The Ohio Knitting Mills Knitting Book by Steven Tatar (with Denise Grollmus)

                                                                   

As any of my regular blog readers know already, I am a self-proclaimed yarn addict! And how. If I'm not working on at least 2-3 knit or crochet projects at any given time, I'm just not happy!

My love of all things yarn-crafting extends to the pleasure of finding a new and unique knit or crochet book. And just recently, I found one that I'm very excited about:

 

The Ohio Knitting Mills Knitting Book is a book that came about in a very unusual way. Author Steven Tatar was hunting for scrap metal when he stumbled upon the now shuttered Ohio Knitting Mills. He subsequently bought the company's sweater archive and opened the Ohio Knitting Mills store, in Brooklyn, NY where for two years he sold vintage knits and wrote this book.

The author now sells limited edition sweaters online at: OhioKnittingMills.com.

The Ohio Knitting Mills Knitting Book traces the history through four decades of this historic Ohio mill from the 1940-1970. It makes for fascinating reading. Sharing a part of crafting in America through some of the most creative and turbulent times the USA has ever seen. And along the way, the reader is taken back in time to enjoy the styles, trends and fads of each of these decades. Including 26 knitting patterns from the original OKM archive.

What keeps this book fresh, timely and oh so 21st century are the updated versions of the original patterns that are included. Complete with full instructions and graphs where applicable.And wowsa, these are knitting patterns that are definitely worthy of a retro-encore!

                                                

Here are just a few examples of the unique patterns in this book:

Ski Chic Fatale

                              

California Dreaming

                                     

                                                                            

Father Knows Best

                                                                                       

Hippie Stashbag

The Ohio Knitting Mills Knitting Book is visually stunning with sepia-toned text pages and full-color photos throughout. The attention to detail and precision work that went into this 158 page book is evident throughout. Another plus: there are patterns for knitters of all skill levels from the beginner to expert, included in this book.

If you love retro-knit fashions this is a book you won't want to miss. Would also make a memorable gift for any yarn/American craft history buff on your gift list too.

This book is a great example of that timeless saying: "everything old IS new again"



You can read more about this unique knitting book and also find ordering options at: Thomas Allen and Son. Priced at: $22.50 CDN and $17.95 US.

 

Credit: "Excerpted from The Ohio Knitting Mills by Steven Tatar with
Denise Grollmus (Artisan Books). Copyright 2010. Photographs by Anna
Wolf

Overall rating for this book: Excellent. 5 out of 5.

And the Winner of the Ice Cream Lover's Contest Is....

.... Crystal from Dream Baby Dolls!

Congratulations Crystal. I hope you enjoy all of your prizes!

You have 2 weeks to claim your prize package.

If not claimed within two weeks time, another winner will be chosen.

Send your mailing address to:

MRLR at myway dot com

and I will get your prizes sent out.

***

Stay tuned for another great contest/giveaway, this one open to Canadian and US residents, coming up in September.

And lots of new product reviews coming up, starting again this week at MRLR.

Thanks to everyone who entered the contest.

It was such fun reading all your fav ice cream flavours.

Happy August!

MRLR July Ice Cream Lover's Contest (and June Winner)!

Summertime:

Definitely 'tis the season for ice cream!

Even better...fresh from your own kitchen, homemade ice cream.

Yummmm....Mocha Pecan Ice Cream.

I made this recently in my new Hamilton Beach 1.5 QT. ice cream maker.

Yes, it is as delish as the photo looks. You can find the recipe here.

And the first of 3 prizes in this month's MRLR giveaway is:
                                              

The Hamilton Beach 1.5 Qt. Ice Cream Maker courtesy of Hamilton Beach.

Retail value: $35-40. depending where you buy it.

You can read my full review of this oh so handy small kitchen appliance. And one that will pay for itself in no time if you and your family love ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbets....

And the taste compared to commercial (even gourmet) ice cream, well there is no comparison. Oh so yummy and easy to make too.

And for lots of inspiration to go with this ice cream maker; two fabulous new ice cream recipe books courtesy of: Thomas Allen and Son:

The Ultimate Guide to Homemade Ice Cream  ($28.95 CDN/ $$24.95 US)

and

Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home ($28.95 CDN and $$23.95 US)

Click through to read more about these two new specialty cookbooks and for ordering options also (if you just can't wait to see if you're the winner!) :<)
                        

One lucky winner will win all three prizes, value approx. $100!

