EcoSmart Giveaway, Natural Bug Killer, and What Happened to our Wasps

Last year I had several readers write to ask me what I do for bug spray, bug repellent or home insect treatments. I had a few limited ideas (some I emailed, some I posted here), but I have recently discovered a really great solution -- or should I say, it found me. But let me back up to the first of spring...


With the earliest signs of warm days, my children were ready for picnic lunches. My parents gave us patio furniture for a recent Christmas gift, so we were all very eager for outdoor lunch breaks.


However, the earliest signs of warms days also got the wasps buzzing around our patio. Last year they made homes in our siding and around our back door. (You remember the wasp stings?!?) We tried a few non-toxic methods of killing the wasps, but none eliminated them for good. My husband even tried regular old wasp killer, but they came back.

So, when EcoSmart emailed me to ask if I was interested in a review and giveaway of their Natural Bug Spray, I jumped at the opportunity. Like you all, I really wanted to find a good solution to our insect problems.




The kind folks at EcoSmart sent me their Safe Home Value Bundle, which includes Flying Insect Killer, Ant and Roach Killer, Home Pest Control and Insect Repellent. When the box arrived, the first thing I noticed was the delicious smell! Yep, that's right... these products smell good! Instead of toxic ingredients, these products contain organic plant oils such as cinnamon, peppermint, sesame and rosemary.


The next question was, would these yummy smelling products actually work. I took the can of Flying Insect Killer out to my back patio. Armed and ready. And waited for the wasps. I saw one fly out of the siding, so I aimed and shot. He floundered and died. Great! But, what about the rest of them in the nest?


I waited. No more came out. Then I saw one around the roofing. But the spray wouldn't reach all the way up there (one drawback). After waiting for a while longer, I decided I couldn't just keep waiting. So I sprayed all around where we see them come in and out and just hoped for the best. That was three weeks ago. And we haven't seen a wasp there since. Is that just a coincidence? Or are we holding serious natural powers in our hands?


I know many of you are looking for safe pest control for the home. So would you like to win this same Safe Home Value Bundle? If so, leave a comment here and tell me why you want this bundle of non-toxic, kid- and pet-friendly products. Simply by leaving your comment, you'll be entered in the giveaway.

I usually like to keep an even playing-field so that everyone has an equal chance of winning (i.e. not giving extra entries to new followers... when faithful long-time readers don't have that chance). However, I really want EcoSmart to get a lot of good exposure with this giveaway...

So, I will be giving an extra entry to those who tweet the giveaway link or blog about this giveaway. If you do either of those, please come back to leave a separate comment saying so for each. If you leave a comment, tweet the giveaway link and post about the giveaway on your blog, you will have three entries. Make sense? There are three possible chances this time.


This giveaway is open to all US residents (except Alaska and Hawaii) and will remain open until midnight on Friday, April 30th. Once closed, I will randomly select a winner and notify by email.

For your health,

Giveaway Winner, Important Co-op Information, and More Random Thoughts That Don't Fit in Another Post

I love bullets. Do you? They keep random thoughts so orderly... Here goes:

• First, the winner of TrueLemon's World Water Day giveaway is Christie. (If you do not get my email with instructions, please email me: ae @ healthbeginswithmom.com.) Thank you to each reader who left a thoughtful comment about what we can do to help make clean water available around the world. I encourage each of you to take a look a the comments and jump into the action.


• Next, I have had so many of you comment that you would like to be involved in whole food co-ops in order to make healthy foods more affordable. Well, I just ran across this website. Check it out to see if there are any groups near you!


• Do you remember a while ago when I told you about my friend with the eleven year old Wendy's hamburger? Well, Fox News tells of a similar experiment with a Happy Meal. It never spoiled, which breaks my Food Selection Rule of Thumb. Read the story (here).


• Three of my children caught a cold this past weekend. What do I do for them in order to speed their recovery? Read this former post.


• Also, this time around I used a product called Xlear with Tickle. (The product was a generous sample sent to me for review by GS Schwartz & Co.) Her runny nose only lasted two days, while Spiderman and Witzy are still hanging on to theirs (fourth and third day, respectively). Could the difference be the Xlear? It is hard to say for sure, but I will be trying the product again next time I encounter a cold... let's hope that it's a while down the road.


