A Little Piece of Earth – Book Review
I received the following book in exchange for writing a review. While I consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, my review is my honest opinion and thoughts of the book. This review was originally written and published at AlternativeConsumer.com
A Little Piece of Earth – how to grow your own food in small spaces
A Little Piece of Earth is a short book written by Maria Finn. As the title of this post indicates, it is a book about how to grow your own food in small spaces. No space is too small. As we have learned 2.5 acres is enough land to feed 100 people and to make a living on. So there is no reason why people in urban and suburban areas cannot grow enough for 2-4 people in their backyards with a little bit of creativity. This is what Ms. Finn shares in her book, along with little stories about the people she’s helped with her gardening experience.
From roof tops and window sills to indoor gardening, Maria Finn provides the beginner and veteran gardener plenty of food for thought.
Such as this line, “Edible gardens not only provide food, but also connections – to the earth, to the past, to the culture and to one another.”
And this a funny tip: A raccoon deterrent is an Oreo cookie with a jalapeño pepper inside! Can you believe that? She also said that aphids do not like hot peppers so grow a few extra to keep them at bay.
Another idea was to grow a grapevine privacy wall between you and a nosey neighbor, which seemed not only a neighbor/privacy solution but a way to grow grapes in a small backyard too.
I loved her section on children’s gardens, like using the Weeping Plum tree as a reading/tea party nook or the Pink Jasmine Tepee that would be more cost effective than many of the commercial tepees on the toy market and would smell a whole lot prettier too!
This book supplied me with enough intriguing information on multitiered worm composters, yummy recipes to try, different kinds of heirloom plants, garden design ideas, precious space saving techniques and even seed saving tips to make me want to study each of these subjects in more depth. After all, this little book is more of a quick study/pocket reference book with only 212 pages in its 8”x 5” covers. I would definitely recommend it to those wanting to use their space more wisely.
Editor’s Note: One thing I did not mention in my original review was the fact that there were a couple of little things that I think the author would have been better off leaving out, but overall this book is very useful to gardeners just beginning or to those looking to save space.
Shampoo and Conditioner from Tonic
I received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While I consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, my review is my honest opinion and thoughts of the product.
Editor’s Note: I wanted to be sure and add that Tonic’s website does not have the most modest photos of their models that’s why I have not included a link to their site.
Tonic Hair Care Solutions includes sulfate & paraben-free hair care products. (See the resource links at the bottom of this post, if you are not familiar with the toxicity of ingredients in personal care products.) My daughter says that the ingredients are better than the VO5 we have. Nor were they tested on animals. So these products are partially environmentally friendly. They did a comparable job in cleaning my hair, leaving it soft and shiny. So far I haven’t seen any noticeable differences yet, but perhaps as time goes on some will appear over long term use. I really do like the spray and leave in conditioner though. It is so convenient. Pricey though.
Two is Better than One: The Chronic Tonic
Shampoo Ingredients: Aqua, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Sodium Cocyl Isettthionate, Sodium Chloride, PEG-3 Distearate, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Guar Hydropropyltrimonium Chloride, Citric Acid, Disodium, Methylchloroisthianzolinone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Butylene Glycol, Sunflower Seed Extract, Hydrolyzed Protein, Absrobic Acid and Panthenol.
Conditioner Ingredients: Aqua, Cetearyl Alcohol, Centromium Chloride, Dimethicone, Silicone, PEG-33 Dimethicone PEG-14 Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin Panthenol, Sweet Almond Oil, Vegetable Oil, Isoporoyl Palmitate, Citric Acid, Bezophenone – 4, Disodium EDTA, Ritinyl Palmitate, Butylene Glycol, Sunflower See Extract, Polyamide – 2, Absrobic Acid and Tocopheryl Acetate.
Luster Tonic
Luster Tonic is a leave-in conditioning mist with powerful UV-inhibitors and natural botanical oils designed to protect hair from the damaging effects of sun, salt, wind and chlorine. Tonic’s unique cream-to-mist technology can double as a luxurious moisturizer that re-hydrates. It contains aloe vera, grape seed oil and wheat protein, for added volume and protection. Luster Tonic is the answer to split ends, breakage and dry, tangled hair. Price: $14
Ingredients: Water, Propylene Glycol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cyclomethicone, Amodimethicone, Centrimonium Chloride, Trideceth-12, Idohexadecane, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexlglycerin, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, KMDM Hydantoin, Hydrolyzed Silk, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein.
His & Hers: Threesome Tonic
Threesome Tonic is an innovative all-in-one unisex solution for the active guy or girl looking to get rid of a little extra baggage: a high
performance shampoo, conditioner and body wash in one convenient bottle. Infused with natural peppermint and tea tree oils to create nice smelling hair. Threesome Tonic replenishes moisture to tired hair and skin worn by the elements. Price: $12
Ingredients: Ingredients: Aqua, Sodium C14-16 Olefin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Ammononium Lauryl, Cocamide DEA, Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate, Amodimethicone, Trideceth-12, Centrimonium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycol Stearate, Castor Oil, PEG-15 Distearate, Potassium Sorbate, Menthol, Peppermint Oil, Citric Acid, Tea Tree Oil, Hydrolyzed Silk.
