Lucky Clover St. Patrick’s Event Sponsor Spotlight: Sacred Rose #luckyclover

I am excited to introduce you to a wonderful company, Sacred Rose. Sacred Rose Organic Herbal Teas are loose leaf teas that have been hand blended and created with care. There is great thought toward how the tea will help in stimulating the body's innate ability to heal. Each Sacred Rose tea variety has been specially blended to facilitate enjoyment of the drink itself as well as for the properties within each tea are specifically designed to target and enhance areas of the mind and body. One aspect about Sacred Rose that I really appreciate is that they are a very eco-conscious company. They take great pride in creating hand blended organic teas and to to provide products that are sustainable. 

Sacred Rose sent me their Morning Blossom tea. It is wonderful and the perfect way to start my day!
 

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 Morning Blossom is described as: "an invigorating blend of peppermint, spearmint, rose, ginger and alfalfa that encourages motivation and joyful experiences. On the physical level Morning Blossom® assists the respiratory system and metaphysically it opens the Heart Chakra to a reciprocal balance of giving and receiving self, romantic and planetary love." --taken from website

This is a lovely, invigorating tea! I don't drink coffee any more (except on rare occasions as a treat), but I still love to enjoy the routine of sitting and enjoying a hot drink in the morning. Morning Blossom has an intense mint flavor to it with notes of grassy alfalfa to it. I was surprised that I liked the ginger in it, since I don't usually enjoy teas with ginger in them! This has been the perfect treat to have in the morning or during the afternoon when I need a pick-me-up, it really seems to give me a boost of energy and feels like it brightens my spirits!

This is the beautiful amber color of the Morning Blossom tea when brewed

I have truly enjoyed drinking this tea and you can really tell that great care has gone into creating each loose-leaf blend. I really appreciate that the teas are organic as well - that is definitely something that I look for when I buy tea! Each Sacred Rose blend comes in a 3oz. artisan box and the packaging really adds an extra special touch in the presentation of the tea. The boxes make the tea such a beautifully wrapped gift too- they would be perfect for Mother's Day (that is fast approaching!), a birthday gift, a teacher appreciation gift or even for a bridal shower!

Sacred Rose is one of the sponsors for the Lucky Clover St. Patrick's Event (happening March 17-23) and they have generously offered one of the winners a 3oz box of Morning Blossom tea ($18.00 ARV)!

This prize is up for grabs on my blog during the Lucky Clover St. Patrick's Event! Be sure to come back to my blog between March 17-23 to enter for a chance to WIN this awesome prize!

 

You can connect with Sacred Rose on Facebook, Twitter, you can follow the Sacred Rose blog and you can shop for the Sacred Rose collection of teas on their website!

Interested in earning an extra entry into the the Lucky Clover St. Patrick's Event when it starts? Visit Sacred Rose and leave me a comment below telling me in comment below with a tea that you would love to try!  When the Lucky Clover St. Patrick's Event giveaway starts, you can claim your extra entry in the Rafflecopter form.

Daylight Savings

It's daylight savings time! I can't believe it is here already. I just feel like this year is flying by! (anyone else feel the same way?) Don't forget to set your clock ahead by 1 hour on Sunday, March 11th at 2:00am! Ohhh...the dreaded loss of an hour of sleep! But, on the other hand, we do have longer days to look forward too!

Welcome Spring!

“Honor the Earth” Giveaway Hop for Earth Day

Earth Day is almost upon us and it is a wonderful time to pause and reflect on how we care for the Earth and as a reminder to actively seek out how we can have a better impact on the earth. 

Happy Mothering and DeDa Studios proudly present the “Honor the Earth” Giveaway Hop from April 15th 12:01 AM EST to April 22nd 11:59 PM EST and are accepting signups now.

I am joining this event and am looking forward to sharing with all of my readers some "green" and eco-friendly products that can help to benefit the earth!

Are you a "green" blogger? Interested in joining this event? You can sign up for this free event HERE!

Mountain Rose Herbs Giveaway Winner!

Congratulations to Anne who won the Mountain Rose Herbs Giveaway!

Thank you to everyone who entered and a big thank you to Mountain Rose Herbs for sponsoring this wonderful review and giveaway!

Busy Bag: Matching Paint Chip Shades

I have seen a lot of busy bag ideas for toddlers on blogs that I follow as well as on Pinterest. I thought that they would be perfect to make for little man for when we are at a dr.'s office, a restaurant or for rainy days. I saw THIS idea for Matching Color Shades using paint chips from the hardware store. I thought that it looked pretty easy and I'm happy to say that it was and little man loves it!

