dōTERRA Essential Oils

As part of updating this space more regularly and providing readers with valuable content I wanted to point out some changes I have made to the essential oils page. This page can be found by clicking on the tab in the upper right under the Breaking New Ground title. If you are reading on mobile this may look different to you; try clicking on the arrow next to the word Home and scrolling down to the essential oils option or just click here. There you will find featured posts about essential oils and you can now click straight through to my dōTERRA page to find out more about signing up for a wholesale account of your own (earn points toward free product!!) or to purchase oils through me. dōTERRA just introduced a whole new line of spa products as well as some new essential oils and other products, all available for purchase starting October 3rd, 2016. I can't wait to try them!

As always if you have questions about essential oils that aren't answered here please feel free to contact me directly. Follow my tips on the myriad uses for these amazing oils on Instagram @breakingnewground! 

Nourish Winner

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Nourish Organics giveaway this week! I hope you found new products to try. I think I'll have to put the coconut wash on my Christmas list this year.

I had a hard time finding a winner because many of the entrants didn't follow the rules and include email contact in their comment or on their blogger profile. I have another giveaway coming up next week, so be sure to follow the rules (in small print at the end) carefully next time! If I can't contact you directly, you can't win!


So, the winner of either lavender or coconut balm from Nourish Organics is...

Dawn!

I've sent an email to Dawn, she has 48 hours to respond and claim her prize. If she misses that window an alternate will be chosen and contacted.

Special thanks to Raechel and Olivia for partnering with me to provide you with this review + giveaway. They were great to work with and have a fabulous product on their hands!

If you'd like to see your products featured at Breaking New Ground contact me for details!

Nourish Organics Feature, Review + Giveaway! {CLOSED}

I'm beyond thrilled to start off the week by introducing you to Nourish Organics. Their products are for anybody looking for gentle skincare for themselves or little ones.

Where are you located + are you from there originally? 

We are located in Franklin, TN. Raechel grew up in Michigan and Olivia grew up in Illinois.

How did you come up with your shop name? 

Our shop was actually started by our friend Melissa when her first son Bishop was born. He had terrible eczema and food allergies and nothing she tried was working for him. With a background as an esthetician and a passion for her little guy, Melissa started learning everything she could about what might help him. And as she worked to Nourish her baby, Nourish Organics was born. 

We were actually talking with one of our Whole Foods buyers this week (who also happens to be a huge fan of the coconut wash) and she said, "You know any skin care line created by a mother for her children is going to be amazing! No one is pickier that a mama."

How long have you had your shop? 

We've been the Nourish Mamas for about a month now, (November 13th is our 1-month anniversary!) but Nourish has been around for almost three years. When we heard that Nourish's creator was closing up shop in favor of a slower pace, we knew we didn't want to see it disappear! We adopted Nourish in October and are absolutely loving it!

{photo: claire wise photography}

What inspires you?

 We love hearing from customers when something we're making is really helping them. A lot of people come to us because they or their kids suffer from dry skin or really bad eczema. Our Organic Coconut Balm is made from infusing calming and healing herbs with coconut oil. It's free from even essential oils so that it can be safe for the most sensitive skin. It is so exciting to get emails from people thanking us for making something gentle and effective enough to really make a difference. We got an email last week from a customer asking us if we could make her an 8oz tub because she was cruising so quickly through her little 2oz jar. :)

What is your favorite item in your shop? 

Raechel: I am a self-admitted lavender oil junkie. I use in my & my kids' baths every time (and did for over a year before Nourish was ever even a twinkle in my business-y eye!). I even use the oil in place of lotion after a shower and for shaving. Divine stuff!

Olivia: I honestly am head over heels for the entire line. I cannot leave the house without putting balm on my extremely dry hands or I go crazy. And the washes... so delicious. If I had to choose an absolute favorite, the Bath Teas combined with a capful of Lavender Oil would win hands down. There is no better way to wind down after a long day or run than a bath filled with soothing, therapeutic, organic products.

Do you have any other jobs or hobbies? 

