Juice Beauty Review and Giveaway

***THIS GIVEAWY IS NOW CLOSED***

One of my biggest challenges in my going green journey has been finding skincare products that are good for my body and the environment that actually work.  I have tried so many different products that left me very disappointed.  So when I was given the opportunity to review Juice Beauty's products, I was so excited. 

Juice Beauty products are made with a minimum of 85% and up to 98% USDA certified organic content. Instead of the typical water-base that most natural skincare brands use (which just dilutes all the active ingredients), Juice Beauty products have an organic fruit juice base that is naturally loaded with antioxidants, essential vitamins and phytonutrients.

Juice Beauty EcoChic Values

1. CLINICALLY VALIDATED RESULTS: efficacy achieved through cutting edge organic technology.

2. AUTHENTICALLY ORGANIC: target a standard for all Juice Beauty products to fall within

80 – 98% total organic content. Meet California Organic Products Act minimum of 70% total organic content (excluding water) by using a certified organic base & ingredients.

3. POWERFUL ACTION WITHOUT: Stay on the cutting edge of purity by excluding Parabens, petroleum, butylene and propylene glycol, PEG, sodium lauryl sulfates, pesticides, phthalates, artificial dyes or synthetic fragrances. Continual preservative improvement.

4. QUALITY AROMAS: Achieved from organic & natural essential oils (not synthetic fragrance).

5. SUPPORT our USDA CERTIFIED ORGANIC FARMERS: Stay close to our suppliers.

6. BUY LOCAL: Buy the majority of our ingredients locally from the West Coast.

7. SUSTAINABLE & RECYCLED: Use only sustainably sourced and/or recycled paper for all supplies, focus on recycled components & recycle again.

8. SOLAR POWER & GLUTEN FREE LABS: Manufacture the majority of our products using Solar Power and all manufacturing done in Gluten Free Labs.

9. NO ANIMAL TESTING: Conduct no animal testing.

10. GIVE BACK. Juice Beauty currently donates a percentage of all profits to the following charities: San Francisco Breast Cancer Fund; The Organic Center, Teens Turning Green; Conservation International and the documentary-Miss Representation.

I received the Green Apple Age Defying Kit.  I immediately loved all of the products.  My skin felt so soft and I could feel the skin around my eyes tightening after using the eye treatment.  I was so impressed that I ordered more of the eye treatment plus some other products to try. I want to try the tinted moisturizer with SPF next.  All of the products I have used smell wonderful too. 

So do you want a chance to win a kit to try?  To enter for a chance to win this kit all you have to do is sign up for Juice Beauty's newsletter, then leave a comment that you signed up.  For bonus entries follow them on facebook or twitter.  I will pick a winner April 4th.

Juice Beauty is also offering all of my readers a special offer.  You will receive a FREE Organic Facial Rejuvenating Mask (a value of $32) plus FREE Shipping with any order of $35 when you enter the code NEWGREENMAMA at checkout. The promo will be good until 4.14. This product is perfect for all skin types to get skin back in shape after winter!

We Have a Hood

Our contractor wasn't able to make it out last week to install the hood and put up the trim.

Mitch spent most of the weekend installing the hood.  There were so many little things that had to be done to get it all ready that it took him longer than expected.  I guess that's just the way it always works.  The fireplace was cleaned and sealed.  Mitch got most of the doors installed and has been working on putting on pulls and knobs.  I was hoping to have more accomplished after this weekend, but what do you do? The installation of the hood was the last major thing that needed to happen in the kitchen.   So at least we don't have anything else big to do.  I will be excited once the trim and ledge on the opening are finished and everything is caulked.  It will finally look finished. 

Sunday Snapshots- It's Spring

The weather has been absolutely gorgeous here.  I finally took some time to venture into the yard and snap some shots.

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Monday everyone.

Brownie Stitch It Patch Sewing Kit

I did something crafty last week.  Woohoo.  Last week I helped Harper's Brownie troop with a sewing project.  They are working on their Stitch It Patch, so I came up with the idea to have the girls sew a simple bag on the sewing machine.  The bag then could be used to hold sewing supplies.  At the end of the meeting each girl would leave with a sewing kit. 

I was a little nervous about teaching them to sew on the sewing machine, but they all did great.  I cut all the fabric and twill tape ahead of time to make it easier.

 

I just used supplies I already had at home, except for the scissors.  I also brought my sizzix and a bunch of felt so that they could cut out shapes to make flowers.  They loved cutting all the felt pieces.  It also put a good dent in my felt stash, which was nice.

All the little items fit perfectly in this little altoid tin.

My mom had a stash of them and she was nice enough to donate them for the project.

I let them pick some buttons and pins from my stash along with some needles and safety pins.

Everything fit neatly into their bag.  I think the girls enjoyed the project.  It did get a little chaotic, but overall I would call it a success.

One of the little girls used the felt to make a flower and sewed it to the front of the bag.  It was very sweet.  Hopefully some of them will be inspired to create some more wonderful things.

 

Kitchen Update-Fireplace, Doors, and Grout

Despite another busy weekend, we were able to mark a few more things off of our list.  The list is definitely getting shorter, which makes me very happy!!

The Mason came on Tuesday and took down our brick fireplace facade.  Here's what it looked like when I left Tuesday morning.

 

Mitch snapped an in progress photo.