• Anyway, the product is worth checking out. Xlear is an "all-natural nasal spray with Xylitol, a healthy alternative to over the counter products and overused antibiotics." The bottle of nasal drops seems like it would last forever... and it only costs $6.99. You just give a few drops twice a day to clear the sinuses. The active ingredient is Xylitol, which is a natural sweetener found in plants and fruits. The Xylitol soothes and moisturizes nasal passages and rinses away bacteria, pollutants and allergens. Supposedly, it is a good preventative measure, although I have not used it that way. It seems logical though that rinsing the nasal passages clear daily would prevent most illness.
  

Have a great Wednesday!

Pomegranate Power

We all need more antioxidants in our diets! With all the free radicals that we are exposed to in our modern world, we need all the help we can get. So what are free radicals? And what do antioxidants have to do with it? Here is a simple explanation:

"Every day, your body is exposed to free radicals, unstable molecules that can damage the cells in your body in a process often referred to as oxidative stress. Where do they come from? Everywhere. Not only does your body produce them as part of normal metabolism, there are also many external sources such as air pollution, alcohol, pesticides, sunlight, tobacco smoke, drugs and fried foods. Even our stressful lifestyles are related to excess oxidative stress. That’s where antioxidants come in. Antioxidants are scavengers that neutralize free radicals. Although your body produces its own antioxidants, they are often insufficient to protect against the total oxidative stress we all experience. In fact, scientists have already linked free radicals to many different types of diseases. Consuming a diet rich in natural antioxidants, like those that come from fruits and vegetables, may help protect against free radical damage."

I frequently talk about how important it is to eat a diet full of a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. Each unique fruit and vegetable has a unique spectrum of antioxidants. So variety (and volume) are important in order to get the most antioxidant benefit.

Today I am glad to tell you about another way to boost your antioxidant intake. The generous people at Pom Wonderful recently sent me a case of their Pom Wonderful juice to sample. It is 100% pomegranate juice with absolutely no unwanted ingredients. Nothing but the good stuff. And did you know that POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice has been shown to have the highest Antioxidant Potency Index among several healthy beverages (red wine, Concord grape, blueberry, acai or cranberry juices) as measured by a composite of the four leading antioxidant capacity assays? Read the study.

For all the wonderful health benefits, pure pomegranate juice is quite tart. It's yummy, but bold. We have been adding it to our smoothies for our breakfasts. We find that its strong flavor holds up in any recipe while other fruits and yogurt tame the tart. Here is our favorite recipe:

• 2 cups of plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup Pom Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice
• 1-2 Tbsp. raw honey

Stir vigorously. This makes a great drink, but we have been putting it in a bowl with soaked granola for a healthy take on "cereal and milk."

Also, if you want to make a frozen pomegranate treat, put the three ingredients listed above with 2-3 frozen bananas in a blender. Blend thoroughly for a soft serve ice cream consistency.

For your health,

GoGo SqueeZ!

I'm all about real food. The more real, the better. Really... the closer a food product is to its in-nature state, the more nutrients it contains and the less non-nutrients it contains.

But I am realistic. I know there are times in life, when we will need convenience. Some mornings are going to be a whirlwind rush out the door. Some whole entire days are just like that too.

However, instead of grabbing Little Debbies or Doritos in our need for convenience, we need some good real food options. Yogurt cups come to mind... as do clementines, carrot sticks, string cheese and Kashi TLC Crackers. (Current printable Kashi coupon here.)

And here's another real food option for you: GoGo SqueeZ.

"Developed by French applesauce and fruit spread experts Materne, GoGo squeeZ is the first squeezable, re-sealable, no-mess, 100 percent fruit, no sugar added applesauce snack for kids in the US. The tasty and all-natural treat comes packaged in a handy pouch (initially designed by NASA...) that makes it perfect for an on-the-go snack or lunchbox item for school or work. All GoGo squeeZ products contain no artificial flavors or preservatives and are gluten-free, dairy-free and kosher-certified."

The generous folks at Materne sent me three flavors of GoGo SqueeZ to try. I was first impressed by the label. This snack contains apples. That's it. Except for the Apple Strawberry and Apple Peach kinds, which contain other fruit. Simple is good.

But applesauce is applesauce, right? I sure thought that would be the case. But, and I kid you not, my children loved this snack so much they invented a GoGo SqueeZ dance. Yes, they really did. Tickle was the cutest... all the way to her little voice singing, "GoGo Feeeez, GoGo Feeeez." Seriously, they really liked this applesauce that much. And I tasted it too... must be the French apples because it is really good stuff!

I love that this real snack is 100% fruit. I love that it is no mess. I love that it comes in a squeeze pack so I don't need to carry a spoon. We'll definitely be taking GoGo SqueeZ on our next road trip... and believe me, the kids can't wait.