Winner!

Congratulations to Rachel, the winner of the "Changing Diapers: The Hip Mom's Guide To Modern Cloth Diapering" Giveaway! Rachel won her choice of a FuzziBunz OR a Rumparooz One Size Diaper and an “I’m a Hip Mom and Love Cloth Diapers” Temporary Tattoo!

Thank you to everyone who entered and a big thank you to Kelly Wels for sponsoring such a wonderful review and giveaway here on the Little Hedgehog!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday: 'Stache

So.... my parents recently had to dig up their septic tank (eww... I know! They live in the country and well, they have a septic tank...anywho...) and they had refilled the hole with dirt (clean dirt). Little man was running around the front yard and tripped and fell face first into the pile of fresh dirt over the septic tank (of course! Just my luck!). I couldn't help but yelp out in disgust (and I have to admit that I did laugh too).  

 

I thought it looked just like he had a moustache! Haha! A poo-dirt moustache! Eww-y!

Poor little man!
...Get it off me mama!

Getting cleaned off at the garden hose ;)

Oh boy! What a day!

Winners!

I am excited to announce two winners!

Congratulations to Stephanie-jean, the winner of the Jaq Jaq Bird Arpron from The Soft Landing giveaway!

AND

Congratulations to Tanya, the winner of the Tropical Traditions giveaway! 

Thank you to everyone who entered and a big thank you to Tropical Traditions and The Soft Landing for sponsoring the giveaways!

Wordless Wednesday: Water Play at Gramma and Grampa's!

Who needs fancy toys? All you need is a garden hose, a bucket and some kitchen utensils for hours of fun!

Happy Wednesday!

Go Green Event Sponsor Spotlight: Eco Lips

I am excited to introduce you to Eco Lips, another one of my wonderful sponsors for the Go Green Giveaway Event that is happening October 5-11! Eco Lips is an eco-friendly company that began when founder Andrea Danielson started making her own lip balms for friends and family in her kitchen! Today, Eco Lips lip balm is still handcrafted in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, they have been the first in their product field to create and design several innovative organic lip care products and packages and as always, their mission is to satisfying the needs of every customer, while maintaining their high eco-conscious and organic standards!

Eco Lips is more than just a lip balm. Their products help to propel the companies ideals of a healthy, active lifestyle and their goal of taking great care of the Earth. Eco Lips products feature certified organic ingredients to naturally help restore, nourish and heal your lips. Their eco-friendly practices don't stop at their ingredient list though! Eco Lips supports global organic farming and sustainable business practices, making sure that the sources they get their ingredients from can document their quality and organic practices. The Eco Lips product packaging is also an avenue where they seek to employ eco-friendly alternatives. Everything from their cardboard displays, the packing peanuts, the lip balm containers and their carabiners are made with recycled materials. Eco Lips definitely sets an example as a company that is going above and beyond to exemplify eco-conscious business practices that not only benefit their customers, but the planet as well.

I love their slogan as well!

I got the opportunity to try three of the Eco Lips products:

The Eco Lips ONE WORLD Renew - Rejuvenating Lip Balm in Orange Spice flavor, Eco Tints in the Rose Quartz shade and the Eco Lips Gold USDA Certified Organic Lip Balm

on an Eco Clip. They arrived quickly and the timing was perfect- we were headed to the beach for the weekend! The wind and the salty air always do a number on my lips and I was happy to test them out over a sunny, Southern California weekend! 

First, I tried the Eco Lips ONE WORLD Renew - Rejuvenating Lip Balm in the Orange Spice flavor.

The Eco Lips ONE WORLD(R) lip balms fuse Fair Trade Certified(TM) Cocoa Butter, USDA Organic Certified ingredients and exotic oils from around the globe to bring you beautifully crafted lip balms with amazing properties packaged in large 0.25 oz tubes made with 40% recycled material. --taken from website

   When I first opened the cap, I took a little "sniff" to see what it smelled like - it was just lovely! Inspired by the spices of Morocco, it smells similar to Orange Zinger tea, with a hint of a more natural, real orange scent. This one was definitely my favorite scent!  I love that the tube is fatter than your typical lip balm, it gave it a nice weight and it made it very easy to find in my purse. The Renew - Rejuvenating Lip Balm contains Argan Oil, which is rich in essential fatty acids and sterolins. These help aid in cell-renewal, in fighting free radicals and they contribute to the anti-aging process. It is also rich in Vitamin E, an antioxidant that helps to improve skin texture. When I applied the lip balm, it felt silky smooth and I was genuinely impressed at how long the lip balm actually lasted on my lips! It felt like it was still moisturizing long after I had applied the lip balm! Not only did it smell wonderfully natural and orange-y, but it left my lips feeling moisturized and soft! 