This is what it looked like when I got home that evening.  Pretty, huh?



Mitch snapped some more in progress photos for me. Here is a shot of the mason building a new brick surround.



Here is what it looked like at the end of the day Wednesday.  He is going to come back tomorrow to clean up the brick. We chose some slate tiles for the floor.  Mitch is going to build a wood surround and mantle.  Then we are probably going to drywall above the mantle, but we are going to finish the kitchen first.



I spent Sunday afternoon painting cabinet doors.  One side had been painted so I needed to prime and put 2 coats on the other side.  We stayed up late last night putting a final coat on.  There will be touch ups that we will have to do once they are hung back up, but for the most part I am done painting cabinets.



Mitch was able to hang the doors on this side of the room.  He is going to try to add the pulls and knobs some time this week.



We also found a couple of hours on Saturday afternoon to grout the tile.  I know it is hard to tell from the photos, but it looks so much better now.  We just need to let it cure for another day or so and then seal it.



Our contractor is coming on Thursday or Friday to put up the hood and trim.  We really are in the home stretch.



We still need to finish the butcherblock countertop, install the ledge in the opening, install the quarter round, reinstall all the doors, add knobs and pulls, and put a toe kick around the bottom of the cabinets on the sink side.  Then we move to the fireplace room. 

Kitchen Update- Tile and Paint

We had a busy weekend working on the kitchen, but made some pretty good progress.  I say that every week don't I?

I primed and put a couple of coats on one side of all the cabinet doors.  I also put another 2 coats of paint on the base cabinets.

We sanded the drywall, then primed.   Mitch painted the ceiling.   Then we painted the walls.  You can see the crazy color that we finally choose.  It is a little out of my comfort zone, but it is growing on me.  We also installed 2 light fixtures, which gives us so much more light.  I forgot to take a photo,  but I will post some next time I do a kitchen update.

Then Sunday was spent tiling the backsplash.  I tried to help, but this was really a one man job.

 

 

Here it is all finished.  Well, mostly finished. We still need to grout. 

 

 

 

It's marble and I love it.

 

The hood will cover this space once it is installed.

I have walked into my kitchen at least 50 times just to stare at it.  Harper walked in this morning and said, "This is not our kitchen."   I take that as a good sign. 

Hopefully we will get the tile grouted this week.  Mitch needs to decide if he is going to install the hood or have our contractor come back.  Then we need to put up trim and quarter round, stain and seal the butcherblock, and install a piece of wood for the pass through.   Oh, and finish painting the other side of all the cabinet doors.  Then we can tackle the other room.  We have a mason coming this week to take down the brick facade, so I am sure I will have more photos to share.

Sunday Snapshot- Green Belt

Harper tested this weekend for her green belt in Tae Kwon Do.  She even got to break a board.   I didn't actually get a shot of her breaking it, but here is an action shot.

 

She is now a green belt.  I am so proud of her.  She has worked really hard.

A Functioning Sink

Mitch installed the faucet Monday night, but we had to wait 24 hours before we could use it.  I washed my first batch of dishes in it last night.  It works much better than washing dishes in the bathtub. 

 

The dishwasher still needs to be properly hooked up.  It is leaking where the discharge pipe connects with the garbage disposal.  Mitch should have time to fix it this weekend.

I really want to get rid of the drying rack.  I don't want the countertop cluttered with stuff,  but function might win this battle.  I am intrigued by the over the sink collapsible drying racks.  Anyone have a drying rack they love?

We Have Countertops

The countertops were installed today.  In case you missed it, we chose Caesarstone in Pebble. I was so nervous that something was going to go wrong or that they would not turn out the way I envisioned them, but they are perfect.  

We have to wait 24 hours before the faucet can be hooked up so I still don't have a sink or dishwasher, but at least I have countertops!!

There is way too much gray and silver in the room so we are definitely going to have to pick a different wall color.  I am thinking robin's egg blue.  I am still trying to convince Mitch. What do you think?

I keep walking into the kitchen so that I can stare at my countertops.

We are one step closer to a functioning kitchen.

Painting and Drywalling

Last week was a very productive week.  I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  We still have lots of work to do, but the countertops are going in today.  So hopefully (fingers crossed) I will have a useable kitchen by the end of the day.  I will share photos of my new countertop tomorrow.

Here's some progress photos from the week.

The paneling was removed from the room adjoining the kitchen.

 

 

The next day Mitch and our contractor drywalled the room.   Ahhh, much better.

 

 

When Mitch took the molding off around the fireplace, we discovered that the fireplace is pulling away from the wall.  Nice, huh?  We have a mason coming out on Friday to look at it and tell us what he thinks we should do.  More than likely it is going to have to come down.

 

 

Our contractor made all the doors for our cabinets last week.  Mitch sanded them and I put a coat of primer on them . 

 

It's starting to look like a real kitchen.

 

I primed and put one coat of paint on these cabinets.  Our contractor installed the dishwasher and sink, so the faucet is all ready to be hooked up once the countertops are installed.

 

 

The plan is to tile the backsplash next weekend.  We also need to sand all the drywall and prime the ceiling and walls.  Then paint all the cabinets doors, plus all kinds of little things.  Once the tile is up, the contractor will come back to install the hood and put up the trim around the room.  We are slowly but surely getting there.