The Miscellaneous Review Giveaway (Ends 2/3) U.S.

I have a giveaway that has been in the works for quite some time.  I have reviewed many things this month, and I never could find a giveaway hop to join to feature these products.  Therefore, I decided to get a group of bloggers together and do one big giveaway with several winners.  The giveaway is only open to the U.S., and below you will see exactly what you can win.  And yes, you can win more than one thing!

Designerliners Biodegradable Home Decor Wastebasket Bags 

Sencha Green Tea Shot 

Kaleidoscope Summer by Rita Garcia Book  (2 signed copies)

Friendfluence by Carlin Flora Book (2 print copies)

Juppy Baby Walker

A Happy Green Life Natural Laundry Wash

I am also throwing in a few surprises.  I am not saying what they will be or how many.  This is a giveaway that I am sure has something for everyone!  Be sure to enter on the rafflecopter below by February 3 at 9 P.M. Pacific time.  Thanks to all my blog friends for helping me out!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sencha Green Tea Shot Review

A Healthier You in 2013

May 2013 be your healthiest, happiest year!

Whatever your New Year’s resolutions might be, we know how difficult it is to keep them. Research shows that late January signals the trailing off of fitness club visits, healthy eating commitments, and vows to live with less stress.

Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions with These 5 Steps:

1. Do it for you.

The most important part of change is your will to do so. If you change for someone else, you will most likely find it harder to maintain your intention to change. Do what you want to do. Do it for you. You deserve it.

2. Be realistic: change one thing at a time.

Keep it simple and change one thing at a time. It is challenging enough to change one behavior, and taking on too much can disperse your focus and motivation. Stay focused on one change, and follow through. Through your success, you will find the energy and belief in yourself to do anything you set your mind to!

3. Cultivate an attitude of gratitude.

Before January 1st, write a list of everything you are grateful for. You might want to change something, but focus on the many things that you love, and appreciate. A focus on gratitude gives you strength and a love for yourself that makes it easier to change what you find undesirable. Don’t forget to be kind to yourself when you succeed, AND when you fail. “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.”

4. Make a plan.

Create a plan of action to reach your goal. If you want to eat healthier food, you might create a healthier weekly meal plan. Shop when you are feeling full and content, and choose your groceries carefully. Research healthy, easy recipes online, and create action steps for your success. It may be helpful to consult a nutritionist, or enroll friends and family in your plan so they can support you along the way.

5. Recommit to your goal each day.

One of the biggest challenges for maintaining and reaching goals is to remember the goal. It sounds silly, but the human mind is forgetful, easily distracted, and loves to make excuses. Leave a note with your goal by your bedside, and read it twice daily, morning and evening. Ask yourself if you still want this goal, and recommit to it daily. This will keep your goal top of mind throughout your day, and throughout your state of rest.

Ito En Healthy Living Tip for 2013

HEALTH IN A CAN – quick, strong and invigorating

Instead of your usual morning coffee, we recommend SENCHA SHOT, the Japanese equivalent of an espresso shot - highly antioxidant green tea in a can. You’ll find this tasty beverage quick, strong, invigorating and healthy! With 152 millgrams of the powerful tea polyhenol-Catechin,this green tea has depth of flavor, body, and a robust mouthfeel. Even espresso-lovers will become fans. For a milder flavor, try our Oolong Shot.

So let me tell you  about my experience with these green tea shots.  I will be honest.  The first time I drank one, I almost couldn't get it down.  There is no sweetener added, and I am not a fan of tea without sweetener.  The drink did give me energy, but I wasn't sure I ever wanted to try them again.

Well, the joys of being a blogger--I knew I had to!  So I decided this time to mix the tea shot with something else I had on hand.  I happened to have a little fruit-flavored drink packet, and so this is what I did.  I poured the tea shot into a glass, mixed a little water, and added the drink packet.  And guess what!  It was pretty good!  So here is what I recommend.  If you don't like the first taste, mix it with a drink packet or fruit juice, or maybe just add some sweetener.  The tea has good flavor.  It just needs something else, in my opinion.


Website: www.ItoEn.com
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ITO EN is a company, who cares about the environment and social responsibility. They recycle their used tea leaves from production and upcycle them to make park benches, uniforms, pens and more. They work with Whole Foods Non-profit Whole planet to alleviate poverty in the developing worlds, and much more. Link to more information: http://www.itoen.com/responsibility

Promo code for 20% off for my readers only - use promo code: NewU13

Promocode is also good for the Oolong Shot, and the Fiber Shot. All ITO EN Shots here:

https://www.itoen.com/ito-en-shot.html

*Sencha means green tea in Japanese.

https://www.itoen.com/sencha-shot.html


I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Tea's Tea Summer Promo/Giveaway Through Labor Day

Enter on Facebook right now, and you can win a 2012 Hybrid Prius v2.  

Tea's Tea is a company I with whom I have worked before, and they are a great company!  The giveaway is called "Let the Good Times Roll," and it will continue running through September 4, 2012.  Tea's Tea is a product that will quench your thirst without adding loads of calories to it.  You can enter once a day! 

In addition to the much-sought after grand prize, there will also be these other fantastic prizes:

1st Prize: TREK Cruiser Bike
2nd Prize: Winner’s choice of an Otterbox^® case for their mobile device
3rd Prize: Arctic Zone Cooler^™
4th Prize: TEAS’ TEA^® Beach Towel
5th Prize: TEAS’ TEA^® Tote
6th Prize: TEAS’ TEA^® Beverage

I don't know about you, but this sounds like a good deal to me!  Go check it out, and if you win, let me know, okay?