I also really appreciate that the ingredient list is short and has so many organic components!

Ingredients: Fair Trade Certified(TM) Cocoa Butter, Organic Sunflower Seed Oil, Organic Beeswax, Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Organic Argan Oil, Vitamin E, Organic Essential Oils of Sweet Orange, Fennel Seed, and Cardamom.

  

Next, I tried the Eco Tints Tinted Lip Care in the Rose Quartz shade. 

 

Eco Tints by Eco Lips moisturize your lips and provide a sheer tint in your choice of six shades. Perfect for that switch from work to evening, or any time you need to freshen up your look. Organic plant oils, beeswax, and aloe vera harmonize with natural earth minerals to provide a beautiful shimmering glow. --taken from website

It is a beautiful, subtle shade of pink that has a hint of shimmer to it. When I applies it to my lips, it blended very naturally and gave my lips just a hint of a rosy glow. For a tinted, shimmery lip balm, I was actually impressed with how long the color lasted. I put some on in the afternoon and I could still see a little bit of color on my lips after I ate dinner! Now, it does say that it is flavored with vanilla, which I found it to be a very subtle scent and hard to pick up on. Overall, I would say that this is a lovely and natural looking tinted lip balm, it glides on easily and I feel that although the color is subtle, it does last for a long time.

I also appreciated that the Eco Tints have a short ingredient list and all items marked with a "*" are Certified Organic Ingredients.

Ingredients: *Organic Sunflower Oil, *Organic Beeswax, *Organic Castor Oil, *Organic Coconut Oil, *Organic Vanilla, *Organic Aloe Vera, Vitamin E, Iron Oxides, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Candelilla Wax. 

Lastly, I tried the Eco Lips Gold USDA Certified Organic Lip Balm that came on an Eco Clip. 

Experience the difference with Eco Lips Premium line.  Made with the finest certified organic ingredients, these lip balms soothe and heal chapped lips quickly and will keep your lips moist, soft, and supple. --taken from website

I loved this lip balm! Not only is it organic, but it is incredibly silky and my lips felt softer immediately! It is definitely a premium lip balm and I could tell the difference right away. It is unflavored and made with the finest certified organic jojoba oil. It is also USDA Certified Organic and naturally high in vitamin E. I felt really good about applying this to little man's lips when we were out on the beach. I knew it would help keep his lips protected from the sun, wind and salty air. Also, since it is organic, I felt good about the ingredients being on his lips, knowing that it will probably get licked off! If a lip balm can make your lips feel plumper, (not in an injection way, but a moisturized, pillow-y way!) this lip balm definitely delivers! This is perfect for the whole family and it glides on so smoothly!

I also loved that it came on an Eco Clip Carabiner! It is made of recycled aluminum and was just perfect for keeping my Gold Lip Balm handy! I clipped it to my purse right away and saved myself so much time from having to dig and hunt for lip balm! It also helped to remind me to apply it when we were at the beach this weekend, since it was always in plain sight. It is the perfect size to clip to your purse, key chain, belt loop, book-bag, gym bag, back pack, or whatever else you need to clip it to!

I really appreciated that the Gold Balm has such a short ingredient list (it's the shortest out of the 3!) and all items marked with a "*" are Certified Organic Ingredients.

Ingredients: *Organic Jojoba Oil, *Organic Sunflower Oil, *Organic Beeswax, Vitamin E, *Organic Calendula Extract, Vitamin A.

Overall, I loved all three of the Eco Lips products that had the opportunity to try, they were a treat for my lips and are such a great every-day product to use! It is wonderful knowing that the ingredients are wholesome and almost every single ingredient is organic. Little man, hubby and I enjoyed our trip to the beach and left with soft, happy lips (no wind-burned lips for us!). Eco Lips is a company that cares about the products that they provide to their customers and they actively seek out ways to be even more eco-conscious and earth-friendly. I definitely recommend taking a peek at the amazing selection of lip balms from Eco Lips -  you are sure to find a lip balm that will make you or any member of your family happy!