                           

***

To enter, leave a comment below including your favorite ice cream flavour.

No anonymous comments please. They will not be considered as an entry.


Contest open to Canadian residents only.

 (Sorry US readers. More US/Canada contests in the works and coming up soon.)

Contest close on July 31st.

Winner will have 2 weeks to claim their prize. If not claimed in that time, another winner will be chosen.

***

And speaking of winners.

The winner of the June Cat Lover's Contest is:   

BongoDog who kindly put in an entry for his human and house-mate cat Scratchy.

Congrats to Scratchy and Bongo!

Send your mailing address to MRLR  at myway.com  and I'll get your catty prizes sent out! You have two weeks to claim your prizes. If not claimed in that time, an alternate winner will be chosen.

I'm taking a break from blogging for the rest of July but will be back first week in August to announce the winner of this contest. And with lots of new product reviews to share too.

Hope everyone is enjoying a wonderful summer and good luck with this month's contest!

Ice cream photo courtesy of Flickr.

Last Chance to Enter the June Cat-Lover's Contest!

Mr. Cheddar here...

If you haven't already, there's still time to enter the June MRLR Cat Lover's Contest!

Contest closes June 30th.

If you are owned by a feline (or two, three...) you won't want to miss this one.

And if you aren't owned by a feline, I wanna know why??? Snort!!!

Good luck to all humans and felines entered.

Make sure to stop by the first week in July to see if you're the big winner. :<)

Kiju Organic 100% Juice

I tried Kiju Organic fruit juice for the first time, over a year ago. It was not a good experience. The juice had a very strange taste. Suffice to say, the word GROSS comes to mind. I ended up throwing it down the drain. I realised afterwards, I should have returned it to the store where it was purchased for a refund.

I was thinking about this juice again a few months ago and decided to give the company an opportunity to respond to the bad experience I had previously with their products.

Here's where it gets interesting and a bit humorous I think, too!

                                                                     

I emailed Kiju On February 9th of this year and this is the response I received that same day:

Hi Geraldine - so sorry for your experience. That is NOT what our juice tastes like at all. You clearly have a product where the packaging has been compromised at some point, allowing the juice to be exposed to air.

Do you still have the package so that we can get the BB date coding information. Also - what size of product was it?

Please send that info along with your address so that we can either send you proper samples for review and/or coupons. We really do have great tasting juices that taste just like you'd expect - juice!

                                                

Ok, I was game. I'm all for giving anyone, including companies a second chance to "get it right". I sent along my mailing info. to receive the coupons mentioned in their response.

And I waited, and waited...and waited some more.
                                   

I even sent another email to let them know I hadn't received any coupons, in case they had been lost along the way. But that wasn't the case.

Well, lo and behold, 2 juice coupons arrived in the mail on June 8th!
                                       

Wowsa, 4 months after my initial contact with this company, they finally sent me 2 coupons (yes, 2 whole coupons LOL) to make up for this bad experience with their products and the very long delay in making any attempt to rectify the problem. And to give me the opportunity to find out what their juices should taste like.

                                           

So, I took one of my long-awaited coupons to our local food co-op and got a carton of the Kiju Grape Apple juice to try again. This time, the taste was ok, not awful like my first experience. Ok but nothing special.

And I did note something interesting about the name and the ingredient list in this product:

                          

Ingredients for Kiju Grape Apple Juice:

Filtered water, concentrated organic apple juice, concentrated organic grape juice, vitamin C

Ahh...that explains the rather ho-hum flavour of this juice: water and then (second) Apple and (third) Grape juice, in descending order of the ingredients listed in this product. It actually tastes like apple juice with a splash of grape added for color. I've certainly tasted better.

What really amazed me about this whole experience was the fact that my initial complaint was answered so quickly and it seemed so earnestly at the time.

But then it took the company  4 MONTHS to finally send me 2 coupons to make up for the bad experience I had with their products initially and the opportunity to give them another try. Ridiculous!

A big part of the quality and reputation of any company/product has to be about how they handle/respond to any issues that customers bring to their attention and in a TIMELY way. I wouldn't call 4 months in any way, timely.