Nothing Gets Between Me and My ITO EN Green Tea Review

I am sure most of us have heard about the benefits of drinking green tea--I know I have.  And I have to admit that green tea is not the easiest thing in the world for me to enjoy and drink.  Tea is one of those things for which I need to be in the mood.  And iced tea is something that really doesn't interest me too much.

I was so pleased to find Tea's Tea.  I got to try two of their flavors:  Blueberry Green tea and Jasmine Green tea.  I love the flavor of both.  I don't like unsweetened tea, but I just added some Splenda to the unsweetened tea, and it was fine.  I preferred the blueberry! It was great!

Now, Tea's Tea is more than just a tea company.  This company cares more about promoting a healthy lifestyle than just having their customers enjoy their tea.  They have teamed up with Beth Shaw and Yoga Fit to promote complete body wellness.  This is something about which I am adamant as well.  I believe that you can be healthy in your body and still not be at peace with who you are.  In order to truly be at peace with who you are, you need to be at peace within your spirit, mind, and body.  This requires you to take time for yourself and for rest.  I did that this morning.  I was so tired last night that I had to go to bed earlier than I wanted to.  I slept better than I had in a while, and I woke up refreshed.  I feel that this morning I am at total peace with who I am.  It has been nice to feel this way because I am one busy person.  And when you add Tea's Green tea drinks to your lifestyle, I think you will find that you even feel better.  

Please check out Tea's Tea on facebook and twitter.  Also, watch out for a giveaway coming up very soon!  

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Teas' Tea Green Tea Review

TEAS' TEA Unsweetened 16.9 oz $1.99
Enjoy the refreshing purity of nature with ITO EN's TEAS' TEA. Made with nothing but purified water, high-quality tea leaves, and vitamin C, TEAS' TEA is meant to revitalize and renew. Available in several varieties, TEAS' TEA is high in antioxidants, unsweetened, and calorie-free. Give your body the very best.
Flavors: Rose Green, Green Jasmine, Golden Oolong, Lemongrass Green, Green White, Mint Green, Pure Green.
TEAS' TEA Low Calorie 16.9 oz $1.99
Purified water, high quality tea leaves, naturally sweetened with a touch of cane sugar. Just 40 calories per serving. Natural "catechin" tea antioxidants. All natural.
Flavors: Blueberry Green, Mango Oolong, Lemon Black.
TEAS' TEA Classic 16.9 oz $1.99  
Flavors: Country Peach, Crisp Apple.

Today, people are looking for a deeper meaning and connection also through their purchases. One way they find this is by purchasing products from companies that are committed to a better planet, and socio-economic betterment - companies that are about more than making money. 

This month ITO EN & Whole Planet Foundation (Whole Foods Market's non-profit initiative), are bringing awareness to the poverty alleviation programs throughout the nation.

ITO EN is one of the original partners with Supplier Alliance for Microcredit to fight poverty around the world. The Supplier Alliance for Microcredit is an alliance of natural foods companies that has collectively pledged $1.05 million to support microlending programs which offer small, collateral-free business loans to the very poor, with a focus on women. With a microcredit loan, an impoverished woman entrepreneur can start or expand a home based business and create the opportunity to lift herself and her family out of poverty.

Socio-economic and planetary betterment is part of ITO EN's DNA from green tea health benefits research, recycling waste, to reuse of the elements if production (such as making vending machines 
and park benches our of recycled tea leaves).  More about ITO EN's sustainability involvement http://www.itoen.com/corporate-social-responsibility-community

VIDEO by Jim Hoagland, ITO EN SVP speaks about ITO EN & the commitment and partnership with Whole Planet Foundation to alleviate poverty.


A Case from Malawi: Salome, A Microcredit Client of MicroLoan Foundation 

Salome, left, is a microcredit client of MicroLoan Foundation in Malawi.  She is a 32 year old mother of six children, two of which are hers and four of which are AIDs orphans she’s adopted. She lives in a one room hut in a rural area, many miles from the nearest town. In the past Salome struggled to feed, clothe and care for her children, and herself. With her microcredit loan her yield per acre has quadrupled, she has been able to purchase fundamental farming tools, she can afford to send all six children to secondary school and she is equipped with essential farming and business skills.  WPF partner MicroLoan Foundation provides her and the other Microcredit clients training, technical advice and financial services in order to become effective local producers and suppliers of agricultural produce.

Salome explains that: “It feels very important, to me, that the MicroVentures project is not simply about giving people money or setting up new businesses. It is about finding people who are working hard to feed their families and making their business more sustainable and more efficient and so helping to create affluent individuals who can in turn provide jobs and incomes for others in their communities. “Look at me” she tells us, “I am happy and the children in my house are happy.”

MicroLoan Foundation is strengthening its agricultural programs in Malawi in partnership with an international fund called FICA, which is helping clients to build relationships with national Malawian food retailers, along with local hotels and restaurants, so they can strengthen their place in the value chain. 

www.itoen.com
www.teastea.com
www.Facebook.com/ITOEN
www.Twitter.com/Ito_En


Indeed this company offers authentic and high-quality green tea products, and they also make a difference in many areas in terms of recycling the tea leaves in their production and working with specialized organizations to alleviate world poverty. 


I feel so privileged to work with such a fantastic company that truly does care about making a difference in this world.  I got to review two of their special tea drinks--unsweetened green tea and low calorie sweetened black tea.  I will tell you that I preferred the low calorie drink the best although it was not quite as sweet as I prefer.  However, after working out, it was perfect!  It really hit the spot.  I had to add splenda to the unsweetened, but if definitely had a good flavor.  I was also sent a reusable shopping tote with their logo.  So I could not complain.


So are you ready to get your own tea drinks?  You can buy Teas' Tea at Whole Foods Market nationwide and also online at www.itoen.com.