. So how do you get to win a variety pack? Find out below!

Here is how to enter:

MANDATORY ENTRY:

#1 entry – “Like” Pure Bar on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/thePureBar) and post on their wall that you are entering the giveaway at http://www.happymomblogger.wordpress.com/. Please put HAPPYMOMBLOGGER in the heading.

ADDITIONAL ENTRIES:

#2 entry – Go to the Pure Bar website: http://thepurebar.com/ and subscribe to their newsletter.

#3 entry – Subscribe to my Blog.

#4 entry – Enter in my other contests.

#5 entry – Vote for me at Top Mommy Blogs using the link provided below.

You can enter as many times as you like but you MUST enter in the Mandatory entry to qualify. The more you enter, the more chances your name will be drawn.  You can enter by telling me the 5 entries in the LEAVE A COMMENT box. Please be sure to give me your name and email address so that I may contact you if you win. Contest is open to residents of US only. 18 years and older please. Please be sure to provide a physical address and not a P.O. Box.

Contest Start Date: March 5, 2011

Contest End Date: March 20, 2011 (CONTEST CLOSED – WINNERS WILL BE SELECTED)(Congratulations to Karen, Kelsey, and Gina!)

3 winners will be chosen at random and I will post the winners names on my blog.

GOOD LUCK AND THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING!

Disclaimer: The product(s)were sent to the author for review by the manufacturer/PR. All reviews on “Happymomblogger” remain unbiased and unpaid and are the sole decision of the author. The opinions of these product(s) were not influenced in any way, shape, or form. As always, please read the ingredients carefully when trying new products. 

Please read the labels and ingredients carefully and follow all manufacturer’s instructions (if any). The products selected for the giveaway were generously donated by the companies/PR to help readers learn more about their products. The winner’s choice in using/consuming these products are entirely up to the winner and will not hold the author and her family liable nor the companies/PR liable. These products are made with non-toxic ingredients but always be safe with what you use and consume.

http://www.topmommyblogs.com/blogs/in.php?id=storm

I love a laundry detergent that uses only naturally-derived ingredients and can still work effectively and smell great. There are many companies out there that claim to use only natural ingredients in their laundry detergents, but in the case of Earth Friendly Products, they stand behind their products and they disclose all ingredients and their safety ratings. When you read the ingredients on their packaging, you can clearly see that they use only plant-derived ingredients which are safer for people and for the planet. Natural ingredients are also gentler on your clothes since they don’t contain harsh chemicals that can compromise the delicate fibers in your clothes.

But laundry detergent isn’t the only product that Earth Friendly Products carry. They produce practically everything you can imagine to clean your home, car, and your pets. Yes, products that clean your pets as well!. Their home products consists of bathroom cleaners, shower cleaners, drain openers, dishwashing liquid, dishwashing detergents, countertop cleaners, fruit and vegetable wash, floor cleaners, window cleaners, carpet shampoo, and many more. They also sell bathroom tissue made from 100% recycled materials, air freshners, ice melts, and the previous mentioned pet shampoo and pet stain and odor remover (although this works great on pretty much anything.) Earth Friendly Products produces so many products that you almost don’t have to buy any other products to clean with.

I discovered Earth Friendly Products awhile back when I was looking for natural cleaning products for the home. I wanted something that was non-toxic yet still effective, not too costly and worked well in cleaning whatever I needed to. Enter Earth Friendly Products to satisfiy my need to find really good cleaning products. I’ve used other natural cleaning products before and still do and I know people often wonder if natural cleaning products work just as well as conventional non-natural cleaning products. From someone who’s used and tried many natural cleaning products throughout the years, I have to say that Earth Friendly Products does indeed work extremely well in cleaning my home, laundry, and car. I love their laundry detergent and although I’ve only tried a few of their products, they haven’t disappointed me in cleaning off grime, dirt, and germs.

Earth Friendly Products is a family owned and operated company that began over 20 years ago. Their humble company pledge is to provide safe and effective products that do not harm the planet or its inhabitants – people, pets, the environment. In fact, they are highly regarded in the industry as the leader of environmentally safe cleaning products and viewed as a “champion” in the eyes of the Environmental Protection Agency. Earth Friendly Products was also the first company to eliminate Dioxane and Formaldehyde which are known carcinogens and potentially harmful to the human body. Their goal is to provide “high quality, affordable green products” and all of their products are  manufactured in their plants so they have complete control in what goes in and out of their products. They also promise to never test their products on animals.