Here's how I made mine!

Supplies:

• Paint chips from your local hardware store (make sure you grab 2 identical sheets of each color you want)
• Clothespins
• Scissors and/or a Paper Cutter
• Glue (I used Aleene's Tacky Glue)
• Baggie for your finished project

First, I took the paint chips and trimmed off all of the pain color names. That sheet became the "base" or the sheet that the clothespins will clip to. Then, I took the second set of matching sheets and cut rectangular strips that were just wider than the clothespins. I then cut the strips apart, trimming the white borders away, so that they were little individual rectangles. 

Next, I glued the small color swatch rectangles to the top of the "clippy part" of the clothespins

Let them dry and you are all done!

 

 

I stored mine in a quart sized ziploc baggie. I think it might be a little bit overwhelming for little man to have so many color choices to work with. So, I am planning on putting 2-3 sets in a couple different bags. I would also love to find some fabric bags to use, rather than plastic! 

 

 I surprised little man with these while we were waiting at the chiropractor's office. Huge success! He loves it! It kept him entertained almost the entire visit and he loves choosing which color sheet to work on. He still needs a little help with getting his shades correct, but then again, I'm not sure if he's just having fun with me.

I definitely want to make some more colors for him soon! He asks to play with them constantly!

Have you ever made any busy bags for your little one? What have you made?

Wordless Wednesday: Wheee!

Happy Wednesday!

Nordic Naturals Review & “What’s Essential” To Me

 

Nordic Naturals is the leading supplier of omega oil supplements and they are committed to providing the safest and most effective omega oils. One of their most popular products is the Ultimate Omega-D3, which provides exceptionally high levels of the omega-3 essential fatty acids EPA and DHA, in addition to 1000 I.U. of vitamin D3. Omega-3's are so important to our bodies health and well-being, including brain and eye function. The benefits of vitamin D3 is that it works to strengthen your bones and build a healthy immune system. This form of Vitamin D3 (or cholecalciferol) is better absorbed and utilized, since it is the type of vitamin D that is naturally produced by the body. The Ultimate Omega-D3 formula really packs a punch with double-strength EPA+DHA, so you get increased omega-3 benefits in fewer soft gels.    

Some of benefits of the Ultimate Omega-D3 formula are:

• Enhanced calcium absorption
• It supports optimal bone health and strength
• It supports the immune and neuromuscular systems 
• It moderates mood and sleep rhythms 

Recently, I had the opportunity to review Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega-D3. I have been taking them daily for a little bit now and I am quite impressed! The recommended dosage is two soft gels daily and initially I thought that the size of the soft gels was a little daunting, but they actually go down very easily. They say that the soft gels have a lemon taste to them, but I actually don't taste anything (which is ok with me!). Also, I don't get any "fishy burps" (phew!), which I have heard that some people have gotten from other brands. I have a healthy diet, but there are some days when I just can't eat enough fish, fruits, veggies and/or grains to balance my diet. I really love that this is a supplement that I feel good about taking to help fill in dietary gaps and to help my body to function at it's best. I have to keep up with an energetic toddler and that means that I need to take care of myself, so that I am healthy and full of energy too!

  Nordic Naturals believe that omega oils are essential to an extraordinary life and they want to know what's essential in your life too!

What's Essential to Me

 

 My Family

My favorite thing to do is to spend time with my husband and son. It doesn't matter what we are doing, as long as we are together. Our son is such a joy and a blessing! He is filled with wonder and loves to discover new things. I beyond blessed to be able to stay at home with him and watch him learn and grow. I get to see every little moment and I couldn't imagine it any other way! My husband is truly my best friend - he knows me better than anyone and I am so thankful for him. I love that we take time to enjoy all of the little things in life. He is truly my helper, my companion and he makes my days better! I never knew just how essential this would be to me! 

My Faith

God has always taken such great care of our family. He has blessed us beyond words and still continues to amaze me. I love knowing that God has taken care of us, will continue to take care of us and that He has greater plans for us than we could hope for. I love the stead-fastness of God. I take comfort in knowing that He protects us and loves us with a passion. I am filled with such great joy as I watch my son grow. I have so much hope for him and pray for him constantly! I am so am excited to see how God uses him and guides him as he grows.

