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Ecover Dishwasher Tablets

** 25 tablets per box (one tablet per load)

** Plant based ingredients (no petrochemical ingredients)

** No artificial fragrance

** No chemical residue left on dishes

** Safe for septic tanks; safe for river and marine life

** No animal testing

** No phosphates

** No chlorine bleach

** Exceeds legislative biodegradability requirements

I started using these tablets a few years ago as part of our family going more green.  They are fabulous!  We have extremely poor quality well water (high in iron and sulfur) and these do a fantastic job. 

Ecover offers a variety of products - dishwashing, laundry, household, personal care.  They are available in natural foods markets and through online retailers.  Amazon offers a great price (and this item qualifies for free super saver shipping with a qualifying purchase).

My other review from today can be found at This Open Road.

Visit Angela to join the Tuesday Review or for links to participating blogs.

Dr. Bronner's castile soaps ... available in liquid (dilute with water) or bars

* Biodegradable

* Vegetable-based

* Certified organic by Oregon Tilth

* Certified fair trade

* Multiple uses

* No synthetic foaming agents, thickeners, or preservatives

* Several varities ... almond, eucalyptus, baby mild (unscented), peppermint, tea tree, lavender, rose, citrus

We've used these products for a few years now (almond, baby mild, and peppermint ... eucalyptus for bathing our dog) and love them.  They are available at natural foods markets, Vitamin Shoppe, various online retailers, and I recently saw them in Target.  One key reminder for the liquid form ... dilute, dilute, dilute!  Yes, prices are a bit high, but dilution makes it last a long time.

My other review from today can be found here.

Visit Angela to join the Tuesday Review or for links to participating blogs.

We stopped using regular deodorants years ago because they contain ingredients such as aluminum, propylene glycol, parabens, etc.  One product dh has been pleased with is Burt's Bees herbal deodorant. 

The product seems to have undergone a change in formulation and I'm guessing it was about the time the company sold out to Clorox.    The ingredient list is still the same, but the scent/fragrance (in my opinion) is not.  *I* do not care for the new formulation ... dh is okay with it.  The container size also changed ... it went from 6oz. to 4oz., but the price (roughly $7.99) stayed the same. 

Nonetheless, this is still worth giving a try if you are looking for a natural deodorant option.  It's available in natural food markets and through a variety of online sources.

My other review from today can be found here.

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Product: Wallaby organic yogurt

My Rating: Huge, huge, huge *thumbs UP*

I've never been a huge fan of yougurt, but Wallaby has won me over!  My personal favorites are Key Lime (it tastes like Key Lime pie!) and strawberry banana, hubby loves orange passionfruit and maple, and the kids eat pretty much any flavor we set in front of them.  Check out the faq's to learn how Wallaby is different from other yogurts, how it's made, etc.

Just for fun ... wallaby facts (the animal, not the yogurt!)

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Product: Applegate Farms organic chicken & apple sausage

My Rating:  A huge *thumbs DOWN*.

We've always been pleased with Applegate's Natural Sunday Bacon, so I took a leap of faith with the brand and shelled out $6.99 for a pack of organic chicken & apple sausage.  As a one income family, that took a big bite out of our grocery budget, but dh and I had been craving something like this for a couple of years after being well pleased with a similar product made by a different company (a product no longer carried by the natural foods market we shop). 

The taste was okay - nothing to get excited about.  The horror was me biting into a piece of very hard bone about 1 cm long and .5 cm wide in one of the sausages.  The noise from my teeth and the bone crunching together was so loud that my 9yo exclaimed "What was THAT?"  I was immediately and thoroughly grossed out.  Unfortunately, it did chip my tooth.  *sigh*

I emailed the company with my concerns/complaint (leaving out the part about my chipped tooth - didn't want them to think I was trying to take advantage of them) a week ago and I have not heard from them yet!  I provided all the information they requested from the packaging and I fully expected a reply by now, even if it was just a lame "We're so sorry this happened.  Please accept our apologies."  Their lack of response has me even madder.  Customer service is really going down the tubes these days.  As a result of both finding the bone in the food and their lack of response, they need not count on us to purchase any of their products ever again.