1. Children’s Stir-Fry Garden plus Free Access to an Interactive Gardening Website

Growums are little kits for that make it easy for children to have their own little gardens. The two kits we received are for a stir fry and herb garden.

“Hello, there! I’m Brok Lee. You might recognize me as the handsome vegetable found in many famous foods. My performance in the Growums Stir-Fry Garden is especially fantastic! My co-stars Bok Choy, Carin the carrot, and Sugar Snap & Sweet Pea can put on an award-worthy garden show for you. But eating healthy foods is no act! When you grow and eat vitamin-packed vegetables like us, you can perform your best, too!”

Although a seed pack costs less than these kits, my children always seem to fall for such marketing. I, on the other hand, get annoyed with cartoon characters of plants, as found on the website.  For some kids, they need such silliness to get them interested in growing their own gardens.

The Growums kits come with seeds and coco pellets.  I would rather my children learn to plant seeds in soil, as I have taught them.  Gardening is easy. Growing food is easy.  Kits may make them seem easy for children, but why not learn how to grow food in reality from the get go?

Would I buy this product? No.  I’d rather just give my children seeds and their own section of the garden. They don’t need an interactive website to learn about growing food. In fact, we head into the garden to simplify our lives and get away from technology.

2.  G Oil Green Car Products

Sometimes we review products that may not seem so directed at children, but they are part of green family life. Green Earth Technologies G Oil products are for the family car, a somewhat necessity in most people’s lives that is not so easy to green, especially if you have a large family that can’t squeeze into a Prius or Smart Car.

We were sent several Green Earth Technologies products to try:

G Clean Car Wash: This product is designed for pressure washers. It contains dissolvable biodegradable pouches that are biodegradable. “G-CLEAN pouches are made from American-grown plant base oils and put the power of nanotechnology into your pressure washer without harming the environment, including ground water.”

Green Earth Technologies G-Oil 5W-30 Green Motor Oil:

Change your oil, change the world with Environment Safe, ULTIMATE BIODEGRADABLE* G-OIL® GREEN Motor Oil, the world’s first and only American Petroleum Institute’s (API) “SM” Certified bio-based motor oil. We blend nature’s American grown base oils (domestically sourced beef tallow) with nanotechnology to provide superior performance protection during the maximum oil change intervals recommended by vehicle manufactures while meeting or exceeding requirements.

Green Earth Technologies Organic Glass Cleaner:

G-CLEAN™ Organic Glass Cleaner is a unique organic formula that creates ultra sparkling clean glass, including windshields, mirrors and windows. G-GLASS keeps surfaces cleaner much longer than other products by creating an invisible anti-static residue that reduces future dust and dirt buildup.

G-OIL® 4-Cycle GREEN Engine Oil:

All natural and environmentally safe, G-OIL 4-Cycle GREEN Engine Oil is the GREEN SOLUTION for all 4-Cycle air-cooled engines, including lawn and garden equipment, small tractors, log splitters, compressors, steam cleaners, pressure washers, pumps and generators, that require 10W-30 engine oils…satisfaction guaranteed!

Green Earth Technologies G Oil 2-Cycle Engine Oil:

• Ultimate protection for all air cooled 2 cycle engines
• No smoke
• Will not harm the equipment operator
• 365 degree F flash point
• Superior Performance and Ultimate Biodegradable

All bottles are recyclable, and all products are grown and made in the USA.

Would I buy these products? Some yes, some no. I am a simple cleaner, even when it comes to the car. Basic dish soap or vinegar with water.  Firing up a pressure washer to wash my car also is not very eco-friendly, considering the gas it takes to run the noisy thing. I’m also afraid of nanotechnology. The engine oil seems like a good thing, but I don’t change my own oil anymore. I suppose I would support a shop that used this oil over one that did not. Also not sure why the glass cleaner is organic. There isn’t an ingredient list, and it hints at marketing to me. I would buy the 4-cycle and 2-cycle oils for our lawn and garden equipment.