Kiju:  I won't be back for more! ;<)

Overall rating for this product/company: Unsatisfactory. 1 out of 5.

Hamilton Beach 1.5 Qt. Ice Cream Maker

It hasn't exactly been "ice cream weather" here in Interior BC for the past couple of weeks. But I recently received the Hamilton Beach 1.5 Qt. Ice Cream Maker (68321Z) as a gift and have been giving it a try out, in spite of the cooler temperatures. Ice cream with coffee or Caf-Lib is one of my fav combos so that helps! ;<)

This is the first electric/automatic ice cream maker I've ever used. A long time ago, we had one of those old-fashioned crank models, when I was a kid. It needed rock salt and plenty of muscle power to turn (make that churn) out a batch of homemade ice cream. Fun memories but how times have changed! Now it's oh so easy to make all kinds of ice cream treats, without any fuss or brute strength required LOL.

The Hamilton Beach 1.5 Qt. Ice Cream Maker is so easy to use. And clean-up is a breeze too.

The inner freezer compartment needs to be put into the freezer for about 24 hours before you are planning to make ice cream. It's suggested in the instructions to just clean the unit after use and return to the freezer, so that it's ready for the next batch of ice cream yummies!

After the liner is thoroughly chilled, it's placed in the outer plastic unit, and the chilled ingredients are poured in. Unit on....churning and presto, 20-30 minutes later, perfect homemade ice cream. Made with your choice of ingredients and add-ons. And with no thickeners, additives, colors...as is the case with most mainstream commercial ice cream. Just fresh and oh so delish results!

I've made Vanilla and Mocha Pecan ice cream so far, both were wonderful. You can read the post about the Mocha Pecan Ice Cream with recipe here.

I've also got an: Ice Cream Lover's Giveaway coming up shortly, so stay tuned for that!

Only a couple of things that I think would make this product even better. When the ice cream is finished churning, it needs to be scraped out of the freezer bowl and into a container for storing. It would be great to have a small, rigid spatula included to make this easier. I used a large cake spatula that I had, so as not to scratch the interior of the freezer bowl but it wasn't ideal.

Also, the churning paddle is adequate but I think it could be a bit more "heavy duty". Perhaps one in stainless steel instead of the rigid plastic this one is made of? It gets put through it's paces, when it's close to the end of the churning process and the ice cream is getting very thick.

Another thing to mention, if it looks like there isn't enough ingredients in the container at the beginning of the churning process, you'll be amazed how it expands as it's processing. Definitly good to follow the recipe instructions and stick to the amounts suggested.

There are a few recipes included with this product in the instruction book but I've got a couple of amazing Ice Cream recipe books to share with you soon. And of course, creating and tweaking your own ice cream favorites to make is part of the fun too!

If you've been considering buying an Ice Cream Maker, this is a good one to buy. Reasonably priced to at about $35. -40. It will pay for itself in no time, if you've been buying premium ice cream products on a regular basis.

Visit the Hamilton Beach site to read more about all of their fine small appliances and products. And stop by Europe's Best to enter their current Hamilton Beach small appliance contest too. Some great prizes up for grabs.

Overall rating for this product: Very Good. 4 out of 5.

CreateSpace (Self-Publishing)

CreateSpace is an Amazon company that specializes in self-publishing services including books, ebooks, music and film.

I tried out CreateSpace for the first time, a few weeks ago and I'm certainly glad I did.

I had been wanting to publish a collection of my poetry for a long time. I had started and stopped this project many times. With a couple of other self-publishing services that I had tried previously, including Lulu and IUniverse, there was always something that kept me procrastinating and not focused on actually completing my book.

 In terms of Lulu, I had high hopes initally after reading some reviews about their services. But when I attempted to download my completed poetry document file at their site; right off the bat, I was faced with an error message that made no sense at all. Listing several font errors for a font I wasn't even using! I was turned off big time and decided not to waste any more time there!

CreateSpace makes the whole process of self-publishing a book not only easy but fun too!  I was able to download my poetry document and with only a bit of minor tweaking to adjust for the page size I had chosen; it was ready to go within a couple of days, after being checked over by the CreateSpace team.