Eco Lips is one of the sponsors for the Go Green Event (happening October 5-11) and they have generously offered one of the winners an Eco Lips Gold Balm (ARV $3.49) on an Eco Clip (ARV $1.99)!

This prize is up for grabs on my blog during the Go Green Giveaway Event! Be sure to come back to my blog between October 5-11to enter for a chance to WIN this awesome prize!

 

You can connect with Eco Lips on Facebook as well as Twitter. You can also shop for their products in the Eco Lips Store!

"Changing Diapers: The Hip Mom's Guide To Modern Cloth Diapering" Review, Coupon Code & Giveaway!!!

I was thrilled when I was given the opportunity to read the new book, Changing Diapers: The Hip Mom’s Guide to Modern Cloth Diapering by Kelly Wels! This new book is a guide to all things cloth diapering! Kelly Wels is not only a cloth diapering mom herself, but she is also a cloth diapering advocate and the founder and former CEO of DiaperShops.com and KellysCloset.com. Changing Diapers is an amazing resource for any parents – whether you already cloth diaper your little on or you are still considering cloth diapering as an option. 

Changing Diapers was such a fun and informative book to read and I am so excited that I get to share a bit about it with my readers! The book really draws you in with the fun and friendly tone that Kelly writes with. The flow of the book is so natural and clearly written that you almost don’t realize that you are learning SO much about the world of cloth diapers! I desperately wish that this book had been available when I was first doing my research on cloth diapers! As hubby and I made the switch to cloth diapers when little man was 4 months old, I often felt lost in a sea of internet sites and mystery terms like PUL, AIO and OS! I wasn’t sure where to start, what I needed to start with and how much I needed! So, I compiled all my research into an Excel sheet (yes, I’m a nerd like that), compared differences and from there, we made our best guess at what would work for us. Luckily, we picked a good match for little man, but I really wish I would have had Kelly’s book as a resource for learning all the ins and outs of the cloth diapering world!

There is so much information out there that many pregnant or new moms might become overwhelmed before they even start. Some simply don’t have that much time to devote to doing so much research.  Changing Diapers would be the perfect gift for them! I love that you can buy an actual, physical book. Sometimes it is nice to have something to hold and go back to for a reference. Kelly does a great job of taking her readers step by step through each area of cloth diapering in a way that is easy to understand.  

In Changing Diapers: The Hip Mom’s Guide to Modern Cloth Diapering, Kelly has created an excellent and definitive guide to answer your cloth diapering questions. She tackles all the topics and addresses issues like why you should choose cloth diapers over disposables, she explains the cost saving benefits to cloth diapers, the reasons why cloth diapering is an eco-friendly choice and she even sheds some light on many of the misconceptions about cloth diapers. Each chapter is a full of easy to read, helpful tidbits that cover all the basics – the different types of cloth diapers and accessories, how to choose the right brand for your little one (no matter what their age), diapering more than one baby at a time, the common cloth diapering dilemmas or issues you may come up against, how to get a wash routine that is right for you and more!  Kelly even has a special chapter just for dads! There is also a very helpful "Extras" section at the back of the book that has a chart to help you stay organized and recommends quantities of some of the necessities. It also includes some great tips for "packing the fluffy cloth diaper bag”! 

Changing Diapers is full of cute and colorful pictures of babies in cloth diapers and it is jam-packed with helpful, practical information for parents with little ones. I think that this is definitely a must-have book for parents who are considering cloth diapers. Do you know someone who is pregnant and open to the idea of cloth diapers? (This would make a wonderful addition to any baby shower gift!) Maybe you have a friend who would like to make the switch from disposables, but doesn't know where to start. Even if you already have little ones in fluffy cloth diapers, I think that this would be an excellent resource for any parent to have!

Changing Diapers: The Hip Mom’s Guide to Modern Cloth Diapering has a release date for October 1, 2011. Don’t want to wait that long? You can pre-order your very own copy (or one for a friend) today! Kelly has generously offered my readers a discount that is good for 50% off the cover price of the book! Just use the code: HEDGEHOG - It can be used until it expires on October 14. By pre-ordering, you save 50% off the list price and only pay $8.97+ shipping for this wonderful book!

