And The Winner Is...

As drawn by Random.org, the winner is Comment Number 7!

Amanda Hoffman, come on down! Well, check your email.

Congratulations and thanks to everyone who entered! I'll be posting some of your suggestions on simplifying laundry in an upcoming post.

all® mighty pacs™ Giveaway!

We do lots of laundry in our house. I imagine that most families do, especially those with small children. As a result of this, a large chunk of space is devoted to the whole laundry process, including our diaper detergent, our regular detergent, our dryer sheets, the vinegar for rinse cycles, the baking soda for odor and stain lifting, the spot remover spray...anyway. Anything to help simplify the process is appreciated, and when the people at all® and MyBlogSpark asked me to do a review and giveaway, I was happy to participate.

C does most of the laundry (being a work-at-home-dad), and neither one of us has the time (or energy!) to go through every single piece of laundry (especially the kid's stuff!) and spray to remove stains before washing. The all® mighty pacs™ contain super concentrated detergent with stain lifters, so there's no need to spray anything. We have used all® free clear detergent in the past and we already were fans, but I don't generally buy any scented detergents. We received a sample of original scent all® mighty pacs™  and tested those first. I have been looking for that scent (sniffing for that scent?) for years. I dated a guy in high school whose mom used it, and ever since then I've LOVED the smell of that detergent but I had no idea what brand it was! Well, now I know.  Heaven, I tell you. Anyway, if scented isn't your thing, the "free clear" ones work wonderfully as well. The detergent is super easy to use- you toss one pack in for small loads, and two in for large or heavily stained loads (kid clothes, anyone?). Because the pacs come in a bag (resealable, of course) and are 100% dissolvable, there is minimal waste so they are eco-friendly too. 

We are very happy with how well the detergent works. The scent is not overpowering and lasts a long time. I was a little skeptical because the detergent inside seems so watery (unlike other all-in-one pacs I've seen, which seem very gelatinous), but they work very well to clean and remove stains.  It removes stains as well as the spray we were using which saves us some serious time!

You can explore below for a $1 off coupon and some more information, too.You can print the coupon twice, and there is a Target coupon available as well, so you can save even more!




In addition to the two full-sized bags of all® mighty pacs™, we received a beach ball (which the kids have been playing with pretty much nonstop...), a beach towel, and a laundry bag (which actually is a great size for a wet bag for our diapers, I may be testing it out for that purpose).

Now, the part that you've been waiting for!

I'm giving away one prize pack consisting of:

• all® mighty pacs™
• One 24-count of all free clear mighty pacs
• One 24-count of original mighty pacs
• Reusable laundry Bag
• Beach Towel
• Beach Ball

How to enter:
Mandatory Entry:
Leave a comment on this post telling me your least favorite household chore. You must include your email address in your comment, preferably in this format (to keep spammers from getting your info with their spambots): mamasmockingbird at gmail dot com.

Optional/bonus entries (up to 7):
You may do one (or none) or all of these, just make sure you leave a comment each time to let me know you did so. You only have to include your email address with your first entry, but please leave your name with each comment so I can figure out who is who!

1. Follow my blog, or, if you already do, let me know you do. 
2. Share your favorite laundry trick or tip to make your life easier
3. Blog about this giveaway, and link directly to your blog post. 
4. Follow me on Twitter (@simplytena) and leave a comment with your Twitter name; if you already follow me, just let me know.
5. Tweet about this giveaway (include @simplytena in your tweet), and link directly to your tweet.
6. Share this on Facebook and leave a comment telling me you did so. For privacy's sake, you don't have to link to your FB post.
7. Like all® on Facebook http://goo.gl/H0KTM and leave a comment saying that you did so.

That's all! This giveaway will run until September 3, 2012, at 11:59pm MDT.

Disclosure:  The information, products and additional all mighty pacs gift pack was provided by all® through MyBlogSpark. I was given these so that I could review and give away a prize pack, but opinions expressed here are my own and cannot be bought. 

Seventh Generation Free and Clear Diaper Giveaway!

As you know, we primarily use cloth diapers in our home. However, we do use some disposables (like when we just haven't had a chance to wash diapers yet and L needs something to keep her dry for the night...) so when the folks at MyBlogSpark offered me the chance to review Seventh Generation Diapers again, I was pretty happy! We try, as a family, to stay on the greener side of things, and Seventh Generation really helps us do that. I am also a huge fan of their dish soap. It smells lovely. I also really, really like their laundry detergent, especially since it's available without fragrance. 

L getting in touch with her inner Barbaloot

The biggest difference I noticed is that, because Seventh Generation is partnering with the new Lorax movie, they have limited edition Lorax prints on the diapers! They are really cute, and still super absorbent. In addition, they now have *overnight* diapers! I really wish they'd had these when J was a toddler, because seriously? That kid could pee through nearly everything. I have to say, though, that the regular Free and Clear dipes are plenty absorbent for L overnight, which is saying something. I think we had one night where she shifted out of her diaper slightly and peed all over me and herself, but she's done that with cloth ones just as rarely. I was really, really impressed by how much pee those could hold! I swear, most mornings the diaper felt like there was much more capacity left.

