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.

Happy Fall Y'All Giveaway (ends 10/3) U.S.

Welcome to the "Happy Fall Y'all" Giveaway Hop! Brought to you by Super Events Media & Social Marketing Mom! This event runs from 12:01am September 19th till 11:59pm on October 3rd. At the bottom of this post you will find links to all of the participating blogs where you can enter to win a fun fall related prize with a value over $25! This super cool giveaway is hosted by Full Price? Never! & MyCraftyLife!

I have a fantastic giveaway for my U.S. readers!

KidsLac package

$25 gift certificate to Goat's Milk Stuff

CharmStrands Item

 The prize for girls will be a Charm Hair Extension with their choice of charms and the prize for boys will be a back to school Zipper Pull with their choice of charms.

Two Leaves Tea Company Prize Package

The sponsor agreed to giveaway another tea package, so if you missed out before, try again!  Notice the discount code below.

The code is Devotional, and it's good for 20 percent off any purchase of Paisley Tea Co. on our website. It's good through Sept. 31, 2012.

Giveaway is open to U.S. and will end October 3 at 9 P.M. Pacific time.  Enter on the rafflecopter below.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don't forget to stop by these other awesome blogs & enter to win their great prizes too!

Two Leaves Tea Company Review

As fall is coming upon us, soon the cold weather will return, and it will be time to think about hot drinks, warm blankets, and fireplaces.  If it still looks like summer outside, you may not be ready to think about this time, but it will be here before we know it.

While I like coffee and hot chocolate, there are many nights when nothing sounds better than a cup of tea.  I wasn't always a tea drinker.  My friend from England is the one who got me hooked.  And I will tell you that I am discriminating about the tea I drink.  Not all teas are created equal.

In 2005, a new tea company was born.  The founder of Two Leaves Tea company looked high and low for good tea, and he found it in China, Sri Lanka, and Japan.  He went to these countries and developed relationships with tea growers.  His company is committed to bringing its customers only the finest whole-leaf tea to his customers.  And this company has been the recipient of several prestigious awards to recognize their amazing tea.

I was sent two very special teas to review.


This was the first tea I reviewed--

Paisley Tea Co. Organic English Breakfast

I have tried several different "English Breakfast Teas" in the course of my life, but I am usually disappointed.  From the moment I drank this, I was hooked!  The flavor was strong and satisfying.  It is by far the best of this variety that I have tried, and it almost rivals the good quality tea I have had in England.

I also tried this tea:

Paisley Tea Co. Organic Decaf English Breakfast Tea

I honestly could not tell any real difference in flavors between this and the regular.  Sometimes decaf does not taste as good, but this was not the case.  It may have been a bit milder, but it was still very good.

For anyone who likes tea, this is definitely a company to investigate.  They even have a reward program that gives you points for various tasks on their site!  For those of you who prefer iced tea, tea gifts, loose tea, and more, you will be sure to find something for you and/or a friend.  So I strongly recommend you visit their site today before the cold weather comes!

Once you visit their site, you will want to be sure to follow them on facebook and twitter to keep up with all their products and deals!  Oh, and be sure to watch out for a giveaway coming up soon!

I was sent products from Two Leaves Tea Company in exchange for my honest review.  I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.

12 Days of Christmas in July Giveaway Hop (Ends 7/31) U.S.

Are you thinking about Christmas yet?  I know I sure am.  And giveaways like this are just the thing to get me in the spirit.  Read on for information! 

12 Days of Christmas in July Giveaway Hop hosted by GoingCrazy!! WannaGo??!! and Planet Weidknecht!! This giveaway hop is open from July 20th to 31st.

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 I have two fantastic items that I am being privileged to give away to you, my wonderful readers.

Okay, what says Christmas more than a rum cake?  Not your first thought?  Well, it should be!  Tortuga Rum Cake Company is a company that offers all sorts of special treats made with the finest rum from the Cayman Islands.  They have kept their standard of excellence for 25 years, and I am sure they plan to continue their fine tradition for the next 25 years or more.  They continue to expand their variety of specialty foods, but you just can't beat their rum cakes!  I had heard about them for a while, and I always wondered if they were as good as people claimed they were.

Well, my mom and I got a chance to try two of their mini cakes for ourselves, and I was quite pleased from the beginning.  Each cake was packaged neatly as you see here:

Also, each cake was sealed in plastic to keep its freshness.  We got to try the key lime cake and the original cake.  As I opened each cake, I was amazed at how moist each one was.  I first tried the key lime, and I enjoyed it quite a bit, but nothing could beat the original!  My mom agreed.  These cakes are incredibly moist and taste really good!