Raechel: I'm a full-time mama to Oliver (5) and Hazel (20 mos.) and I also keep pretty busy creating sewing tutorials and sharing bits of my family life on my blog (Finding My Feet), and as a brand ambassador for Brother International. I also do a bit of photography on the side, mostly just for fun.

Olivia: I have a teaching degree and am currently working as a teacher's aid at a local elementary school by day. By night I nourish the world and then snuggles up to my Weimaraner Kona and husband Zac. 

We're both avid runners, too! We are running the St. Jude 1/2 marathon in December (less than three weeks away!) with team Team Finding My Feet and, in case anyone is wondering, Olivia is definitely the faster one! 

Share an interesting fact about yourself. 

Raechel: I can't go to bed at night without first eating 3 red Twizzlers and drinking a big glass of crushed ice water. I know it's quirky, and my husband thinks I'll eventually outgrow it. But, I've been doing it for about twelve years now, so I'm going to go ahead and call it an old habit. :)

Olivia: I can do the so-called "impossible" and lick my elbow. Not sure I am proud of this, but it always provides my interesting fact. I am now curious to know how many of you just tried it... :)

What do you hope your future holds? 

Raechel: A whole lot of glory to the Father, tons of sweet time with my littles, and a bright future for this company we are pouring our hearts into!

Olivia: As a kinda-sorta newlywed, I am excited to start a family and raise them in a Godly home, teach our future generation, and continue to have a flourishing company!

______ __ ______ ______ __ ______ ________ __ ______ 

Shandell's Review

A couple of weeks ago the mama's of Nourish sent over a jar of the Organic Coconut Balm. I was so excited to finally try one of their products and it did not disappoint. Unlike other "balms" I've tried it is soft and smooth. It comes out of the jar easily and doesn't feel greasy, but gets the job done. The best part is it's heavenly coconut scent. Even my husband (who isn't a fan of coconut) thinks it smells nice. I've found myself using it just for the fresh smell.

I used it on my hands and elbows. My hands are VERY dry from constantly washing + sanitizing them while caring for a toddler and a newborn, and it got worse when they had colds! The coconut balm took the sting out of my dry and cracking skin and made my hands smooth again.

It is also gentle enough to use on my sweet newborn baby Desmond. He had some ashy skin on his little feet that was smooth and soft again after just one use! A little goes a long way.

{sweet feet}

A little more about the coconut balm: This handcrafted Organic Coconut Balm is so incredibly effective in moisturizing and soothing irritated skin. Organic plantain leaves & chickweed are infused with organic virgin cold pressed coconut oil and added to organic beeswax and organic shea butter. A touch of GMO-free vitamin e is also added to naturally preserve and moisturize. Coconut oil serves as a protective layer, helping to retain the skin's moisture. Plantain leaves help to stop the itching of eczema, allergic rashes and even poison ivy. Chickweed is an herb that is incredibly healing by reducing inflammation and aiding in tissue repair. This is our gentlest balm. It doesn't contain any essential oil, so it is safe enough to use on a newborn baby, yet effective enough to sooth the most uncomfortable eczema.

______ __ ______ ______ __ ______ ________ __ ______ 

GIVEAWAY!

Raechel and Olivia are offering one reader of Breaking New Ground their very own jar of Nourish Coconut or Lavender Balm. 

Mandatory Entry:

Visit Nourish Organics, then come back here and leave a comment telling me what product other than the balms you'd choose to try.

Additional Entries:

~ Follow Nourish Organics on twitter. Leave your twitter ID in your comment.

~Tweet about this giveaway with a link to this specific page. Leave a link to your tweet in your comment.

~Like Nourish Organics on Facebook. Leave your Facebook name in your comment.


That's four chances to win!

Giveaway ends at 11pm PST on Thursday November 17th, 2011. Winner will be announced here on Friday November 18th, 2011. 















Winner will be selected at random via random.org and will have 48 hours to respond in order to claim the prize or it will be awarded to an alternate. Please leave an email address in your comment if it is not attached to your blogger profile. If I cannot contact you, an alternate will be chosen. 

Open to U.S. residents only. All comments will be verified. Comments subject to removal without notification based on their relevance to contest. All entries will be verified. So, please be sure to follow instructions carefully. 