Here is some more information about the changes made to the Seventh Generation Diapers:

• NEW Overnight Diapers are absorbent enough to keep your baby and bedding dry through the night or during prolonged travel

• Free & Clear diapers have improved more flexible tabs that provide even better fit

• Free & Clear training pants have an absorbent core made with more renewable, plant-based materials.  They also feature stretchy, tear away side panels for a better fit and added convenience, as well as inner leak barriers for superior leakage protection (I wish they had these when J was potty training!! We had some serious leakage issues.)
• Seventh Generation Free & Clear baby care products do not contain chlorine, fragrance, petroleum-based lotions or latex, and all Free & Clear products are also hypo-allergenic
• Starting March 2, you can register for a free The Lorax scrapbook with the purchase of any three Free & Clear diaper products, until supplies last

Did I mention that I was also sent a copy of The Lorax? and it was printed on RECYCLED MATERIALS? That made me super happy, and J LOVES that book. L is a little young, but J had us read it to him about a dozen times. I really wish that all Dr. Seuss books (or hell, all books...) would be printed using only recycled materials, but I guess it's a start.



Now, the fun (for you) part! Two of you will win something here!

I'm giving away one prize pack consisting of the new Seventh Generation Free and Clear diapers, as well as a copy of The Lorax! (This part is sponsored by MyBlogSpark in conjunction with Seventh Generation.)

I am also giving away one coupon good for $5 off a copy of The Lorax with purchase of 3 Seventh Generation products! (This part is all me.) Bonus is that if you are buying 3 packs of Free and Clear diapers, you can also get the scrapbook mentioned above! So lots of money-saving goodness is going on there!

How to enter:
Mandatory Entry:
Leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite Dr. Seuss book, and your favorite character in that book. You must include your email address in your comment, preferably in this format (to keep spammers from getting your info with their spambots): mamasmockingbird at gmail dot com

Optional/bonus entries (up to 6):
You may do one or all of these, just make sure you leave a comment each time to let me know you did so. You only have to include your email address with your first entry, but please leave your name with each comment so I can figure out who is who!

1. Follow my blog, or, if you already do, let me know you do. 
2. Tell me one way in which you have gone green, especially if this is a money saving way to go green!
3. Blog about this giveaway, and link directly to your blog post. 
4. Follow me on Twitter (@simplytena) and leave a comment with your Twitter name; if you already follow me, just let me know.
5. Tweet about this giveaway, and link directly to your tweet.
6. Share this on Facebook and leave a comment telling me you did so. For privacy's sake, you don't have to link to your FB post.

That's all! This giveaway will run until April 1, 2012, at 11:59pm MST.


Disclaimer: The Seventh Generation Diapers prize pack and information have been provided by Seventh Generation through MyBlogSpark. I was given these so that I could review and give away a prize pack, but opinions expressed here are my own and cannot be bought. 


The coupon was not provided by MyBlogSpark.

Coffee Giveaway WINNER!

Random.org picked comment #5.

Amy said:

I love coffee! Have to gave a coffee pot with a timer so its ready when I get up in the morning. I usually mix in a little creamer. 

Congratulations, Amy!

Check your email! You have 48 hours to get back to me!

Coffee, anyone? (A Giveaway!)

Hi, there. No, I didn't fall off the planet, although I seem to have fallen (way) behind on my 366 Pictures project. That happens when you have 2 kids and both of them get sick and you have 2 dogs and then they get sick and then you get the Shingles and your motivation to use a computer in the evening ends up somewhere by the wayside.

Anywho.

I was recently given the opportunity to review the new Gevalia coffee that is available in regular grocery stores instead of just online!! If you've had Gevalia before, you know they take their coffee seriously. Gevalia has been refining the art of luxurious coffee since 1853 and has a deep history of finding and blending the finest Arabica coffee beans from locations around the world. It is expertly made with carefully selected beans, ground extra fine, to produce a rich coffee experience, and is actually an official coffee of the Swedish Royal Court. We have bought coffee from them before, but not any time recently, so I thought it would be fun to try since I know we like their coffee. My prize pack arrived *just* at the right time, as L was sick and keeping the entire world me awake all night.

We received a bag of French Roast and a bag of House Blend, as well as a spiffy mug (I love this mug!). Once I got over the whole "ohmygodwehavecoffeeandIcandrinkasmuchasIwantbecauseotherwiseIwillfallasleeprightthiszzzzzzzzzzzz..." thing, and actually tasted the coffee, I was in love. C and I were both impressed with the French Roast, which as a genre (coffee can have genres, right?) tends to be over-roasted rather than smooth in it's darkness. The Gevalia people must have some kind of secret, because this was seriously the BEST French Roast I've ever had. It was very well balanced and not acidic, but still retained the yumminess that French Roast is meant to have. I tend to shy away from French Roast coffees because of the over-roasted burnt taste that a lot of them have, but I think this may be my new favorite kind of coffee. The House Blend was also tasty, but not particularly memorable and not as fantastic as the French Roast. The only downside is that the coffee (both kinds) was pre-ground, so it didn't taste as fresh by the end of the bag as it did at the beginning. We never buy pre-ground, we always buy whole bean and grind it ourselves so I don't know if this is something that just happens with ground coffee. It may also have something to do with the fact that we had (at the time) 2 bags of coffee that we were enjoying simultaneously, so they both lasted a little longer than a single bag might.