Here's how my book turned out:

And here's a link to the Amazon page with the Click Inside the Book feature included. (The back cover may be still appearing as it was for the first one I created (green) as this may still be in the processed of being updated on the Amazon product page.)

I then had a few things I wanted to change after I received the first copies of my book, including the cover and a few tweaks of the text, that were minor errors I had missed. No problem. I submitted an updated document, chose a new cover photo (this time, one I took myself) and presto, my book was on it's way to being updated to my complete satisfaction.

CreateSpace provides a Cover Creator option that makes this process so easy. And completely customizable. Not some "cookie cutter" same old, same old....options, as is the case with some of the other self-publishing companies offerings.

And with Amazon behind a book, well the opportunities to take it to whatever level you aspire to, are definitely there. Channels offered include: Amazon US, Amazon Canada, Europe, UK...library distribution, online distributors....impressive!

Their support services are excellent too. And again, an area that I think is so important and is lacking with too many companies, of all types it seems. I had numerous questions along the way and all were answered in a friendly, timely and professional way. No "jumping through hoops" to get someone to respond to questions and that's something that I really appreciate.

Price-wise. Hard to believe. For a mere $25. investment I not only was able to create my book to my complete satisfaction. The $25. also included the expanded distribution options, mentioned above and only available through CreateSpace,editing assistance and a free ISBN number. This was $25. very well spent! And without the expanded distribution, initial costs are FREE! Hard to go wrong.

Only two things that I can think of that would have made my experience with CreateSpace even better.

I had asked about the title and my name being included on the spine of the book but was told that for a book with 70 pages (as mine is) the spine was too small to allow for print. I know that Lulu does offer this service and it would be most helpful to have this provided at CreateSpace, especially when targeting bookstores and libraries for selling prospects.

Also, when checking the proof of my book online at the CreateSpace site, the magnify page option is a bit "wonky" with only a very large and rather small size of magnification offered. To have incremental zoom options, again would be helpful and appreciated.

I am now working on another book, this one a collection of my haiku poems. I am also putting together a marketing plan specifically targeted to regional libraries including a media release for both of my poetry books. Wish me luck! To see a labour of love come together as has been the case with both of these book projects is oh so satisfying!

If you've been delaying your own creative indie project be it a book, ebook, Cd....make sure to stop by CreateSpace to find out just how easy, inexpensive and rewarding it can be.

Overall rating for this service: Very Good. 4 out of 5.

Jason Sea Fresh Toothpaste

I recently started using:  Jason Sea Fresh All-Natural Sea-Sourced Toothpaste . I had been a fan of Green Beaver toothpaste products (click for my review) for a long time and in spite of being satisfied with their products; it's always nice to give something new a try-out.

*Jason Sea Fresh Toothpaste has a pleasant, minty flavour.

*It leaves teeth clean and breath, very fresh.

*A little goes a long way.

*And with the larger than average sized 6 oz. tube for about $6. at our local food co-op and just over $5. at Amazon, it's very reasonably priced too.  A 75ml. 2.5 oz tube of Green Beaver brand is almost the same price, so it pays to look at the actual quantities you're getting in a tube. When they are all packaged and sealed in boxes, it can be misleading.

I did some checking re: the Blue Green Algae which is one of the ingredients in this product and found this informative article. Based on this information and some other articles I read online, it appears that the type of Algae used in this product is not only safe but can be beneficial for your health in a number of ways. Not that I'd recommend eating toothpaste! But of course, we do ingest small amounts when brushing teeth.

Here's the ingredient list for this toothpaste:

Calcium Carbonate, Aqua (Water), Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Mentha Viridis (Spearmint) Leaf Oil, Carrageenan, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice (1) , Aphanizomenon Flos-Aquae Powder, Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Powder, Carum Petroselinum (Parsley) Extract , Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract, Perilla Ocymoides Seed Extract, Stevia, Rebaudiana Leaf/Stem Extract, Silica, Sodium Bicarbonate, (1) Certifed Organic Ingredient

and some additional information, from the company's website:

Strengthen your teeth and freshen your breath, without harsh abrasives or irritating chemicals. Sea Fresh® All Natural Toothpaste features Blue Green Algae (Aphanizomenon Flos-Aquae), rich in Calcium, proteins and antioxidants, to naturally strengthen your teeth and gums and potent Spearmint and Parsley Extracts to keep your breath fresh and clean. Our exclusive blend of natural polishers and stain-fighting botanicals includes Bamboo Powder, Calcium Carbonate and Silica to help prevent tartar build-up while gently brightening your smile. For a strong smile and fresh breath, use JASON Sea Fresh® toothpaste and mouthwash twice a day.