 

Green Living

Over the past two years, I have been working at becoming more and more eco-conscious. It has become a passion of mine to live a more natural life and reduce the amount of toxins that come into our home and our bodies. For me, it started with cloth diapering my son! From there, as I continued to educate myself on living a more "green" life, we started making other eco-friendly choices, like joining a CSA, eating as much organic food as possible, using non-toxic cleaners in our home, starting our own vegetable garden and we look to reduce our waste wherever we can.

 Sunshine

Yes, sunshine is actually essential to my health, well-being and my happiness! I live in Southern California, where it is sunny almost all the time. I love it! I thrive on sunshine! When the days are gloomy, rainy or cloudy, I feel like my happiness meter sinks. I love seeing the sunshine pour into our house in the morning, feeling the warm sun on my shoulders and how "sunny" I feel on bright, sunshine-y day!  

Nordic Naturals wants to know what's essential to you too! They are currently running a What’s Essential Contest where you can share what is essential to you and be entered to win a trip for two, to Santa Cruz, California!  

Interested in learning more about what Nordic Naturals has to offer? You can check out their website for more information and shop for products as well! You can also connect with Nordic Naturals on Facebook and Twitter.

Nordic Naturals has given me this product to review. I was not given the product in exchange for a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Fun With Water Beads - A Busy Bucket

Hubby has been traveling for work quite a bit lately and sometimes it can be tough to keep little man entertained at certain times without an extra pair of hands to help. Most mornings little man can keep himself fairly entertained while I get ready and do my hair and make-up. Other times, the stack of books, the collection of toys in our room or the Raffi music coming from my iPhone just doesn't cut it. I have been trying to think of new ways to keep him happily occupied while I get ready and have seen so many great ideas for busy bags and quiet books! (I have been trying to make some too!)

I was searching through our arts and crafts closet and came across an unopened package of water beads and the cogs in my head started turning! *You're probably thinking, "What are water beads?!" Well, I don't know exactly what they are made of, but I understand the basics of how they work. Water beads start as tiny pellets that feel like hard plastic, you then put them in a bowl or container of some sort, add water and they will grow into large, colorful, squishy, gel-like beads! You can buy them at Walmart in the floral decoration section or online. They come in lots of different colors too!*  

I "grew" some water beads overnight in a bowl of water for the next day.

When it came time to do my hair and make-up the next day, I strained the water out (careful to not let any water beads go down the drain - I have heard that since they absorb water and grow in size, that there is the potential for them to clog pipes. Just an FYI- I am not 100% sure of this though!) and dumped them into a bucket. Little man was already intrigued as he was watching this process! I took the bucket upstairs, set it in the tub, added some measuring cups for scoopers and let little man at it! (I did close the drain to the tub, just in case any water beads bounced out of their bucket.)  

A "busy bucket" for little man!

He loved it!

This little "busy bucket" keep little man quietly entertained the entire time I was getting ready! (Awesome!) He was happily exploring new textures, scooping, dumping and chatting about his water beads to me! I was a happy mama watching him have so much fun and not stressing about little man being bored while mama put on make-up. There were no questions like, "Mama all done with make-up?" either, just a happy little boy squishing away at colorful, jelly beads!

Before he got started I did talk with little man about keeping the water beads in the bucket and he did a really good job. A few bounced out and he was quick to go pick them up and put them back. Good job little man!

Do you have any fun or creative ways that you keep your little ones "busy" while you get something done around the house?

Tea Collection’s Spring 2012 Bali Collection Review & Giveaway!

Tea Collection began in San Francisco in 2002 and grew from the desire to marry modern fashion designs with cultures from around the world.

Why the name Tea?

"Tea, the drink, is shared in nearly every culture around the world. Being Tea is about experiencing life together, even when we're not in the same place. It means taking the time to understand and honor our differences. In doing so, we become closer." --taken from website

Tea is all about discovery of the world around you and embracing cultures with exuberance. Through their explorations, they seek to deliver unique, colorful, graphic designs that help to give a feel for new cultures and places.

"Travel opens anyone's heart and mind to people and places that we don't know. The clothing we create at Tea transforms the foreign world into a smaller, friendlier and more familiar place. We believe that we bring a little bit of that world home to you." - Emily Meyer, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer --taken from website

I really appreciate that Tea emphasizes travel and a love for learning about new cultures. As I was growing up, I had a some wonderful opportunities to travel to countries outside the US. Traveling through Europe and China definitely influenced who I am now and I still have a deep love and desire for travel. I love going to new places and discovering foods, people and sights. One of my biggest desires is that our family can continue to travel and for little man to grow up with that same love for travel, adventure and experiencing new things.

