Shaklee Organic Cleaner Review and Giveaway

As a parent I'm always looking for ways to ensure the health of my family and home. Therefore when I was approached by Andrea about reviewing a home cleaning product and offering a giveaway on my blog, I jumped at the idea. And, I'm glad I did because the results are fantastic!

As the number one natural nutrition company in the U.S., Shaklee has been 

making people healthier for over 50 years.  They offer the highest quality natural nutrition and personal care products, environmentally-friendly household products, and state-of-the-art air and water treatment systems that have helped millions enjoy a healthier life. 

WE BELIEVE THAT THE SMALL ACT OF SCOURING THE SINK CAN BE PART OF THE GIANT ACT OF CHANGING THE WORLD

They say that changing the world starts in your own home. We believe that is literally true.  For 50 years, we've been making products that improve the health of people and the planet. We believe that your home should be the 
safest, healthiest, and cleanest place in the whole world. That is why we offer homecare products that are safe for you, your home and your planet. While you make your home cleaner, you make your family healthier. You also make the planet healthier for other families as well. And if you think our products work so great you tell others about it, imagine the ripples of change you can generate. If that doesn't give you a whopping feeling of clean, we don't know what will.

And you got it by scouring the sink. 

According to Shaklee:  

• Over 90% of poison exposures happen at home.
• Common bleach is the #1 household chemical involved
  in poisoning.
• Organic pollutants, found in many common cleaners and
  even air fresheners, are 2 to 5 times higher inside your home than out.
• A person who spends 15 minutes cleaning scale off shower walls could inhale three times the "acute one-hour exposure limit" for glycol ether-containing products set by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment.
• Common cleaners give off fumes that have been linked to
  increasing the risk of your kids developing asthma, the most common serious chronic childhood disease.
• 1 in 13 school-aged children has asthma. Rates in children under five have increased more than 160% from 1980 – 1994.
• Children are highly vulnerable to chemical toxicants.Pound for pound of body weight, children drink more water, eat more food and breathe more air than adults. The implication of this is that children will have substantially heavier exposures than adults to any toxicants that are present in water, food or air.
• If your home is anything like the average U.S. home, you
  generate more than 20 pounds of household hazardous waste each year (the EPA designates toilet cleaners, tub and tile cleaners, oven cleaners, and bleach as hazardous waste).

I received my sample pack within a couple days and instantly began using the products. With a large family, and the fact that I'm not too obsessed with cleaning, our house can get a bit cluttered and even dirty at times. So, I made sure to take a before and after pic of my stove one night after dinner. As you can see, the food and grime came right up, and this was even after it set {remember I said I was NOT obsessed with cleaning} :). I also took this product to the bathroom where I used it as a glass cleaner {no streaks, just shine} and then cleaned the sink and toilet. It's quick and easy and great for my family. I don't even have to worry about being pregnant and inhaling the cleaning products or about my toddler following behind inhaling any fumes. And that's the healthy guarantee Shaklee stands behind.
Advantages: 1. This product is nontoxic, natural, concentrated, and biodegradable. 2. The cost out shines other name brand cleaners. At $10.35 for 16 oz. of product, you're actually only paying $.22 per gallon since the Basic H2 makes an amazing 48 gallons. Compare this product to other leading cleaners and you're saving $10 to $20 a gallon! Seriously, folks, this is a no brainer, you get health, safety, and pocket change for ice cream later with the kids. :) 
And now the best part, 5 lucky winners will be drawn to experience the Basic H2 Cleaner as I have. Simply follow the rules below and Random.org will do the rest! {Random.org will be used to determine the 5 winners of this giveaway.}
Mandatory Entry: Follow The Adventures of Maia the Bee by clicking the link, leaving your email address in a comment on this blog, saying you're following.  

Extra Entries: Follow Andrea's Facebook Page  for one extra entry, leaving a message with email address on this blog saying you're following.


And/Or...


Follow Andrea on Twitter for one extra entry, leaving a message with email address on this blog saying you're following.




This giveaway ends September 14, 2011 @ 12:00 pm midnight, Eastern. Good luck and enjoy!

