New Focus

Wow, it has been so long since the last post! I hope you all had a great summer, fun Thanksgiving and are looking forward to a blessed Christmas!


Now, from my heart, I want to thank those who took the time to personally email me during my long 8 months of silence. Many of those emails brought light to my dark days and left me in tears of gratitude because they were exactly what I needed to “hear” at the time I read them. I am grateful & amazed at how God uses people (especially those we’ve never met) to bring words of encouragement to strengthen us during our times of hardships & trials… I do not know many of you personally, but God used each one of you in a perfect way to encourage my family and me. Thank you! God is awesome!


We now have internet in our home and I am looking forward to blogging again, however the last 8 months of minimal internet has shown me where my focus now needs to be. My focus needs to be on my relationship with Christ, my family and the ministry. We also are expecting our third child anytime now! So, I will be busy raising two toddlers and a babe… I’m sure many of you mothers can understand the joy and challenges life bring raising 3 kids under 5 years old! Whew!


I want to keep this blog going because many of you have shared with me via emails and comments that the blog has been an encouragement, a blessing and very helpful. I’ve enjoyed the work I put into Just Making Noise and hope it will continue to be a blessing for many years to come!


I am looking forward to sharing with you all the birth of our third child and hope that will be very soon! Please keep us in your prayers.


Again… Thank you!
Love and Hugs,

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Naturally Pickled Cayenne

I hope everybody had a great week and enjoying their weekend! We are still in the states and now in Des Moines visiting our home church, family and friends. It has been good so far... but I am soooo ready to get back home to my kefir and lacto-ferments!!!! My body misses them a lot SO BAD... traveling isn't easy because we are out of our normal routine with food and life. We tend to eat fairly simple at home... more now then when we were living in Costa Rica. Because of our clean diet... eating foods that we are not used to eating really wears us out. Even food that are "organic" and "healthy" can make us a little queasy because of ingredients that have not been a normal part of our diet over the last several months.

Some of you might be wondering if we buy our own food... yes!! we typical stop by Trader Joe's or/and a local farmer's market to pick up food to snack & cook whenever we can. Some of the time we are eating at friends' houses or eating out with friends... which makes it hard on us because we aren't always in control of what we eat. We really make an effort to buy raw milk, cheeses and kombucha to help us along... but it is hard to find raw, plain kefir as the ones in the stores are pasteurized and not very good. I have kefir and lacto-ferments everyday at home... that's why I miss it so much! I know my hubby and girls do too!! I keep reminding myself... just a few more days and we will be home! Just a few more... LOL!!!!

Don't get me wrong... we do enjoy our visits to the states, but it does take a lot out of us! I'm sure most of you can understand. When it comes to real food... the best place to eat is in the comforts of your home. Right?!

Now I've got another lacto-fermented recipe for all those who LOVE hot, spicy peppers. The cayenne really give a huge kick in the mouth with their fire... especially when they are fermented! I just made a jar of pickled jalapenos which I'll have to share later, but we are still finishing up the pickled cayenne which I made over 8 months ago!!! Yeah! Crazy, huh? I love it and the flavor is wonderful... more so now then when I first made these guys. They are crazy spicy and will make you sweat if you eat too much... so... go easy first to see how much you can handle. They are addicting! My hubby and daddio LOVE them with almost everything.

The juice is fantastic for spicy up stews, soups and anything else you want to add some kick to! Usually 2 Tbsp is more than enough for a big pot of chili to give it some great heat. Save this recipe for this summer! I know many of you wonder what to do with all your extra hot peppers... this is a fantastic way to improve the flavor, increase nutritional value, store for the winter months and give away to your friends & family! I love how bright the colors come out after they are done fermenting... a great burst of summer right in your fridge during the dark, cold winter is a beautiful sight, yes?! Plus, I remember reading somewhere that hot peppers often prevent sickness and have the highest source of vitamin C... awesome!

