Review - Ecover Concentrated Non-Bio Laundry Liquid

Last year I did a review on Ecover Cleaning products, well this time I’m reviewing their new Non-Bio Concentrated Laundry Liquid. 

Ecover have extended their laundry range to include two effective and ecological concentrated laundry liquids: Ecover Concentrated Bio and Ecover Concentrated Non Bio.

The formulas for these products were put under the microscope by the Ecover scientists and after months of development Ecover has produced what they believe to be the most efficient and ecological concentrate on the market.

Everyone knows the environmental benefits conventional concentrated laundry products provide e.g. reduced packaging, reduced CO2 emissions in transport and less water used during the production process. But, the biggest impact cleaning products have on the environment is what happens after they are used. So Ecover have worked hard to create concentrated Laundry Liquids which have much less impact after you’ve used them. Additional environmental benefits of Ecover’s new concentrates include: 

No optical brighteners

Minimum aquatic toxicity

Fast and complete biodegradability

No phosphates

As should know by now, I’m desperately trying hard to be green, which can sometimes be hard especially when it comes to products that will be used on BG. 

I’m really careful with the washing liquid I use on BG’s clothes especially now she had eczema. The Ecover Concentrated No-bio didn’t irritate her skin at all.

It smells quite strong in the bottle; you really get a hit of the lavender they use, however once the clothes are washed its a gentler smell which is really quite pleasant, especially on my towels as I don’t use fabric conditioner on them (blocks the fibres and makes them hard)

It worked really well on stains, BG is quite a messy eater and refuses to wear a bib, it also removed Sudacrem from a denim dress with no trouble what so ever. 

I got 21 washes out of the bottle as it claimed to (yes I made a note, I am that sad), a 500ml bottle costs £5.69 so that’s 27p a wash, which personally I don’t think that’s too bad. I know you can buy cheaper laundry liquid, but for me that’s not enough we also have to think about the impact we are having on the environment. 

I would defiantly buy this laundry liquid myself, its gentle on BG’s skin, it washes the clothes well; it gets out stains and smell nice.

Ecover Concentrated Bio and Ecover Concentrated Non Bio can currently be bought from Waitrose. 

To make your Spring Cleaning a little easier, Ecover have put together some tips on greening up your spring clean and the best Ecover products to use. 

Unsavoury smells? Save money on artificial air fresheners – open windows to freshen your home or try Ecover’s Room Fragrances range which are based on plant extracts and essential oils instead.

Stale smelling laundry – make the most of the spring weather and dry your laundry outside for a truly fresh fragrance

Blocked drains? To keep your drain clear and odour free, mix one cup of baking soda and one cup of salt in a container. Every so often, tip a quarter of the mixture down the drain (save the rest for later) and follow with a pot of boiling water.

Smelly fridge? Remove strong odours from your fridge by placing half a lemon in there and leaving it in over night.

Greasy microwave? Try Ecover’s new Power Cleaner 

Dirty kitchen bin? Use a solution of water and a teaspoon of Ecover’s chlorine free Laundry Bleach (RRP £1.82). Swill, leave for a while and rinse for a gleaming finish.

Blocked shower head? Try a few squirts of Ecover’s Limescale Remover; leave overnight and rinse in the morning

And finally…don’t think you need a different cleaner for each task. A good All Purpose Cleaner like ours can be used for all washable surfaces including floors, tiles and painted woodwork.

For Ecover's full range click here 

Happy Cleaning

NM X

And the winner is......

Thank you to all of you that entered the Micro Pet-i giveaway.

I used a random number generator to pick the winners, so here they are....

Winner 1 is No 8, who is Glowstar and she wins "Chocolate" the Dog

 

Winner 2  No 4, who is Caz and she wins "Pudding" the Bear

Well done to both of you, if you could email me you address I can make sure they are sent asap.

newmummy@live.co.uk

NM X

Bee Part Of A Disney Movie!!

Disney are running a national competition with Argos to find the voice for a Fairy character in their forthcoming Tinker Bell animated movie “Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue”.  

The competition has been created to celebrate the launch of the new Disney Fairies product range at Argos.

This is the first time the opportunity to voice a character in the Disney Fairies movies has been offered to members of the British public

“Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue” follows the adventures of Tinker Bell and her friends during a summer stay in the English countryside. The lucky winner will voice the character of a ‘Bee-Painting Fairy’, who is responsible for painting stripes on bees in preparation for the summer season.

The competition is open to people aged 6 years and above. To be in with a chance of winning, participants need to visit www.disney.co.uk/voiceofafairy and record their voices directly onto the competition page via their computer or laptop microphone while looking at a scene from “Tinker Bell and The Great Fairy Rescue”. 