The JĀSÖN natural toothpastes promise:
√ No Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfates
√ No Preservatives
√ No Artificial Colors
√ No Artificial Sweeteners
√ No Saccharin
√ No Propylene Glycol
√ No Gluten

If you've been considering changing to a more natural toothpaste product and want one with a clean, fresh taste and that is economical to use, you might want to give Jason Sea Fresh Toothpaste a try. It also makes a nice change, if you've already been using a natural toothpaste.

Overall rating for this product: Very Good. 4 out of 5.

MRLR June Cat-Lover's Contest (and May winner!)

Mr. Cheddar here.

Yes, I am spending a lot of time these days "chilling out" on the floor tiles and dreaming of the next big bug catch! Meowmie and I have also been putting together a prize package sure to please all you who are owned by felines for this month's contest, here at My Real Life Reviews!

Here's what's up for grabs this month:

Isn't this cool?

Meowmie actually wants this for herself but I told her no-can -dooodoo!!! Snort.

 This lovely cat-inspired tote has been kindly provided by Georgia's Gifts.

Here's a bit of info. about their feline-fab gift-galore website:

Georgia's Gifts is a website for cat lovers and gifts for cat lovers. Featuring Whimsiclay Cats, we continue to search for other whimsical ceramic and plush cats. cat home and garden decor, accessories and jewelry to add to our products.

You simply must stop by to check out all the goodies over at Georgia's place. She is an enchanting human and of course owned by felines herself. This tote bag is a mere sampling of the delights that await all feline-lovers. A great place to visit if you are looking for feline-themed gifts too, that are unique and oh so reasonably priced.

                            

Our next prize:

The book: Crafting With Cat Hair is one that I've already reviewed here at MRLR:

This is a book that I can personally and whole-catedly endorse. You can read my full review here. And if you simple can't wait to see if you're the winner, there are ordering options included with my review.

 BTW, for all of you who have been inquiring about my hopes of meeting that babe on the cover, I'm still waiting for a reply email from this goddess! She is never far from my thoughts though, sigh...

Thanks to Random House for supplying a copy of this groooovy book, for this contest.

And last but certainly not least.

A feline sampler pack, personally chosen by me. Several sample bags of gourmet, personal fav cat foods will be included in the bundle! A whole lotta chompin' to follow. Sure to delight even the most discerning of felines!

Meowmie is in charge of packaging though, snort....as cello-tape and my fur do not make a good match! I leave the mundane tasks to the humans, whenever possible.  

***

The lucky winner will get all 3 prizes valued at over $50.

Contest open to residents of the US and Canada. Cat-owned humans only this time please.

Winner will be chosen by a random system. Contest ends June 30th.

To enter:  leave a comment below, including the names of your own felines, to be entered.

Winner will have 2 weeks to claim their prize, after the winner is announced the first week in July. If not claimed in that time period, a new winner will be chosen.

How easy and fun is that? Definitely human-doable, I believe! Snort!!!!

***

I'm looking forward to reading your comments/entries and DOOOOOO specify if any of the feline-females out there are also looking for love, I am listening. I can't wait forever for that cover-babe!

Laters, Mr. Cheddar, Feline Celeb Blogger, Fearless Bug Warrior and STILL looking for love.

Now Meowmie has something to add:

The winner of the Fab Foodie May Cookbook Contest is: RumpyDog!

Congrats, Rumpy and Happy Cooking!!!

and an update re: March Nature Clean contest:

Jen at Muddy Boot Dreams has now been chosen as the alternate winner for one of the gift packages as it was not claimed by the first winner (Jessica) who was previously chosen.

Brenda Cavanagh at Mullin Ave. Workshop was the other winner in this contest.

Winners have 2 weeks to claim prizes.

Send your mailing info to: myreallifereviews  at myway.com 

and I will get your prizes sent out.