Questions? As always click on the "email me" button to send me a message. Please do not leave a comment here that isn't intended to be an entry into the giveaway. 

Disclosure: I received no compensation for this review. All opinions are my own. Click for additional disclosures and PR policies.

EcoMom Featured Product Review + Giveaway. CLOSED

Recently EcoMom sent some samples of a couple products that they carry. One is Nieves C Perfect Skin and the other was Bon Ami Dish Soap. A bit of a random pair, but both things I was wanting to try out.

Shandell's Review

I used the skin care oil first. I followed the directions to apply it to clean + damp skin and used it about 3 times in a row. It made my skin soft and didn't leave an oily finish. Sadly, I did break out after using it. I'm not sure whether or not it's related because my skin is super sensitive and even more so when I'm pregnant. I did stop using it and will keep it to try again when my skin isn't so overwhelmed with the pregnancy hormones coursing through my body, then maybe I'll get a more accurate response. From other user reviews it seems that even women when acne-prone skin are able to use it without problems. It has a pleasant but not overwhelming smell and best of all, the ingredients are all natural!

It is supposed to naturally reduce the appearance of scarring, sun spots, and other damage to the skin while reducing further damage from occurring. I do have one sun spot forming just above my cheek bone that I'll be sure to use the Perfect Skin oil on in the future.

I used the Bon Ami dish soap on some of the dishes that we can only hand wash. I was sent a sample of Tangerine + Thyme and Free + Clear. I tend to lean towards soaps and detergents that are unscented. I use free + clear laundry detergent and I had no idea that there was a such thing as free + clear dish soap! I was impressed with how well it cleaned and that it even got the coffee smell out of a plastic travel mug. I'm sold, and at $4.00 for 25 ounces I may be adding this to my shopping cart soon!

Giveaway!

Now it's your turn to try these products or others from EcoMom. They are generously offering one reader of Breaking New Ground a $15 gift card!

Mandatory Entry:
Visit EcoMom's website and let me know what you would use the giftcard for.

Extra Entries:
~Like EcoMom on Facebook + share a link to this giveaway in your status. Be sure to leave a link to your status in your comment.
~Follow EcoMom on Twitter + tweet this giveaway, including a link to this post. Be sure to leave a link to your tweet in your comment.

This giveaway will end on  Tuesday July 5th . Wednesday July 6th. Winner will be announced + notified shortly after.

Please be sure that your email address is accessible through your blogger profile, on your site, linked to your open ID or within your comment (format shanleann1 at gmail dot com) so I can notify you if you win. Otherwise, you forfeit your chances.

Winner will be selected at random via random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to an email in order to claim the prize or it will be awarded to an alternate. 

Comments subject to removal without notification based on their relevance to contest. All comments will be verified. So, please be sure to follow instructions carefully. Questions? As always click on the "email me" button to send me a message. Please do not leave a comment here that isn't intended to be an entry into the giveaway. 

Disclosure: I received no compensation for this giveaway. All opinions are my own. EcoMom  sent me sample sizes of the above products for the purpose of review.  Click for additional disclosures and PR policies.

Green Town Toys Review + Giveaway

Last month Green Town Toys send me one of their eco-friendly products. The most exciting part to me was the note that came with it, "you're the first person outside our offices to see the White Citadel". What a fun opportunity! Here is a little bit more the company in their own words...

"Green Town Toys is a market leader in innovative and eco-friendly corrugated products. Our mission is to design and manufacture children’s products that inspire imagination, creativity, and fun. Our extensive in-house manufacturing capabilities allow us to ensure prompt delivery, competitive pricing, and unparalleled customer service. In addition, we take the utmost pride in offering sustainable products that are designed and manufactured right here in the U.S.A."

Shandell's Review

I knew that Ben, Malakai + I would all enjoy trying out any of their products. The White Citadel looked like so much fun and something I would have loved to have as a child. We could hardly wait to put it together! Ben + I attempted to assemble it together but Malakai wanted to throw the pieces around and was making it quite difficult.