Entries can be submitted between today, 10 March, and midnight on 7 May 2010. 

From all the entries received, eight people will be shortlisted and taken to legendary Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire where they will each be recorded reading for the character in a professional recording studio. One winner will be selected by the film’s Director to be the voice of the ‘Bee-Painting Fairy’ and will see their name on the credits of the UK version of the movie. All finalists will receive a selection of Disney Fairies products courtesy of Argos and the winner will additionally get £500 of Argos vouchers.    

 Visit www.disney.co.uk/voiceofafairy or www.argos.co.uk/disneyfairies for more details and get recording to be in with a once in a lifetime chance of featuring in this Disney movie! 

Good Luck

NM X 

Guest Post - Tips For Mums Looking For Work From Home

Many mothers give up their day job to look after their children for their early years. Afterwards, some find that they cannot get work and others do not want to go back to work. However, with the rapid rise of the internet, a lot of opportunities have come along for mum’s to earn money from the comfort of their own home. The internet is crawling with good opportunities as well as scams.

Prepare Yourself

Before deciding to start working from home, it is important to prepare yourself psychologically. Looking after children is physically and emotionally draining at times, so combining this with work is tough. Also, it is important to decide how much time and effort you can commit.

There are a number of options for mum’s to take regardless of the type of work that is preferable. Generally, it is advised to take advantage of your current skill set and find a job in that field. A significant proportion of jobs are now found online. However, many of these are not work at home jobs.

Freelance

Instead, you can register on freelance websites, such as Elance, which is one of the most reputable companies. Elance charges a small fee to join but there is a larger network of people posting jobs, meaning more opportunities. Initially, it is recommended that you join a free network so that you do not lose money, for example Guru. These sites connect people wishing to outsource jobs, to a large community of specialised workers. Skills that are particularly sought after on these sites are typing, translating, web designing, marketing, graphics designing and other tasks which can be completed remotely.

Become A Writer

If you are articulate you could become a writer. The internet is a massive web of information and many companies need writers so that they can publish more content. In particular, online magazines often recruit new writers, so look for these sites. Another option is to join a hub, such as HubPages. You can choose to write about an area of expertise or particular interest to you, but normally they will instruct you to base your writing around a set of keywords which will help the page to gain a good ranking on search engines. This is mutually beneficial as it increases traffic and you will typically be rewarded on a split profits basis from advertising. Hubs are a good source of passive recurring income, but you must write at least 10 quality articles for it to make an impact.

Easy Jobs

There a number of other easy opportunities to make money on the internet, the most common being paid surveys, data entry and paid to click/ read/ watch. Amongst these, there are literally thousands of scams, so it is important to look for clues such as the website’s professionalism and whether it’s a registered company. Most importantly, do not pay for the opportunity to do any of these jobs, this is the most prevalent sign of a scam.

Paid surveys involve completing a questionnaire for market research companies and are relatively easy to do as they only require your opinion. Mothers are a target market for many companies, as well as being key household decision makers. Therefore their opinion is very valuable meaning they receive more invitations to complete surveys than other demographics. 

However, you will need to join several companies to make a decent income. Data entry jobs are most often posting ads on other people’s websites and making money when other people join through your ad, like affiliate marketing. Paid to click/ read emails/ watch ads are self-explanatory and very easy to do but offer rewards in the pennies to complete tasks.

If you have the time and patience, it might be worthwhile exploring a few of these options to see which work best suits you. 

Good luck job hunting!

Article written by Work From Home Jobs

Micro Pet-i Giveaway

With Easter week (30^th March – 5^th April) fast approaching, why not treat your children to the hottest toy of 2010, Tomy’s Micro Pets-i?  ‘Chocolate the dog’ is the perfect Easter gift for children.

Help them Easter hunt for their own little prized pet from; Chocolate the Dog, Mocha the Cat and Pudding the Bear.  The Micro Pets-i are a fun alternative to real chocolate; they last longer and kids love them!  Featured on The Gadget Show at RRP £9.99 they are a great Easter surprise for children.

 Micro Pets-i are the latest version of the toy craze from Tomy. Originally a hit in 2002, selling over 1 million in the UK alone, Micro Pets-i are now fast on their way to selling out in 2010.  

The miniature interactive palm-sized pets that move, talk and sing are very entertaining.

The Micro Pets-i are available in nine smart ‘cats’, ‘dogs’ and ‘bears’, and each tiny pet moves, communicates and sings just by responding to your hand movements. 

The Micro Pets-i have ‘Artificial Intelligence’ sensors so they can dodge things in their path and even sing!