Naturally Pickled Cayenne

• 1 lb cayenne peppers
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp sea salt
• 4 tbsp whey (don’t have it? Add 1 tbsp sea salt)
• filtered water

Wearing gloves, wash & sliced peppers. Add sliced peppers to a quart jar and lightly press down to add more if needed. Add the chopped garlic on top.


Mix sea salt and whey. Pour over peppers and add filtered water till peppers are covered. Make sure to leave at least 1 inch of space between the peppers and the lid.


Cover tightly with an airlock or regular sealed lid. Leave in room temperature and out of light for 2-3 days.


It’s ready when you hear a fizzy sound and see bubbles when opening the jar.


Store in a cool place and out of light (pantry, basement or fridge). Will keep for up to 6 months (but I’ve had it last longer than that and it got spicier!).

If you haven't yet... please read how you can benefit from lacto-fermenting your food! Also, this post is part of Fight Back Fridays @ Food Renegade.


Don't forget to enter the giveaways and have a great weekend! Hugs......
Mare

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Lacto-Fermented Costa Rican Chilero

It has been a while since I’ve shared any new lacto-fermented recipes, but I’ve got a delicious one for you today!


I came across this chilero mixture at the San Ramon Feria from the organic stand a few months ago and we were hooked on that stuff. Of course, they pickled the chilero with white vinegar, so Jon urged me to make some chilero and lacto-ferment it to see if it would come out just as good or better.


Amazingly, on the first try, the lacto-fermented chilero came out better than the chilero we bought from the feria. Why shouldn’t it? Raw, living food shouts with pure goodness and makes our guts scream for more! LOL!


The spicy, sweet flavor was so addicting that we ate up the chilero in one meal! Yeah, it was that good! We were having baked potatoes and the chilero was the “cherry on top”… everybody loved it… even my girls were begging for more! I had to literally take the jar away to save what little was left so I could show you guys… which explains the pictures. LOL!

Costa Rican Chilero

• 3 cups grated carrots
• 1 meduim yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 sweet red pepper, finely chopped
• 1-2 cayenne or jalapeño peppers, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp sea salt
• 4 tbsp whey (don’t have it? add 1 tbsp sea salt)
• filtered water

Combine carrots, onion, peppers, garlic and scoop into a quart jar. Gently push down.

Mix together sea salt and whey. Pour into the jar.

Add enough water to cover the veggies. Make sure there’s at least one inch between the veggies and the top of the jar.

Cover tightly with either an airlock or regular sealed lid.

Keep at room temperature and out of light for 3 days before opening.

Store it in a cool place and out of light (pantry, basement or fridge).

Like all ferments... the longer you leave it, the better the flavors will become. If you are a little scared to start fermenting your food... read How You Can Benefit From Lacto-Fermented Foods! This Chilero is super EASY and a great start on your road to exploring lacto-fermenting. Enjoy and have a great day!

Mare


UPDATE: I know I missed the Lacto-fermented Blog carnival by Sustainable Eats, but I figure it would be better late then never. I'll be entering all my LF recipes along with the one. Check out all the recipes that other bloggers have posted! There are some great stuff there.

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Review & Giveaway: Heavenly Organics

Thanks to the people of Heavenly Organics, someone is going to have a big box of goodies showing up on their doorstep very soon!

Thank you everybody for your shouts, this giveaway is now close.

Mission Statement:
To produce and market 100% organic product with sustainable methods that preserves and nourishes the biodiversity of the planet, as well as the traditional people and cultures where our products are harvested and produced.

I stumbled across this small company last year and their products have become one of my favorites. Especially their sugar… they were not exaggerating when they claimed that a spoonful of their sugar is a taste of Heaven.

This heavenly sugar is from the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains and processed according to the ancient health science of Ayurveda that describes how to remove certain impurities from raw sugar cane that are not considered beneficial & causes a bitter taste:

The only certified 100% organic sugar available in the US market… Heavenly Sugar is purified with wild-crafted herbs to remove toxins that come from the bark of the sugar cane without removing the natural nutrients found in raw sugar cane juice. The purified sugar cane juice is then sun-dried, giving it the added vitality of the sun’s energy. The result is the healthiest and best tasting sugar in the world. Certified 100& Organic, Herbal-Purified, Sun-Dried, Great-Tasting, Whole-Cane Sugar.