3. BornFree – Active Flow Eco Deco Baby Bottle and BornFree Born Free Twist n Pop BPA Free Straw Cup

Born Free has been the standard for BPA-free plastics since before it was well known this hormone disrupting chemical was so bad for us. Not only does Born Free offer safer plastics, you can return your used bottles and cups for recycling to Born Free.
BornFree – Active Flow Eco Deco Baby Bottle:

The free flow silicone air valve incorporated into the BornFree® Venting System breathes together with your feeding baby and starts a steady flow of liquid only when your baby suckles, just like breastfeeding.

ActiveFlow™, where babies control their own flow of milk, makes for a comfortable and easy feed for both of you while combining naturally with breastfeeding.

BornFree Born Free Twist n Pop BPA Free Straw Cup

• Pop-up soft silicone straw
• Child-friendly, comfortable drinking
• Twist straw mechanism
• Keeps straw clean and reduces spills
• Ergonomic design
• Easy for child to grip and hold
• Removable parts
• Easy to take apart and clean
• Top Rack Dishwasher safe

Would I buy these products? No, I don’t trust plastic, BPA-free or not, and if alternatives exist, I will always choose them.  I trust Born Free for their long standing commitment to BPA-free, but I think Lifefactory Glass Baby Bottle with Silicone Sleeve is a safer option.

4. Natural Edition Bumbleride 2011 Indie 3 Wheel All Terrain Stroller with 12″ Wheels

Since I live in the mountains, I had to have a serious stroller to handle the dirt roads and trails we walked.  I had a jogging stroller made by Trek, but the front wheel did not swivel requiring a large turning radius that was not so practical when I did take it into town.  Bumbleride has the problem solved with their all terrain Indie model:

• Bumbleride Indie is suitable for infancy and up with standard infant headrest and shoulder pads, multi-use infant seat adapter/bumper bar and safety strap, jogging strap and cup holder

• 12″ air inflated tires with 360° swivel front wheel with inline locking option for light jogging

• Multi-adjustable handle height, backrest and footrest with flat position for sleeping babies

• Oversized canopy with SPF 45 UV lining for maximum sun coverage

• Lightweight, anodized aluminum frame construction with an easy, compact fold and spacious cargo basket

Derek of Natural Papa wrote a great review of this stroller:

The Bumbleride is the Mercedes of strollers.

There, I said it.

We pushed this thing, fully loaded with a kid and all the assorted kid gear we could cram into it, up hills and over grass, through dirt and gravel and nuclear waste (ok, I’m stretching it a bit here), and it performed with extreme awesomeness. Yup, awesomeness.

Furthermore, the fabrics are made from recycled content and bamboo!

Would I buy this product? If I needed a new stroller yes, but I could never, ever afford the price tag ($490).  I once bought a car for that price!  The best thing to do for the planet and your budget is to get a used stroller.  You can often find them on craigslist or from a friend.  You can even barter a work trade or something, instead of dishing out the big bucks…but if you want a Mercedes…

5.  SmartKlean Laundry Ball

If you have a family, you do a lot of laundry! That’s a lot of detergent, and most commercial laundry products are very, very bad for our environment and for your skin. My son has very sensitive skin, and I always have to use natural laundry products or he gets a rash.

Laundry balls offer an alternative to soap or detergent. SmartKlean’s lasts for 365 washes!

• Innovative. Delivers an effective, toxic-free wash without the use of soap or detergent.
• Earth-Friendly, People-Friendly. Derived from earth minerals, its active components are formulated to leave no residues behind in the water or fabrics, making it 100% safe for people of all ages and the environment. Ideal for sensitive skin and eczema. Recyclable, BPA & PVC-free.
• Super Economic. Its full power lasts up to 365 washes or more! Additionally, without any foam or residues, it requires no rinse cycle, saving ‘loads’ of water & energy!
• Healthy for your wardrobe. It naturally maintains the softness, elasticity and color of the fabrics. In comparison to laundry detergent, your clothes and linens will last much longer. No remaining chemicals on clothes means no fabric softeners or dryer sheets are necessary!
• Easy to use. Just toss it in the washer with your laundry! Compatible with all washing machines.

Would I buy this product? Yes. Not only does it save money on laundry soap, it also saves time. The laundry lady in my house never seems to reach the end of the pile. Now if SmartKlean could invent a ball to fold and put away the laundry.

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.