For more information on Tonic hair products, please visit www.TonicShop.com
Resources:
Check out ingredients of personal care products to see what their toxicity is
http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/04/24/epstein-interview.aspx
The Spoils of Eden
This review is done in cooperation with The CWAHM Blogging Team that I am a part of. I did receive free products, but that in no way affects my review.
I really liked The Spoils of Eden. It is a Christian book. It was filled with historical facts (late 1800s) about the island of Hawaii. It also had an intricate story line of the conflicts between and within two wealthy Hawaiian families, some of whom are Christians and others who are not. The Spoils of Eden is a historical romance, so there is a complicated romance within its covers too. There is an interesting twist with the main character of the story, Eden Derrington, her purpose and focus on helping her father find a cure for leprosy.
Eden Derrington is a sweet Christian character. I admired her committment to Christ and how she boldly shared her faith and made tough decisions amidst her desire to please her absentee father and find her mother.
There are a lot of characters in this story, so it does require your attention at first so you can make the connections between the relationships within the book. If you want to understand the historical facts shared within this book, then I don’t recommend that you read it in a hurry because those facts will be blurred by your speed reading!
The Spoils of Eden is Book One in Linda Chaikin’s new series called The Dawn of Hawaii, therefore the story of Eden Derrington did not end with this book, but will continue in the next book of the series. That’s what’s hard after you read the first book – waiting to find out what happens!
This review may also appear athttp://radiantlit.com/
Set Apart DVD
We requested the movie Set Apart from our library via interlibrary loan. We had read a description of it in the CBD catalog and were intrigued.
Set Apart is about a ministry reaching out to inner city kids who are being tempted all around by negative influences. Four of those kids get an opportunity to escape to the country side to see what life on a ranch is like.
Friendship, trust, action, excitement, comedy make up this poignant drama. It may be a little scary in parts for little ones, so parents be advised you may wish to view it first so you can properly prepare them.
We really enjoyed it as a family, so wanted to be sure to mention it as another family-friendly movie.
A Funny Story about the Spring Tulips
There is a funny little story behind our spring tulips from our Wordless Wednesday photo which we think are beautiful signs of spring.
Several years ago I had the children help me plant tulip bulbs in the fall of that particular year. However, I neglected to instruct or inspect their work before they covered the bulbs up. It took these tulips forever to come up and for couple of years all we had was the green leafy part of the tulips. Then this year we actually had four or five tulips total, so we were excited!
We figure some of our tulips could be half way around the world now trying to find their way to sunlight since they were probably planted upside down!
Meatless Meatballs from Veggie Patch
I received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While I consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, my review is my honest opinion and thoughts of the product.
We were sent two coupons to try the Meatless Meatballs from Veggie Patch, which we did last weekend. We really liked them. They were very good and made a very easy tasty meal. There were no complaints from anyone and the children ate them without any problems. Another interesting thing is that we could not tell they were not meatless!
I get concerned when I read labels and find “natural flavors” and “carmel color” because those terms have been known to mask MSG. And the package of these meatless meatballs contains these two ingredients. However, my oldest daughter informed me that there is a non-GMO caramel color being used now (since 2004 according to my research) and Veggie Patch does use non-GMO soybeans, so there is hope with this product. I saw no where on the Veggie Patch packaging that this product certified organic, so it is pretty safe to assume it is not organic.
Take a look at the ingredients listed on the package: Textured Vegetable Protein (Water, Soy Protein Isolate and Concentrate, Wheat Gluten, Wheat Starch), Carrots, Soybean Oil, Egg Whites, Contains Less than 2% of Onions, Inulin, Spices, Sea Salt, Potassium Chloride, Dextrose, Hydrolyzed Protein (Corn, Yeast, Wheat), Modified Vegetable Gum, Calcium Carbonate, Vegetable Fiber, Garlic, Yeast Extract, Natural Flavors, Caramel Color, Cultured Dextrose.
Resources:
http://www.veggiepatch.com/faq/index.php/section/20
http://www.caramel.com/EditorUpload/File/compliance/GM-6-07.pdf
http://www.seedsofdeception.com/DocumentFiles/141.pdf
MKZBooks.com Site Review
This is a review done in conjunction with my Business2Blogger.com connection and I am being compensated by McKenzieBooks.com for my review, however, that in no way affects my honest review of their website.
McKenzie Books is an online used bookstore that enables you to buy books at a discount, as well as offering consumers the opportunity to sell their own books. They sell mostly used books, however, you may find some new ones available as well.
The registration process is very easy. You sign up with your name, email address and by creating a password. Activating your account requires having an activation link sent to your inbox that you need to click to activate your account.
What is unique about McKenzie Books is its book notification feature, which allows you to create a books wanted list for books that are not currently in stock or found through their search engine.
Overall, I liked my experience at McKenzie Books. The whole process was very user friendly. I did miss a cart saving feature or wish list feature though and have already sent my thoughts to them regarding these features.
Also, just as a side note, McKenzie Books will be launching an affiliate program through Share-A-Sale Network, so keep a look out that Currently, they offer an affiliate program through their book buying website which you can read about here: http://www.cash4books.net/affiliate.php
They are also a “green” business, which you can learn about here.
