Review : Neela Bags

I love using my reusable bags when I go shopping. I've had them around for a year or more and find them so convenient - even when garage sale-ing and going to farmers markets! But the ones I have and normally see in the grocery stores are all boring store colors with the supermarket name plastered on it. Like mine. They're blue and all say Meijer. And you know...sometimes I just don't feel like advertising for stores. And sometimes I need a bit of flavor in my life.

Enter Neela Bags.

When I first opened the package I was really unimpressed by the size of the bag. I mean, it was about as big as a lunch tote. Seriously? But as I started to check it out, I actually opened it up. Yea. There were actually FIVE bags, folded up inside it. That makes sense. Duh.

So the sent me the Market Pack, which is really cool. One smaller bag (that could totally double as a lunch tote) hold 5 grocery sized bags all rolled up and neat like.So yesterday I went out shopping at our local Natural/Bulk food store and decided to bring these along. For one, the fact that they fold up so small and have a separate carrying case was awesome. Because I go out shopping with a toddler and an infant and all their stuff plus my purse. Sometimes the extra bags just get in the way. This time I just pushed them into the diaper bag.

I was a bit concerned when I took them out of the bag to start loading groceries into them. Since they do fold up so small, they don't have that plastic bottom piece in them and I was worried it might not be sturdy enough once I got all my stuff in them. And I had stuff! Multiple 5 pound bags of stuff!

But they did a great job of holding it all together! No sagging and they were very sturdy! I think there was about 15 pounds or more in each one by the time I finished loading them.And all of this was packed in them:
And all of those bags on the table were at least 5 pounds a piece. Plus the jars and what not.

So when all was said and done, I really liked these bags. They performed much better than I expected and because they're so cute and compactable, they'll be my first choice form when I head out shopping!

And it's such a great and easy way to be a bit more environmentally thoughtful. Using and wasting those plastic bags that only hold a few items, is not only bad for the environment, but such a pain as well. I can normally put 3x more in reusable bags, than I can in plastic bags from the store. As an added benefit, I can also put these over my shoulder, which means less trips out to the car brining my groceries in!

Need some yourself? Head on over to Neela Bags and check them out. They have all sorts of super chic colors and styles to choose from. And thanks to MomFuse for setting up the review for me!

Review : Eco Touch Waterless Car Wash

I'm all about having a clean car. But I'm not all about the chemical washes we use to clean them. Now, we don't frequent the actual car washes, my hubby washes our vehicles at home. So any cleaners we use get rinsed off and into our own land. But the Eco Touch Waterless Car Wash is supposed to end all the rinsing. In fact, they claim you use no water at all. I was a bit intrigued.

But when I opened the box, I was a bit worried. See, all you do is take the spray bottle and spray your car and the microfiber cloth, wipe off the dirt, and use another cloth to shine. Hmmmm.

So I tried it on my van. It's been awhile since it's been washed. And we live way out in the country. I travel dirt roads. Spray and wipe, really?

Well, it does work. But it took a long time. Cause I have real dirt on my van, not just road grime and rain spots. And the 2 cloths they sent me got dirty pretty quick. But it does work!

And my husband has since taken this from me to use on his motorcycle. Which will be actually be nice, because it does sit in the garage most of the time and he only rides it on sunny days. So it doesn't really get dirty, it gets dusty. So this spray and wipe will not only save us water (and electricity from the well pump) but we won't have to rinse off yucky cleaners that get into our lawn. And the whole bottle should last the rest of the summer for just the bike!

So if you're environmentally conscience check out Eco Touch! They sell a variety of eco friendly car supplies like dash cleaners, upholstery cleaners, and metal polishes. And thanks to MomFuse and Eco Touch for letting me give it a try!

Review : Laundry Detergent

Seems fitting that I post a review for an eco product today, right? (And if you didn't know, today is Earth Day!)