 Micro Pets-i have four different interactive modes plus a Bonus mode, which you can control by knocking the floor in front of the Micro Pet-i with its special ball:

 1.     Avoiding Mode - Knock the floor twice and you Micro Pets will say “Let’s Go” The Micro Pet-i it will move forward and dodge any obstacles in its path

 2.     Following Mode - If you knock 3 times, your pet will say “Let’s Play” and they are now in following mode.  In this mode Micro Pets follow the ball or your fingers.

 3.     Singing Mode - If you knock the floor 4 times, they will now be in singing mode.  Each Micro Pet can sing 2 songs and the songs are different by Dog type, Bear type and Cat type.

 4.     Communication Mode – When 2 Micro Pets face each other, they start to communicate by infra-red and start to sing together.

Bonus

Fortune Telling Mode – When Micro Pets have communicated with each other over 5 times, they then randomly move into fortune telling mode.  When they are in Fortune telling mode they will sing to each other; if they have chemistry then they will sing the wedding march, if they don’t get on then you will hear a dark sound effect.

You can also go on the website www.micropets-i.com and meet, train and play games with the pets. 

I have two Micro Pets-i to give away, Chocolate the Dog and Pudding the Bear, they are worth £9.99 each and are suitable for children aged 6 and over.

All you have to do is leave a comment below telling me you want to be entered in to the draw. I will use a random number generator to pick two winners. 

Giveaway ends 9pm Sunday 28^th March.

Good Luck

NM X 

Review - Aveeno Skincare

The weather plays havoc with my skin, especially my hands. In the cold weather my knuckles go really dry, cracked and sore, I’ve found the constant washing up and cleaning of BG has made them even worse this year. I feel like I spend most of the day washing something of them! 

I’m really bad at wearing gloves, whether that’s outside in the cold or for the washing up which doesn’t help the matter. I was sent a sample of Aveeno hand cream and Daily Moisturising Lotion to test and review. Now for the science bit....

AVEENO® uses naturally active ingredients from nature which are proven to benefit the skin. Oats have long been known for being absorptive and hypoallergenic, whilst softening, cleansing and soothing the skin. In 1945 scientific advances made way for the fine milling of oatmeal into “colloidal oatmeal”. This allows oatmeal to retain its naturally active benefits, which include

Moisturising skin: Oat proteins leave a protective barrier on the skin, which prevents water loss to help maintain moisture. 

Cleansing dry skin: Oats are naturally absorptive and when in powder form, act like tiny sponges to withdraw dirt and dead skin cells so they can be rinsed away.

Soothing dry, irritated skin: Colloidal oatmeal has been clinically proven to relieve dry skin and associated itching.

I tried the hand cream first, now it promises to moisturise up to 24 hours and forms a protective glove, well it does. I have bought loads of hand creams that had made similar promises but never really work but this one does. It rubs in quickly; it’s not greasy or sticky. It soothed my dry skin instantly and stays on my hands all day no matter how many times they got wet, I was and I still am very impressed. It has worked wonders on my poor dry hands. I also liked that it said ‘fragrance free’ and it really was fragrance free.

I have quite sensitive skin and find a lot of creams can irritate but this didn’t and neither did the moisturising lotion. That too absorbed quickly and left my skin soft all day, it is lovely to slather on after a bath.

I would recommend this range to anyone, especially if you have sensitive skin. Its easily absorbs, is long lasting and soothes dry skin.

Aveeno have three ranges these are the Daily Range I tested, Skin Relief Range and the Intense Dry-Skin Range. The range can be found in most supermarkets and chemists.

For more information on Aveeno and their full range then have a look at their site by clicking here.

Review - Femibion Energetic Mum

At the end of January I was sent some Femibion Energetic Mum vitamins to try. I had been feeling quite run down, so thought I could do with something to give me a boost. 

Femibion Energetic Mum is a first multi-nutrient probiotic specifically formulated for busy mums containing iron, zinc and CoQ10. Independent research has shown that the specially selected probiotics help support the body’s natural defense system while CoQ10 helps the body to release energy.

Femibion Energetic Mum is part of the Femibion range of Women’s supplements from Seven Seas. The Femibion range provides a range of supplements to support women through each of their life stages from Healthy Pregnancy to Radiance, Balance and Healthy Bones.

I started taking them in February as that’s when I remembered I had them, and took them for a month.  To be honest I personally didn’t see much difference after taking them, I’m not sure how long you should take them for them to start working.

I think the reason they didn’t make a difference to me is that I actually quite a poor diet sometimes and really don’t get enough exercise, you can pump all the vitamins into me as you like but all the crap I eat will probably counteract them.  