{Please note that the above is my affiliate link and I will be credited a small percentage for each purchase made by clicking this banner. I would love it if you choose to buy this book through my affiliate link!}

Now, for some more exciting news!

Kelly has generously offered one of The Little Hedgehog readers the opportunity to WIN a FuzziBunz OR a Rumparooz One Size Diaper (Winner can choose brand, but not color) and the winner will also receive an “I’m a Hip Mom and Love Cloth Diapers” Temporary Tattoo!

***The giveaway is open to residents of the United States and Canada.***

Giveaway will end September 27th at 12:01am EST.

Entries go in the Rafflecopter form below! You may view Rafflecopter’s Privacy Policy.

Slow-Cooker Pear Sauce

I love Pinterest! I love getting ideas and finding inspiration there. My biggest goal is to actually "do" some of the projects that I "pin". I have actually made quite a few things for little man - simple, easy to make (usually messy!) toddler activities are my favorites. The other week I saw this wonderful Slow-Cooker Pear Sauce recipe on Pinterest and just had to try it. One, it's in a slow-cooker...how easy is that? And two, little man loves "sauces" - I usually make him an apple-pear sauce blend on the stove top. 

So, one afternoon, I made it! It turned out super yummy and the house just smelled wonderful as it was cooking!

This is a super easy recipe to make with minimal prep-work and the clean-up is very easy. The end result is sweet and delicious pear sauce! You can find the full recipe with beautiful step-by-step pictures HERE on @ Home With Gina C. 

Recipe Ingredients:
12 pears, peeled and diced
2 cinnamon sticks
1 cup water
1 tablespoon agave nectar

*When I made the recipe, I did make a few changes. I only had 6 pears, I mixed in ground cinnamon, rather than sticks, added some freshly grated nutmeg and 2 whole cloves, and I didn't use any agave nectar (it ended up being sweet enough for little man and I, even without the sweetener).*

All diced and ready to go in the crock pot!

Adding some water and then they cooked for about 2 hours (half the time from the original recipe).

 One thing I really liked about using the crock pot, was that I didn't have to worry about it burning or getting too hot on the stove top. I wasn't constantly checking on it to make sure it was ok, which was great, I just put everything in, set the timer and left it alone! 

Two hours later (and a quick "whiz" in the blender)...

Ta-daa!

Little man loved it!

He made sure he didn't miss a drop and kept asking for more! Since, he's already eaten all of it, I'll be making a fresh batch tomorrow and this time, I think I may try leaving it a bit chunkier. It has been perfect to eat on it's own or mixed in with little man's steel cut oats at breakfast!

This is such a easy and yummy way to use pears (apples would probably work too!) as we are getting into the fall season. I will definitely be making bigger batches and freezing some!

Have you made any projects or recipes from Pinterest lately? (You can follow me on Pinterest if you'd like!) Or, do you have any tasty crock pot recipes?

Hooray! We Have a Winner!

 

Congratulations to Julie, the winner from the $15 Ecomom Gift Certificate giveaway!

Thank you to everyone who entered and a big thank you to Ecomom for sponsoring the giveaway!

Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil Review & Giveaway!

I am always looking for ways to add more organic and natural products to our home and our day-to-day routine. I have used coconut oil in the past (as a diaper rash cream and lotion for dry skin/eczema for little man!) and I recently learned about Tropical Traditions and their Virgin Coconut Oil. I was so excited when I got the opportunity to try some!

Here is a video on how the founders of Tropical Traditions, Brian and Marianita Shilhavy, discovered virgin coconut oil:

 
The Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is an unrefined coconut oil made from organic coconuts. The coconut trees and family producers are certified organic according to strict USDA standards and the families who produce the oil are also trained according to GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice). The coconuts are hand-picked and only the highest quality coconuts are used from each harvest. The fresh coconut meat is shredded and cold-pressed, using the water from inside the coconuts to make coconut milk, and the oil naturally separates from the milk.  Tropical Traditions does not use any chemical or high-heat treatment on their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil and this oil contains no trans fatty acids. Virgin Coconut Oil is also rich in lauric acid, a nutrient that supports the body’s immune system!