I was recently sent Eco-Stores plant and mineral based Front Loader Laundry Powder. And while I have been happy with both the store bought natural stuff, and the homemade stuff I have, I like that this can be found at the grocery store I shop at most. Meijer. So many times I've run out and just want to pick it up while I'm getting my groceries. Because getting in and out of stores with a toddler isn't that much fun. And now we have the baby along too! So right from the start, this gets a big thumbs up from me.

Now this laundry powder does contain some chemicals, but they have left out the nasty ones I'm most concerned with; like petrochemicals, synthetic dyes and perfumes, parabens, sodium lauryl sulfate, and chlorine.

Ingredients

• Palm and coconut based non-ionic and anionic surfactants
• Silicates and carbonates (simple mineral salts)
• Citrates (from citrus)
• Cellulose (plant based)
• Sodium percarbonate (oxygen producing whitener)
• Natural Lemon Verbena Oil

And does it work? Yup. It works quite well. I started a load of towels, then my clothes, and then Todd's work clothes. (and his work clothes get pretty nasty and greasy some days!) Each load came out cleaner than when it went in and I was pleased that the strong lemony smell didn't carry over that much after they were dried. Don't get me wrong, I love a good lemon scent! But when you sniff into the box, it seems a bit overwhelming. But it doesn't stay that way, so be rest assured people won't smell you coming before they see you!

And not only does this detergent keep some pretty crazy chemicals off our clothes (and our kids!) but the waste water from the wash is also a bit healthier for our planet!

Green Lemonaide

A while back I decided to start living a little "greener". For three main reasons; for my health, for my pocketbook, and to help save just a little bit of our natural resources. The green products I buy must do at least one of these things, preferably more! And I love when I find companies that help with all three!

Green Lemonaide offers "toolkits", also known as eco-friendly gift baskets. They sell both a "Getting Started" Kit as well as a "Do More" kit. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity through Mom Fuse to review the "Do More kit"!

Everything in this kit is practical and usable!

• Reusable Tote - A great way to bring your groceries home! This bag not only holds more than the average plastic or paper bag, but it's much easier to carry with the straps that I can swing over my shoulder. Saves all those plastic bags from the landfill where they take forever to break down.
  
• Smart Strip Surge Protector - A great way to help save a little bit of money when your appliances are turned off. (We put ours on our t.v. system)
  
• Sigg Water Bottle - Not only does stainless steel not leach toxins into your water, this has saved us money since we take it with us in the car and no longer have to buy a beverage while we're out.
  
• Cotton Cloth Napkins(4) - We rarely use paper towels anymore since I switched over to using only kitchen towels for cleanup, but we still used them for our own hands at the dinner table. These have come in handy many times during messy dinners!
  
• Mrs. Meyers Surface Scrub - A cleaning scrub that is not only better for the environment, it actually works!
  
• Tire Pressure Gauge - Saving money on gas is always on my mind, even now that the prices are half what they were last summer. This gauge will not only help us save a few gallons of gas here and there, but it will also help us keep out tires properly inflated so as to not wear them out to soon.
  
• Sink Aerators(2) - I tend to leave the water running when I brush my teeth. Not good, I know, but these little sink aerators will help me use less water when I do forget to turn off the water!
  
• Fluorescent Light Bulb(2) - A great way to save on your electric bill, especially if you have a room where the lights stay on for a good part of the day.
  
• Shower Timer - So hard for me to use, but it's been a great way to realize how long I've actually been in the shower. And this five minute timer would be great for big families who have to share a bath too!
  
• Spike Business Bags - Cleaning up after a dog is no fun. No fun at all. Most of the time the waste goes into a plastic bag that takes centuries to break down, but these bags are made from corn and degrade in about 45 days. So no more poo filled bags in the landfill!

If you yourself are on your way to living a little bit more eco-friendly, these kits are great! And if you're not into all this eco stuff, they'd make a great gift for that "crazy, green" person in your life, or even as a bridal shower/home warming gift!

This kit is definitely something I love!