These would have probably worked best if my lifestyle was a little healthier; they are a supplement not a miracle cure! 

I think what they have done for me, is point out that my lifestyle is really bad if a multi-vitamin can’t help give me a boost and I really have to change the way I’m living. So thank you to Femibion for that, maybe when I’ve improved my lifestyle I will try them again.

For more information on Energetic Mum and Femibion pop over to their site by clicking here

NM X  

School Food Trust’s Canteen Rescue Campaign

The School Food Trust has launched a campaign to get children to eat school dinners. New research from the Trust has shown for the first time that poor quality canteens are the biggest barrier to children’s uptake of school food. 

The Trust is concerned the amount of time, money and effort which has been put in over the past five years to transform school food could be wasted if school canteens are not fit for purpose.

Last week the Trust launched the School Food Trust’s Canteen Rescue Campaign, the campaign includes a competition, and where signed up schools send in their designs for a new canteen. The entries will be judged by a host of celebrities at the close of the competition and five winning schools will have their canteen re- designed for real!

Here is a great video to show the campaign 

Is your child’s school canteen in need of a makeover? Then get over to canteenrescue.getreal.uk.com

Mother's Day Ideas From Avent

Calling all dad's don't forget its Mother's Day this Sunday! You didn't forget did you?

Well luckily for you Avent have a few great ideas for you, that will not only save you from being banashed to the spare room but will save you a pretty penny too.

Avent have put togther some IOU's that you can download to give to your lovely other half, these include a lie in, a night out and breakfast in bed!

You can also download cards for the children to colour in and give to Mum, so what are you waiting for start downloading now!! 

Book Review - Becky Goddard-Hill’s How to Afford Time off with Your Baby – 101 Ways To Ease The Financial Strain

If you are a new mum, old mum, stay at home mum or working mum, you will know that raising a baby is an expensive time in your lives; well I have a great book for you.

Becky Goddard-Hill’s How to Afford Time off with Your Baby – 101 Ways To Ease The Financial Strain is pack full of great money saving tips and ideas, starting with pre-baby all the way up to 5 years old and beyond.

Becky a mum of two gives advice on how to save money so that you can stay at home with your children, but to be honest this book is ideal for all parents working or not working, it’s a wealth of ideas and knowledge.

There are 12 Chapters plus a resource bank, the Chapters include:-

Having A Lovely Pregnancy – Fantastic tips on how to save money and look after yourself.

Weaning, Walking and Wearing You Out (6-24 Months) – Which has been a great, help to me

Earning Money While Staying Off Work – Ideas for making money and all the legal information that you will need

Special Occasions – From Christenings to how to afford baby number two!

This book has been a great help for me, I thought I was pretty good with money saving but Becky has given me some great ideas. I have even given a copy to my best friend whose daughter is 7 weeks younger than BG.

I would highly recommend this book to all parents; It can be bought in many shops but on Amazon at the moment its £4.93 with free p&p

For more information on Becky and extra money saving ideas pop over to her blog, Baby Budgeting. 

NM X 

The Jugit

As you all should know by now I’m trying to lower the amount of rubbish I throw away and recycling is one way to do that. Now I’m a sucker for a gadget in the kitchen, so imagine my delight when last OH bought me home not only a new gadget but a way to reduce packaging and therefore less to throw away.

I present you the Jugit .......

I can see you looking blankly at the picture, it’s a new way to buy and store your milk and it require 75% less plastic then a standard 2 pint bottle and it sits nicely in your fridge door. 

With the Jugit you use bags of milk instead of bottles and a reusable jug. In pop the bag in the jug, which has a sharp spout that pierces the bag, and then you pour the milk from the top. The Jugit site can explain and show it better than me, just click here for full instructions.  

The bags are made from a low density plastic that is strong and fully recyclable. Let me just put the 75% less plastic in to perspective for you, here are some statistics from the Jugit site

About 130,000 tonnes of plastic are used in milk poly bottles every year

The weight saving by moving to our bags would equal 97,500 tonne soft plastic

That's equivalent to 2.43 BILLION bottles not required 

That’s the same as 3,750 full refuse trucks travelling to landfill sites! 

Think of the savings in landfill requirements, for more details click here 

I’m loving mine .......

 

 

There are some downsides they are only available in a 2 pint size which I know for larger families may not be practical and where in the fridge do you store the extra bags, though they can be frozen.

They are currently available in selected Sainsbury’s Stores, the Jugit costs £1.98, and the 2 pint bags cost 80p  which is 6p cheaper than a 2 pint bottle and they are on offer currently 2 for £1.50 

I defiantly think this a step in the right direction and will be using mine for now on.

NM X