But Earth Friendly Products is more than just a green company. As with most green companies, the sustainability value of our planet is on the top of their list, but with Earth Friendly Products, they go even further in preserving our planet.  Earth Friendly Products has pledged to use green building design and practices in constructing their new buildings and turned their Garden Grove, California plant into the first facility to run with solar power only. To read more about Earth Friendly Products Sustainability Commitments, here is the direct link: http://www.ecos.com/sustainabilityc.html.

I was very happy to receive an assortment of cleaning products from Earth Friendly Products. I tried their Ecos Liquid Laundry Detergent (which I loved!), their Oxo Brite, Everyday Stain and Odor Remover (which is great on pet stains), their Dishmate (which is their most popular product), and their Shower Gel. All of their products can be purchased on the company’s website and you can find their products in most natural grocery stores, certain supermarkets and even some Costco carry their products. Earth Friendly Products has also kindly offered 1 LUCKY winner a chance to try their Ecos Liquid Laundry Detergent in Magnolia and Lily. Their detergent is highly concentrated so a little goes a long way and works in both front loading and HE machines.

Here is how to enter in the Ecos Liquid Laundry Detergent in Magnolia and Lily giveaway:

MANDATORY ENTRY:

#1 entry – “Like” Earth Friendly Products on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Earth-Friendly-Products/33804176629?ref=ts  and write on their wall that you are entering Earth Friendly Products contest at www.happymomblogger.wordpress.com. Please put HAPPYMOMBLOGGER as the heading.

ADDITIONAL ENTRIES:

#2 entry – Visit http://www.ecos.com/ and tell me what other products you would like to try from Earth Friendly Products.

#3 entry – Subscribe to my Blog.

#4 entry – Enter in my other contests.

#5 entry – Vote for me at Top Mommy Blogs using the link provided below.

You can enter as many times as you like but you MUST enter in the Mandatory entry to qualify. The more you enter, the more chances your name will be drawn.  You can enter by telling me the 5 entries in the LEAVE A COMMENT box. Please be sure to give me your name and email address so that I may contact you if you win. Contest is open to residents of US only. 18 years and older please. Please be sure to provide a physical address and not a P.O. Box.

Contest Start Date: March 5, 2011

Contest End Date: March 20, 2011 (CONTEST CLOSED – WINNER WILL BE SELECTED). Congratulations to Teresa for winning this giveaway.

Only 1 winner will be chosen at random and I will post the winner’s name on my blog.

GOOD LUCK AND THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING!

Disclaimer: The product(s)were sent to the author for review by the manufacturer/PR. All reviews on “Happymomblogger” remain unbiased and unpaid and are the sole decision of the author. The opinions of these product(s) were not influenced in any way, shape, or form. As always, please read the ingredients carefully when trying new products. 

Please read the labels and ingredients carefully and follow all manufacturer’s instructions (if any). The products selected for the giveaway were generously donated by the companies/PR to help readers learn more about their products. The winner’s choice in using/consuming these products are entirely up to the winner and will not hold the author and her family liable nor the companies/PR liable. These products are made with non-toxic ingredients but always be safe with what you use and consume.

http://www.topmommyblogs.com/blogs/in.php?id=storm

I’m not an excellent cook, but I think I’m pretty skilled enough to throw together a few ingredients and make a good tasting dish. Or at least that’s what I hope my family and friends think!

More than lately, people are starting to realize the importance of buying and consuming organic food due to their extraordinary health benefits and for the sustainability of the planet. From eating as much organic food as possible at an early age, I’ve actually come to understand that most organic food actually does taste better and there are scientific research proving that certain organically-grown produce are tastier and more nutritious. Ofcourse proof is in the pudding, so to speak, and the more you eat organic produce, the more you can find out the difference for yourself.

I wanted to share some of my recipes using organic produce and ingredients (or at best, locally-grown produce). Make sure to ask the producers of locally-grown produce whether they are organic or pesticide-free. Pesticide-free guarantees no toxic pesticides or herbicides are used however, it doesn’t guarentee that the soil is toxic free. Organic produce are certified organic by the USDA and farmers and companies go through a rigorous certification process to ensure their products are completely and ethically grown under organic standards.

I hope you truly enjoy these recipes and feedback is always welcomed. Most of the recipes are my own, but some may come from family and friends or resources which I hope all will be informative and delicious! If you have any suggestions on organic produce or ingredients you’d like to try, please let me know.

Enjoy and good health!