Meow, Meow and Good luck everyone! :<)

Blogger Post Issues and Upcoming Contest

Dear Readers,

As any of my regular readers know, I have been hosting monthly prize giveaways in recent months. I have one upcoming for June that I was working on yesterday. Obviously, when I need to write and schedule a post (which I do for early morning: 12:02 AM) I need to get the post ready ahead of time, if I want it up on my blog for the 1st. These contest posts take a considerable amount of time to put together, with links, photos etc...

I was finishing up the June contest post yesterday and had tentatively chosen the winner in the previous contest for May and also an update re: winner for one of the April prizes. Tentative winner, as I do wait until the 1st of any month to see if there are last minute entries to add to the mix and then again randomly select a winner. As there aren't usually any entries the last couple of days, it's usually a given that the names that are entered at that point, are all that will be.

After I completed my June 1st contest post, I tried to schedule it and here's where everything went wonky. Blogger posted it on my blog instead. When I tried to remove it, I note that it's still showing up in Reader as of today.

So, just by way of explanation, everyone who enters any of my contests IS in the running and right to the last day of the month. I hope you'll stop by tomorrow to enter the new contest and see who won previously. It might be you!

Sorry for any misunderstandings.

Last Chance to Enter the Fab Foodie Cookbook Contest!

If you haven't already, there's still time to enter the May Fab Foodie Cookbook Contest for a chance to win a collection of 6 fabulous cookbooks valued at over $120. 

Contest closes May 31st.

Stop by the first week in June to find out if you are the winner!

Good luck everyone!!!

Desert Essence Castile Liquid Soap

 

This will be a short review. There isn't much to say about this soap except NOT to buy it!

I had high hopes for this product. I liked the fact that it was recommended not just for hand-washing (as is the case with a lot of liquid soaps) but also for face and body use too. The ingredient list was better than average too as was the price, about $7. for an 8 ounce bottle.

So what's wrong with this soap?

In a word, it STINKS!!! My husband has compared it to the smell of 10W30 (whatever that is) LOL.  It reminds me of that smell when you take your car in for service. How the garage and the mechanics smell. Yes, it really is that gross.

Definitely not something you'd want to shower with and try out on a first date either LOL!!! Unless you're dating a mechanic, they might like it. Sorry, I'm digressing with the garage jokes... No offence intended to anyone in that industry. I've got a lot of respect for good mechanics.

The pump on this product is also poorly designed. It sticks straight out from the bottle so if you don't keep your hand completely covering it when you pump the soap, you end up with it all over the walls, not in your hand. Someone was definitely having a bad day in the design department, when they came up with this one! ;<)

I like to buy green, organic and healthier choices whenever possible and that includes hand soaps. Many of the mainstream liquid hand soaps available are chemical nightmares. But the natural alternatives have to work and they have to be pleasant to use. Desert Essence Castile Liquid Soap is not in that category. It not only stinks and how, it doesn't really clean well either.

If you click through to the product page at their site, you can read what some customers had to say about this product. Maybe relatives? Or people with no sense of smell.

 I know I won't be buying this "stinker" again!

Overall rating for this product: BAD. O out of 5.

Mountain Rose Herbs Celestial Tea Strainer

I've never been an avid tea drinker, especially when it comes to herbal teas. But recently, I was reading about the many health benefits of spearmint (click for more info.) and began buying pre-made organic spearmint tea bags from our local food co-op.
                                                                                    

Having always used tea bags, I must admit I was skeptical about making tea any other way. Too messy, too much work and time involved. But those tea bags DO stack up, in the compost bin. And more and more, it seemed like such a waste to continue to make tea in bag form, instead of from loose leaves. That string, paper and excess packaging had to go!

I happened to find this interesting and informative video over at YouTube: How to Make Tea with Loose Herbs and for me this was the incentive I needed to finally kick my tea bag habit!

Not only is it easy to make tea from loose herbs, it's also a big $$$ saver. I had been buying 20 organic spearmint tea bags for $6+ a box. I bought a pound of organic spearmint leaves for $9. at Mountain Rose Herbs!