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Training For The Big Day

Back in October of last year I got sidetracked and my running fell to the wayside. And then in May I became pregnant and didn't feel comfortable picking back up with it. I've missed running. I've mentioned it several times. It's not that running is physically an enjoyable sport it's hard and challenging but that in itself is what I find enjoyable. 
If it was easy everyone would do it and yet only a small portion of the crazed fitness geeks out there run, and yet I'm proud and excited to say I'm one of them. I may not be the fastest or can even match toe to toe with vetran runners but I love it none the less.
So, I've felt a little out of wack not running. I've tried different activities since then: workout DVD's, swimming, the treadmill, and bike. They all give me what I need - a workout - but they all lack what I truly desire - to simply run.
So then you ask why I'm sitting here wasting all these words on talking about what I want to do rather than just doing it. Well, it's my knees, they haven't been happy for awhile now and rather than going out and doing it the way I did the first time {running everyday with swollen knees} I'd like to take some time and do it differently.
I'll be starting with my bike. When I ride {from the comfort of my own living room} my knees stay lubricated and pain free. It blows my mind but my knees actually need to ride, probably even as much as my heart needs to run. So, instead of only planning for next year races I'm also planning for another moment that will require a great deal of dedication, strength, and desire - the natural birth of my baby, in a hospital setting.
On a side note, even though I've always planned to have all my children drug free, I was only able to see it through during the home birth I had with Maddie. And since we aren't going a home birth this time around, I really need to be prepared to do this naturally in an environment that typically supports medical intervention and drugs. And I'm not knocking Moms who use medicine to ease their birth, I'm just saying this is the route I want to go even though I've failed twice before. 
So, this post is about setting goals, getting back on track, figuring out what I want, and making it happen. I have 4 months to spend devoted to strengthening up my knees so that I can start running again by mid February/March. And while keeping my mind focused on next year's races, I'll actually be training for the best moment of all, meeting my baby girl. :) So, here's to making it happen and enjoying the journey of getting there!

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Tips for Teachers

Now that we're pretty much all back in the swing of things, I thought I'd write about what I've learned over the years as a teacher as well as a parent.


1. Always keep the old. At the end of the school year most schools do a bit of house keeping and everything comes down and {hopefully} gets packed away. When I changed rooms this year I moved up to an older class, I still moved all my professional materials but most of my lesson plans and such didn't apply to the class. It was wishful thinking on my part to hope that last years teacher had left behind her goods, but nope, I had a hard time find many regular items {posted daily schedules, job charts, art materials, etc.} It was pretty exhausting realizing everything I would need would most likely have to be purchased all over again this year, however, next year I'll definitely start off with a nice bucket of stored treats. :)
2. Ask for help. Again, as the new kid on the hall, I've spent plenty of time asking other co-workers where things are located and how to do particular paperwork and the such. I even emailed my director and was flat out honest when I needed help with some classroom behavior. It was a bit intimidating to have to ask but if I'm to be the best I can, then I certainly will need help to get there.
3. Keep in contact with parents. I think this strategy is a must! My assistant actually printed up small business cards with our class information on it and they were handed out on registration day. I want my families to feel as if they can contact me in need of questions and concerns. I understand as our children grow this aspect of teacher/parent relationship seems to change and possibly dwindle but not so in pre-k, we even email our lesson plans to families! :)
4. Use parents as a resource. I typically send out a monthly letter to parents informing them of what we'll be discussing as well as what items I could use in class. They're usually inexpensive and offer great parenting hours.
5. Use companies as a resource. Companies are also a great way to receive interesting materials and most of the time the items will be free! It's simply taking the time to reach out and ask. And, this is where your parents can help out as well, some may feel comfortable enough to go to their own businesses and ask for resources or donate from their own self-run companies.
6. Keep it simple and keep it fun. Kids are all about fun. I remember the teachers I admired the most who took the time to make our subjects exciting and enjoyable {particularly those math teachers}. In pre-k pretty much all our learning is done through an enjoyable activity; it's through play that children learn. And when you're having a grand time, the kids do as well. :)
7. Balance your time and don't forget to take some time for yourself. I think this idea can be a bit difficult at times for teachers. We tend to bring our work home, and even if we aren't grading papers or entering observations, we're coming up with lesson plans or thinking about families. I hope that once I get caught up on my projects I'll be able to cut my work day a little shorter and then incorporate more me time in with workouts. I believe a fit body/mind creates an atmosphere others want to be around. And, we need to model to our kids the importance of physical activities and health by living it ourselves. 
8. Expect the best, pray for the worse, and always end the day on a positive note. I've had a more challenging room this year and I always try to end it on a possible note. I try to remember and thank my assistance for all their work that day and tell the children bye when I leave {those I see in extended care}. It's important to remember why we do what we do, especially when it gets hard and we'd prefer to throw our hands up and simply walk away. Life isn't always gonna be easy and we should judge whether or not we're in the right working place for ourselves, but even with a little challenge, we grow and learn and still set an example of how we can do these things positively.
So, there you have it, my two cents on teaching. I'd love to hear from other teachers out there and how they make it happen in their rooms!

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