My mom wanted to know about these cakes because she thinks (as do I) that they would make a really good gift for someone.  I told her about the site, shared with her the images and prices, and I told her about signing up for the newsletter.  This company is almost always having some kind of sale!

Be sure to like them on facebook and follow them on twitter!

If you have followed my blog for a while now, you have heard about Tea's Tea.  This is a company that absolutely has the best bottled iced tea I have ever had, but they are so much more than that.    They are a part of a bigger company that sells more than just bottled iced tea:  ITO EN.

Do you know about the health benefits of tea, especially green tea?  I know it's often in the news, but sometimes we hear something like that, and it means nothing to us.  Green tea is a superfood.  It is something that you can drink iced on a hot day or hot on a cold night.  Water sometimes just does not hit the spot.  And coffee can make you jittery if you drink too much.  But green tea has nothing but health benefits for you.

I was not aware of the all the health benefits that green tea provides.  It comes from the Camellia sinensis plant, and the list of health benefits continues to grow.  It helps prevent tooth decay, heat disease, cholesterol, body fat, and so much more.  Just check out the nice long list here.  Is it any wonder that green tea was voted the Superfood of 2012?

Adding green tea into your diet is much easier than you night think.  In addition to drinking it (hot or cold), you can actually steam rice in jasmine green tea.  I never thought of doing that. I think I just may have to try that some time.

Now, of course, you want to know about the specific products I reviewed.  I was sent two bottles of Tea's Tea:  unsweetened mint green tea and blueberry green tea.  I will be honest and tell you that I had to add sweetener to the unsweetened tea, but the blueberry green tea was absolutely fantastic!  The flavors are always just right, and I find that this tea quenches my thirst often more than just plain water.  I was also sent a very nice large Tea's Tea tote bag.  It is well-made and perfect for trips to the grocery store or wherever you may go.  

About TEAS’ TEA: Naturally brewed green tea infusion with peppermint leaves, rose petals, jasmine buds and so forth to create our 15 flavors of delicious green tea. Retails at $1.99 per bottle and sold nationwide in natural and conventional grocery stores like Whole Foods Market, Safeway and online at www.ITOEN.com and Amazon.

You will want to like Tea's Tea on facebook and follow them on twitter.  You never know when they might offer a special contest or deal, and you don't want to miss it!

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.

Now on to the giveaway!  One of my U.S. readers will get everything they need to have a great Christmas celebration in July.  One reader will receive one 33 oz. rum cake (I'm jealous!) and the same prize pack I received from Tea's Tea--2 bottles of tea and a tote bag.  Good thing the tea is iced since we're in the middle of summer, eh?

All you need to do is enter the rafflecopter below by July 31 9:00 P.M. Pacific time, and you are in to win!

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now Hop over to the other blogs and enter their giveaways!!

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?

Healthy Coffee from ecoffee shop (tea too!)

I will admit right here and now that I was not always a coffee drinker.  I wouldn't drink tea either.  I couldn't stand the flavor, and even when my husband begged me to have a cup of coffee with him, the best I could do was have a hot chocolate.  No coffee or tea--end of story.


At some point, my friend from England sent me coffee and tea to try, and I actually began to like them.  But I was still not hooked.  As I look back on how my coffee habit began, I really can't recall exactly when I began drinking coffee regularly.  My mom got me hooked, and now I struggle ig I go without my morning coffee (not to mention my afternoon and evening!).  Once in a while, I will still have my tea when I want something a little bit different.


I am always looking for new coffee to try, and I think I happened on a fantastic site--ecoffee shop.  If you cannot find the kind of coffee you like on their site (they sell tea, too), then I would venture to say that you will not find it elsewhere either.  


Organo Gold is their brand of coffee that comes in a variety of strengths and flavors.  Everything from dark to mocha to light can be found on their site.  So be sure to go and check out all of their organo gold coffee.  You are bound to find something that will appeal to you and the other coffee lovers in your life.


Maybe you are a tea connoisseur instead.  If that is the case, do not despair. They have some great Green Tea varieties.  I am sure that the pickiest tea drinker you know can find something that sounds good to him or her.


So the next time you get ready to buy coffee, be sure to try out ecoffee shop.  Don't buy the stuff that truly does your body no good.  Check out coffee and tea that are actually good for you.  This coffee uses higher quality beans for a smoother, less acidic taste.  You will also get natural energy from the added ingredient known as Ganoderma which contains over 150 anitoxidants.  Though the coffee is lower in caffeine, this added energy will give you just the energy boost you need.


This sponsored post is brought to you by ecoffee shop in cooperation with Sponsored Reviews.  I was financially compensated for this promotional post.

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.