I'm guesstimating I'll be able to make the equivalent of 200+ tea bags with the bag of spearmint tea I now have on hand. A pound of tea is much more than I expected! But it came in a air-tight resealable bag and I drink a cup or two of spearmint tea every day, so it should all be fresh and flavorful to use. The fragrance that came from the package when it arrived at our door was so nice too! Not like the usual "unscented" mail. LOL ;<)

So, on to the gorgeous tea strainer pictured above. This beautiful gadget is also from Mountain Rose Herbs and is featured in the video.  It is so much nicer than those tea balls and plain tea strainers that are the norm.

Works great too. It has a wide rim that fits even a large cup or mug and it is made of stainless steel. I've also used it with a teapot when I'm making more than one cup of tea. I let the tea steep for 10 minutes covered; then remove the strainer. Easy to clean and it only costs $7. A very good value.

Here is some additional information about this tea strainer from the Mountain Rose Herbs site:

Celestial Tea Strainer: Savor tea in style with this versatile stainless steel tea strainer warmly decorated around the rim in a beautiful celestial motif.
Equally suitable for all sizes of mugs, and fits well on small tea pots. Simply place a small amount of material into the steel mesh canister and submerge into a cup of hot water to brew your favorite infusion. Dimension of the actual infuser meshis 2" and dimension of outer rim is 3.75"

If you've been holding off kicking the tea bag habit, do check out the video above and also take a browse over at the Mountain Rose Herbs website.  I'm very impressed with the quality of the products they sell and their company's many green initiatives are commendable and far-reaching.

This tea strainer would also make a wonderful gift. Perhaps to go with a package or two of favorite tea/ blend. Mountain Rose Herbs has many wonderful teas to choose from. Also herbal cosmetics and remedies, essential oils, tea pots, herbs, spices, bulk ingredients....it's definitely worth a visit!

                          

Overall rating for this product: Excellent. 5 out of 5.  

Mountain Green Dishwashing Liquid

I'm always on the look-out for green cleaners, detergents and dishwashing liquids that truly do "walk the talk" when it comes to being a good product to buy.

As we all know, that's not always the case with some so-called "green" products and companies. An example of this: Seventh Generation dishwashing liquid.

Fortunately, there are companies who are offering alternatives to main-stream, chemically-laden cleaners that we can feel better about using. And that still do a good job of cleaning!

I recently tried: Mountain Green Baby Bottle & Dishwashing Liquid for the first time. I had been doing an online search (again) for some better choices for dishwashing liquid products. 

I found the Mountain Green brand over at BuyGreen.com. I was impressed by the very short ingredient list for this product and all the other information provided at the BuyGreen.com site that were all pluses about trying this product.

Click through to the product page to read (a lot of good information here) and judge for yourself.

Here is some of the general information provided: Mountain Green products are all natural and skin sensitive. This dishwashing liquid is accredited by Leaping Bunny and Feingold organizations.

Why would you want to leave harsh chemical residue on the plates, glasses and untensils you use every day? Not good for you or the planet. Mountain Green diswashing liquid is just as effective with out uneccesary toxins. 

All Mountain Green products are free of harsh chemicals, phosphates, phosphorous, enzymes, PEG, polycarboxylates, benzene, cocamide DEA, chlorine, SLS parabens and artificial dyes. 

Dishwashing liquid available in Orange Burst, Green Apple and Baby Free and Clear (the type with no-scent I've tried so far) in 25 oz bottles.

After my own research, I was ready to give it a try.

 In terms of cleaning dishes effectively, Mountain Green Dishwashing Liquid does a great job! My criteria for any dishsoap is the "grease-cutting" factor. If it doesn't work when it comes to effectively removing oil and grease, it's off the list for future purchases. This product delivered!

 No residue or scent left behind, after rinsing dishes.

It has a very low-level of sudsing but as I'm finding out, having a lot of soap-suds can be an indication of some undesirable ingredients in products like sodium lauryl sulphate, a definite no-no, for so many reasons. I can live without suds if the dishes are clean; it just takes a bit of getting used to, after years unfortunately (sigh....) of using mainstream, sudsy dishwashing liquids.

Reasonably priced too. A 25 fl. oz. bottle at BuyGreen.com is $4.75. Price is no longer an excuse for buying those main-stream brands that leave a lot to be desired.

If you've been looking for a green dishwashing liquid that you can feel good about using, is reasonably priced and that really works, you might want to give this one a try!

Overall rating for this product: Excellent. 5 out of 5.