I did experiment with making mochas and white-chocolate mochas with both of these (I prefer the House Blend for these). Just add about a tablespoon of your desired chocolate chips to a half cup of milk, microwave for about 1 minute, then froth and add your coffee. So tasty, and so much less expensive and calorie-filled than Starbucks! You may have to change the amounts of chocolate for your own preference, but this was my favorite way to do it. 


Remember when I said that it's now available in stores?! Gevalia is now offering its top-ten varieties in U.S. coffee supermarket aisles nationwide, including roast and ground, whole bean, flavored and decaffeinated !

• Gevalia Traditional Roast (ground and whole bean):
  Gevalia Traditional Roast provides a perfectly balanced taste every time. Our most beloved blend - made of choice, mountain-grown Arabica beans - this coffee has a distinctive body and flavor with a lighter intensity. (Medium Roast).
  
  
• Gevalia House Blend:
  A Gevalia favorite, House Blend is a robust yet never bitter coffee. This roast has a captivating aroma that is only matched by its exceptional flavor. (Medium/Dark Roast).
  
  
• Gevalia House Blend Decaf :
  Delivering the same rich, never bitter flavor, House Blend Decaf has the same robust taste without all the caffeine. (Medium/Dark Roast).
  
  
• Gevalia French Roast (ground and whole bean):
  Gevalia French Roast is a coffee of impressive richness and dimension, expertly crafted from prized Arabica beans grown in Colombia and Brazil. Hints of aromatic smoke give this dark-roasted French Roast blend an intense, yet uniquely satisfying flavor. (Dark Roast).
  
  
• Gevalia Colombia:
  Grown high in the Colombian Andes, these beans produce a rich, bright and well-bodied Colombian coffee. This single origin classic is world-renowned, which is why we have sourced these beans for decades. (Medium Roast).
  
  
• Gevalia Espresso Roast:
  Gevalia Espresso Roast is made of premium, mountain-grown Arabica beans from East Africa and Central and South America. This roast is bold and full-bodied with a hint of caramel undertones. (Dark Roast).
  
  
• Gevalia Vanilla:
  This rich blend with vanilla flavor notes is crafted from choice mountain-grown Arabica beans, then roasted for exceptional body and flavor. Gevalia Vanilla is a flavorful and balanced experience with a heavenly aroma.
  
  
• Gevalia Chocolate Mocha:
  Gevalia Chocolate Mocha allows you to indulge your passion for decadent flavor. Rich, velvety chocolate flavor is blended with mountain-grown Arabica beans for a sweetly satisfying experience. 

If you go here to Gevalia's website, you can find out not only what stores in your area carry Gevalia coffee, but you can also search for your preferred roast/flavor/ground or whole bean/decaf or not. I happened to note that the whole-bean French Roast is available in my area, and I will definitely be buying that in the future. I also saw on their Facebook page that there may be a coupon for $2 off in your Sunday paper from 2/26. Worth looking for!

Now one of you lucky readers will get to drink coffee like the Swedish Royals! And me.




One of you will win a 12-ounce bag of French Roast, a 12-ounce bag of House Blend, and a neato Gevalia mug (this baby is really the perfect size to wrap your hands around and savor your beverage), thanks to the great people at MyBlogSpark and Kraft Foods.

If you can follow instructions, you can enter this giveaway! Giveaway closes at 11:59pm MST on Wednesday, March 1st.

GIVEAWAY CLOSED

Mandatory entry:

Leave a comment here telling me your favorite way to drink coffee (iced, with cream, etc). If you have a recipe you want to share, go ahead! You MUST include your name and email address (formatted yourname (at) domain dot com so no spammers steal your info). Entries without an email address cannot win.


Additional entry (optional):
Follow my blog, and leave me a comment telling me you did so. If you already follow (thank you!), just leave a comment saying so.You have to do the mandatory entry or this one won't count!




Good luck!


Disclosure:

Kraft Foods provided the prizes for this giveaway and is not responsible for administering the giveaway. I received two full-sized bags of coffee and a neato spiffy mug, as well as most of the information about Gevalia published here from the folks at MyBlogSpark and Kraft Foods. They are providing the prizes for this giveaway at no cost to me. This giveaway is not administered or sponsored by Kraft Foods or its affiliates, but solely by me, Tena, at mamasmockingbird.blogspot.com. My opinions are my own, and cannot be bought, not even with (really tasty) coffee.