I distracted Kai with a popsicle in his high chair and he watched us build his new castle. Ben did most of the work and could have easily assembled it himself. Some of the pieces were difficult to fit in, but much easier than any plastic toys we've assembled!

 It took us about 20 minutes total. The directions were super easy to follow and much to my surprise neither one of us got a paper cut!

Daddy + Kai tested it out and had a blast. Malakai's favorite thing to do was to peek through the windows and run in + out of the entrance. As you can see it took up a LOT of space in his little bedroom.



When bedtime rolled around that evening Ben simply took a piece off the front and one off the back to fold it up and move it to our spare room. Malakai is in a toddler bed so he wouldn't have been able to stay away from the castle all night.

The next morning I just pulled the citadel out into our living room, added the pieces back to keep it open and he was able to play in it again. There was a lot more room for him to run around the outside of the castle as well as the inside in our living room than in his bedroom.

Our little 22 month old has a lot of energy and is still testing boundaries. He didn't quite understand the limits his new cardboard kingdom had and was a bit too rough with it. 

The pieces obviously bend, but thankfully are strong enough that he can't all out rip them. This child of mine is so rough on toys I have to cover his board books in packing tape to keep him from peeling them apart!

The citadel started to show a bit of wear after 3 days of rough play. This is to be expected with a toddler and I think the pretend-play aspect that this structure was designed for would be better suited to children 3 and up or those that are more mild tempered than my rowdy boy! So for now we're putting it away until he's matured a bit and can play in it instead of "on" it.

It was super easy to take apart. It took Ben maybe 10 minutes to dismantle the whole thing and it stores completely flat. I am really looking forward to pulling it out again and having Kai decorate the white walls with marker and crayons. Again, when he's old enough to understand the boundaries of coloring his castle walls versus coloring ours.

The White Citadel from Green Town Toys has to be one of the coolest toys we've ever seen and had the opportunity to own. If I wasn't concerned about making it last for him to enjoy in the future we'd have kept it out for him to play with on a regular basis. That, and our house is a bit small for a toy this size to be out full time.

In addition to being a great toy, they come at really reasonable prices. The White Citadel is only $44.79. Be sure to check out their online gallery of kiddos enjoying all of their different products.

The Giveaway!

Green Town Toys wants to give you an opportunity to try a White Citadel of your own! Review the details below and enter to win one shipped to your home (open to U.S. residents in the lower 48 only). Giveaway ends Wednesday June 15th, 2011 at 11pm PDT.

Mandatory Entry:

~Visit Green Town Toys and tell me what OTHER product of theirs catches your eye or something you find interesting about their company.

Additional Entries:

~ Like Green Town Toys on Facebook AND leave a comment on their wall (1 entry)

~Share this giveaway on your Facebook page (1 entry)

~Post my "a Gift + a Hope" button on your blog. Leave info on where to find it in your comment. (1 entry)

~ Follow Green Town Toys on twitter (1 entry)

~ Tweet this giveaway to your followers. Be sure to leave a link to your tweet. (1 entry per tweet, 1 tweet per day). Feel free to use the following example:

"I just entered to win a White Citadel play structure from @GreenTownToys + @ShanLeAnn at Breaking New Ground http://tinyurl.com/3n3j67h"

Discount Code:

Can't wait to pick up something from Green Town Toys? They are also offering an exclusive discount for readers of Breaking New Ground. Enter the code "NEWGROUND" at check out for FREE shipping!

Please be sure that your email address is accessible through your blogger profile, on your site, linked to your open ID or within your comment (format shanleann1 at gmail dot com) so I can notify you if you win. Otherwise, you forfeit your chances.

This giveaway will end Wednesday June 15th 2011 at 11pm PDT. Winner will be selected at random via random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to an email in order to claim the prize or it will be awarded to an alternate. 

Comments subject to removal without notification based on their relevance to contest. All comments will be verified. So, please be sure to follow instructions carefully. Questions? As always click on the "email me" button to send me a message. Please do not leave a comment here that isn't intended to be an entry into the giveaway. 

Disclosure: I received no compensation for this giveaway. All opinions are my own. Green Town Toys sent me the White Citadel for the purpose of review.  Click for additional disclosures and PR policies.