Tropical Traditions sent me a 32oz. jar of their Virgin Coconut Oil. I was excited to open it (and start cooking!) and was pleasantly surprised at how coconut-y it smelled and tasted! Yup! I tried it too - I dipped a spoon in and tasted it! It has a mild, yet noticeable and flavorful coconut taste. I also tried a little on my hands, since they have been so dry lately and I thought that it was nice and moisturizing. 

Since I had never actually used coconut oil for cooking before, I decided to look up some recipes from Tropical traditions Free Coconut Recipes blog! There are so many to choose from! I was really feeling like making some banana bread, so I decided to try the Whole Wheat Banana Coconut Bread recipe! I did make a couple changes to the recipe: I didn't use the shredded coconut (I didn't have any), I also didn't add walnuts (thought I had some, but ended up being out! Sad day.) and I didn't have quite as much raw honey as the recipe called for (I had just over 1/4 a cup).

Measuring out the coconut oil. You can see how "liquid-y" it is at room temperature.

Still, with those changes, the recipe turned out delicious! It was moist, light and fluffy and hubby swears he could taste a hint of coconut in it! The coconut oil gave it a nice flavor, without weighing down the bread or making it taste "oily". Hubby, little man and I polished that loaf of banana bread in just under 3 days! I already want to make more!

Yum!

I have also used it to make a curry, chicken, veggie and quinoa dish that I cooked up myself. I sauteed the chicken in the coconut oil and then added some curry seasoning, salt, pepper and garlic. The aroma was just so yummy - you could smell a hint of coconut as it was cooking and it paired excellently with the curry!  

Overall, I have really enjoyed using Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil for cooking! I really love that the coconuts are organically grown and I appreciate the age old traditions that the Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is made with. I have been very happy with the cooking results and am so pleased to have found a great oil to cook with and use!  

You can BUY Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil HERE. (ARV $40.00 for a 1 Quart (32 FL. oz.) glass jar, but it is currently on sale for $29.50)

-OR-

  You can enter to WIN a 32 ounce jar (1 quart) of Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil!

Here's how to enter: 
Mandatory Entry:

• First, you must publicly follow my blog via GFC!

*This mandatory entry must be completed for the rest of your entries to be valid. I will be checking/verifying your comments, if you say you signed up for something or did something, you do need to actually do it for it to count as an entry*

 

Extra Entries:

•  Follow @Troptraditions on Twitter and comment here with your Twitter ID.  (1 entry)

• Like Tropical Traditions on Facebook - Be sure to let me know your facebook name when you post back here. (Please no, “I was sent by…” posts ) (1 entry)

• Visit Tropical Traditions and tell me another product or a recipe you would love to try! (1 entry)

• Subscribe to the Tropical Traditions Sales Newsletter (1 entry)

•  Follow The Little Hedgehog on Facebook and comment here with your Facebook name. (1 entry) 

• Follow @lttlehedgehog on Twitter and comment here with your Twitter ID. (1 entry) 

• Tweet about this giveaway. Comment with a direct link to your tweet so I can see it to get your entry!  You may use this tweet or make up your own:  
  Enter to #win Coconut Oil from @Troptraditions on the @lttlehedgehog blog! http://bit.ly/pO33QI {Ends 9/23}  #organic #coconutoil #giveaway
  (1 entry per day)

• Sign up to receive The Little Hedgehog emails via feedburner and have your subscription verified. (2 entries) 

•  Add my button to your blog and leave me a link (2 entries)

• Blog about this review/giveaway. Be sure to include a link to this review/giveaway. Comment with a link to your blog post to get your entry! (2 entries)  

• Vote for my blog on Picket Fence Blogs (1 entry daily)

Good Luck!

*Don't forget to put your email address in each comment so I can get a hold of you if you are the lucky winner! If I cannot get a hold of you, I will have to draw another winner! Also, I will check to make sure that the winner filled out the mandatory entry.
 

***Open to U.S. & Canada*** 

I'll accept entries until Friday, September 23, 2011 at Midnight PST. I'll select a winner using random.org's random number generator, then email the winner. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email and if I don't get a response, I will have to choose another winner. Again, make sure you leave your email address in your comment! 

*Tropical Traditions will be sending the winner’s prize item to them directly.*

Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose.  Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.