This Spring, Tea traveled to exotic Bali and there they were inspired by the beauty and happiness of the people. I love the island influence to this line! The colors are fun, vibrant and make me feel like little man could go exploring deep into Bali! They brought in some wonderful bright patterns for the boys collection. I just love that Tea Collection puts so much creativity into their boy clothing - it is so refreshing to find clothes for little man that aren't just like everything else out there! Sometimes I feel that boys clothes aren't as much fun or as stylish as little girls clothes, but with Tea Collection, I'm "ooh-ing" and "aaah-ing" at all of their wardrobe collections for boys! They definitely do not disappoint!

I was thrilled when I got the opportunity to work with Tea Collection for this review and giveaway! I was sent a sampling of Tea Collection’s Spring 2012 Bali Collection and was just delighted when I opened the box! 

I was sent the following items from the Bali Safari line:

 

• Alligator Ikat Tee

• Kendang Polo 

• Raya Stripe Shirt in Verdant 

• Roll Up Safari Shirt in Indigo

• Denim Look Pants

All of the pieces are a size 3T for little man. I decided to go with the 3T size after looking over Tea's Size Chart and I noticed that little man was on the borderline for not fitting into a 2T anymore. (How did he get so big?) I was glad that I did too, the shirts fit him really well, with a little room to grow, and the pants are perfect around his waist and just a little long in the legs. Perfect for my growing boy! 

The quality of the clothes from Tea Collection is just wonderful! The shirts are so, so soft! The Raya Stripe Shirt is so cozy and it has been perfect to layer with the Alligator Ikat Tee or some of his other tees on colder spring days! The Alligator Ikat Tee is little man's favorite - he just loves the neon green alligator pattern on it! The Kendang Polo quickly became my favorite (I love the dot pattern!) and I love that I can pick up some of the accent colors in in by layering it with other long sleeve tees! Little man looks like such a cool, trendy dude in the Roll Up Safari Shirt - he looks so grown up! The Denim Look Pants have been wonderful and they are perfect for an active toddler! They are soft, comfy and stretchy and still look dressy. Little man discovered that the soft fabric makes his whiz down the slides at the park a lot faster than denim ...he absolutely loved it! You could probably hear his squeals of delight and laughter for a mile!  

I love the attention to detail and the Tea logo that is on the back of all the pieces!

I am also very impressed with how well the pieces are made and from what I can tell, these are definitely pieces that have a lot of life to them. They have all already spent quite a bit of time in the washer and dryer. Little man loves to run, jump, play and well, be an active boy! The colors are still vibrant after multiple washings and there is no sign of wear to them. These clothes definitely have all of the qualities that I am looking for when I go to buy clothes for little man. Not only do they offer a sense of style and fashion, but they are durable and well made!

Another thing that I really love is that Tea Collection puts together some great outfits for mix-and-match inspiration! I really like seeing how they paired different tops to create layered looks! It really helps me to get out of the rut of putting such "matchy" outfits together for little man and now I find myself putting together pieces that coordinate in a colorful, unique and bold way! It was fun to find other shirts that were in little man's closet that I discovered would layer with the shirts that Tea sent me! It really makes the possibilities of his wardrobe open up!

    

I highly recommend Tea Collection when you are shopping for clothes for your little ones! Tea Collection offers a wide range of colorful, unique and stylish options for boys and girls, ages 0-12. They also have a women's collection that features easy-going clothing that is beautiful, functional and culturally inspired.

Interested in shopping for some clothes for your little one or for yourself? You can BUY any of the items that little man helped me review from Tea Collection. Also, make sure you check out the Tea Collection New Arrivals for Boys and the New Tea Collection Arrivals for Girls! 

 -OR- 

Tea collection has generously given one very lucky reader the chance to WIN a $100 Tea gift certificate!

***Giveaway is open to the U.S. only. Entrants must be 18+ years old. The winner has 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen.*** 

Giveaway will end March 14th at 12:01am EST. 

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

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: Thank you to Tea Collection for providing me with the opportunity to host this review and giveaway at no cost to myself. The above items were sent to me free of charge for review and this has not influenced my opinion of the product. I have sought to give my honest opinions and experiences on this product. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own. Thank you again to Tea Collection for sponsoring this review and giveaway!

*Some of the above Tea Collection links are affiliate links. By shopping through them, you are supporting The Little Hedgehog. Thank you! I try to only recommend products that I feel are valuable and that my readers would enjoy.*