1. EarthBall

The EarthBall is inflatable and made from “New…Child Safe Phthalate-Free Material”.  It is 16-inches in diameter, but what makes this ball really cool is that it glows in the dark.  Created with NASA satellite photos, the cities of the world illuminate.  The EarthBall is an amazing visual tool for teaching children about energy consumption, world population, light pollution, etc.  Adults are just as fascinated as children by the EarthBall, and it comes with a Global Handbook including games and information.

Would I buy this product? Yes. It costs $14.00, and it is the best inflatable ball on the market in my opinion. Our EarthBall was a birthday gift from a dear friend.

2.  Green Dragon Natural Roach Kill

This is a product that I have not been able to test, so I will pass on the manufacturer’s claims and my concerns.  I do not have cockroaches, so I don’t know how well this product kills them.  Sometimes I do have ants, but I find that rubbing garlic where they enter the house is enough to deter them during the short season they want to come in.

Each year, Americans use 22 million pounds of insecticides in their homes.  These products are ineffective and dangerous, but they have been the only method of eradicating insect pests.  Until now…

Green Dragon’s Insect Bait is manufactured using natural compounds that are environmentally-friendly and less toxic to people, children and pets than insecticides used by other companies, and most importantly:  IT Works!  One treatment with Green Dragon’s Insect Bait is enough to eradicate roaches, ants & silverfish for up to 6 months…

Green Dragon’s Insect Bait is scientifically formulated with a blend of five all-natural attractants, agents to prevent running and slow drying, and the proven efficacy of 40% boric acid.

Even though this product claims to be all natural, it comes with plenty of warnings on the label.  It is not recommended to be used on surfaces that come into contact with food, such as counters, so it definitely is not benign.   The product clearly comes labeled “CAUTION:   KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN”, but the website is adorned with pictures of kids and families.

Would I buy this product? No.  I suppose if I had a really bad roach or ant problem, I would resort to Green Dragon over the more commercial toxic brands, but just because something is natural, does not mean that it is non-toxic.  The warnings on the package are enough to scare me away.

3. Bluebird Musical Tower

This wooden toy is a really cool concept. Kids love exploring the sounds of marbles falling on wooden parts with the help of gravity.

Feed the bluebird a marble and she’ll sing for you. Align the 30 wooden “leaves” in rows on the tree tower, and the marble will bounce down, striking every leaf as though it were a note on the musical scale.

Every cascade creates a different tune. The bright and colorful tower includes 10 wooden marbles and 10 glass marbles that add to the different tones.

I have seen this toy in catalogues and wanted it, so when it went on sale, I jumped on ordering it. Unfortunately, we have never been able to get it to work right and have owned it for two years.  The marbles bounce out of the tower and never reach the bottom, no matter how I adjust the wooden leaves.  The kids still love to play with it, but it does nothing but frustrate me.

Would I buy this product? No.  Even on sale at $40, it is not worth it because it does not come already assembled to work perfectly.  I really should have returned the one I bought.

4. Sweet Spud Organic Enlightened Baby Clothing

When I first opened our package by Sweet Spud, I was struck how soft the fabric felt.

Sweet Spud creates refreshing organic baby apparel that enlightens the spirit. One positive message at a time, tiny tots are inspiring the world in our debut line of adorable, natural baby wear. Featuring infant bodysuits, yoga style pants and knot caps, our “spuds” are super comfy and safe for your baby. Made without pesticides, harmful dyes or heavy metals, Sweet Spud uses only the purest, softest certified U.S. organic cotton for your baby’s delicate skin and sensitive respiratory system. Consciously made in the U.S.A., we are sweatshop-free and earth-friendly.

From soil to shelf, our products are true to the Earth.

I love the little onesie we received has a quote on it from Mahatma Gandhi, “My life is my message.”   This baby clothing is 100% Certified U.S. Organic Cotton and made in the U.S.A. 

Would I buy this product? Maybe.  Although I absolutely adore this clothing and it’s enlightened messages, I think it is overpriced at $26 for a little onesie.  I do think the organic knot cap is affordable at $13 though.

5.  Peeled Snacks at Abe’s Market

My kids love dried fruit.  We dry a lot of pears and tomatoes from our garden, but we don’t put up the plethora of flavors available by Peeled Snacks.

In New York City in 2004, Noha Waibsnaider founded Peeled Snacks when she noticed that something was missing in the snack market. You could get processed potato chips, sugar-filled candy, or energy bars with mysterious ingredients, but you couldn’t get something that made you feel good about snacking. So she set about to fix that problem. Her solution? Tasty and nourishing snack mixes that are now Peeled Snacks.

Peeled Snacks comes in many flavors. From Plu-what? to Bing Bing Cherry, there is a taste to please every member of your family.  My concerns with this snack is that it contains sulfur dioxide and potassium sorbate to “ensure freshness”, and it is not organic.

To go organic, or NOT to go organic. Organic is obviously important, though when we were deciding whether or not to go organic, we weren’t sure that people were willing to pay the extra cost for products just because they are grown more sustainably. Also, some of the farmers we work with told us that they have been doing things the same way for generations, and they weren’t about to change in order to get the organic certification. Luckily, since we made the decision to go organic, organic food has grown by leaps and bounds, making sustainable products more available to everyone and many of those farmers have benefited from it.

Would I buy this product? No.  I just can’t get past the food additives and response to not going organic.

Disclosure: The products described above were sent to us as free samples, unless noted differently in the review. Prior assurances as to the nature of the reviews, whether positive or negative, were not given. No financial payments were accepted in exchange for the reviews. The reviews reflect our honest, authentic opinions.