Episencial Skincare Review + Giveaway {CLOSED}

The sun has been staying out long enough to warm up our chilly Oregon spring. Malakai is also feeling up to playing outside for a little while here and there. I took him out back and lathered his face, ears, neck, and hands in our new Episencial Sunny Sunscreen. We received the Sunny Sunscreen kit from Espisencial  with SPF 35 natural sunscreen, protective face balm, and soothing cream. 

REVIEW

Since the sun took til now to come out, we tried the face balm first. It is meant to soothe and protect sensitive areas like the face and lips. Malakai has actually been picking at his lips causing them to be cracked + dry. I applied a little of this and hoped he wouldn't just smear it off. He actually rubbed his lips together and left it on! By that afternoon his lips were already softer and the skin wasn't peeling. 


I also put some of the balm on his cheeks that had been chapped. I did this a couple days before bed and the redness and dryness went away fairly quickly. I think I may have overdone it though because he did end up getting a pimple on his cheek, although the lotion may not have been the cause. 


Next I actually used the soothing cream on myself. Since Malakai's troubled areas were responding well to the face balm and he doesn't really have any other skin care needs I used the cream on my hands. They get really dry from washing so often, especially my knuckles. I smoothed some on where my skin tends to crack. It provided some nice relief. I'll definitely use this on Malakai if he has dry skin patches on the rest of his body in the future. 


We've used the sunscreen several times but for the longest duration this morning when we played out back in the garden. Malakai's fair skin is still a healthy color, not pink at all!

I love that these products are natural AND affordable. I have such a hard time justifying spending a lot of money on something just to get the natural product, although it's what I'd prefer. 

In honor of Skin Cancer Awareness Month - Episencial is offering 15% off all of their baby safe skincare products when you buy Sunny Sunscreen SPF 35! Only at Dermstore.com. Code DSSUNNY. Offer ends Monday, May 23rd. 


Today is the last day to take advantage of this discount code above so please head over and stock up for summer to keep your kiddos skin safe!

GIVEAWAY

One lucky reader of Breaking New Ground will have a chance to WIN the Sunny Sunscreen Kit that I reviewed here. 

Mandatory Entry:
Visit Episencial and leave a comment on this post with your favorite product or one that you want to try the most (other than the 3 mentioned here). 


Extra Entries:
~follow Episencial and tweet about today's 15% off deal. (this entry only good when completed today 5.23.11) Comment with a link to your tweet. Please use the following tweet:


ENDS TODAY- enjoy 15% off Episencial products when you buy Sunny Sunscreen! Only at dermstore.com. Code DSSUNNY. http://bit.ly/kcOwnb 


~like Episencial and Facebook about today's deal (again this entry only good when completed today 5.23.11) comment with a link to your status. Please use the following text:


In honor of Skin Cancer Awareness Month - Episencial is offering 15% off all of their baby safe skincare products when you buy Sunny Sunscreen SPF 35! Only at dermstore.com. Code DSSUNNY. Offer ends Monday, May 23rd. http://bit.ly/kcOwnb 


~ follow Episencial + Tweet or like Episencial + Facebook about this giveaway, may be done at any time during the length of this giveaway. Comment with a link to your tweet or FB status. Please be sure to link back to this specific post. 


That's 4 chances to win. This giveaway will end on Friday May 27th and the winner will be announced on Saturday May 28th. 

please, oh please be sure that your email address is in your blogger profile, on your site linked to your open ID or within your comment (format shanleann1 at gmail dot com) so I can notify you if you win. Otherwise, you forfeit your chances.

This giveaway will end Friday May 27th 2011 at 11pm PDT. Winner will be selected at random via random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to an email in order to claim the prize or it will be awarded to an alternate. 

Open to U.S. + Canadian residents only. All comments will be verified. Comments subject to removal without notification based on their relevance to contest. All comments will be verified. So, please be sure to follow instructions carefully. 

Questions? As always click on the "email me" button to send me a message. Please do not leave a comment here that isn't intended to be an entry into the giveaway. 

Disclosure: I received no compensation for this giveaway. All opinions are my own. Click for additional disclosures and PR policies.