Some of you might remember the Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Ice Cream that I shared back in January. I decided to use Heavenly Sugar instead of raw honey and loved how the raw sugar gave the ice cream a smooth, rich taste. Have you tried it yet? My mouth is watering just thinking about it… I should make it sometime this week! Oh yeah!

Another thing I made with the raw sugar, but haven’t shared it with you all is my Chocolate Coconut Tres Leches Cake. I will work on getting the recipe up soon… not only is it made with chocolate, but it is also gluten-free! Don’t worry, the taste and texture tastes very much like the original… just healthier, richer and better tasting (that’s my opinion). Can’t wait for you all to try out the recipe and let me know what you think!

Along with their raw sugar, I used their yummy sweetened condensed milk for the tres leches sauce. That stuff is so rich and creamy… oh my! I’m so glad I finally found a delicious source of organic SCM. What makes this stuff unique is the way they treat their cows:

The only organic “cow-friendly” sweetened condensed milk. Our cows & bulls are treated with TLC (tender loving care) and allowed to live their full life span peacefully & happily, they are never slaughtered. They are not confined to stalls and allowed to graze freely on virgin land and organic pastures. We do not separate the calves from their mothers, as in almost all other dairies. The result is a rich creamy sweetened condensed milk with sublime, heavenly flavor beyond compare.

Yeah, I agree… the flavor is sublime, but this is the first time I've ever worked with sweetened condensed milk... so I don't know how it compares to other brands. Does it really matter? I still have one can left and don't know what to do with it! LOL!

Anyway... Next, we enjoyed 3 different kinds of raw honey… Himalayan White Honey, Himalayan Acacia Honey & Rare Wild Forest Honey. Each has their own unique flavor and texture. We liked all the honeys, especially the creamy & rich White Honey. The most unique is the Chambal… the flavor seems almost medicinal due to the neem flowers that the bees feast on. We really enjoyed it in our weekly soaked oatmeal and homemade crackers. All of Heavenly Organics’ honeys are organic, raw, sustainable, fairly-traded and health-promoting… the Wild Forest is the only one that is wild-collected:

White Honey: This delicious rare, exotic, raw, organic honey is collected from high in the Himalayan Mountains (in Kashmir near the border of Ladakh). This region is far from the reach of pollution and modern agricultural chemicals. This delicious, multi-floral honey is light or “white” in color and has a smooth, unique flavor that slowly opens your senses to a multitude of exotic flowers as it lingers on the pallet.

Wild Forest: This honey is collected from the wild bee hives by indigenous tribes in the dense forest of Central India. This area is famous in South Asia for the collection of wild-crafted herbs used in the preparations of medicines according to the ancient Science of Life, Ayurveda. Our collection methods have prevented forest fires and supports the biodiversity of the forests by increasing the number of wild bee hives. This honey has unique, health-promoting properties owing to the blooming neem flowers. Please view the video to see the sustainable, cruelty-free and wild collection practices used in gathering our “Chambal” Wild Forest Honey.

We’ve enjoyed every bite of Heavenly Organics’ products. Another great thing to know about this small company is where they are located… in Fairfield, IA! If you didn’t know… I used to live in Des Moines, IA and Fairfield is probably about an hour or two away. This is great for those who live in the Midwest and care about buying things close by as much as possible.

Now, the Giveaway…
The awesome staff of Heavenly Organics have generously offered to giveaway TWO packets of their products… that means we will have 2 winners! Thanks guys!

Yeah, you read that right! Each packet will have 1 bag of Heavenly Sugar, 1 can of sweetened condensed milk and 3 jars of raw honey (one of each flavor). Now, it gets better… anybody in the WORLD can enter for a chance to win a packet! The only requirement is you must be able to pay for the shipping costs. I say it is worth it because you will get amazing free products valued just over $35.

Ways to Enter...

1. Subscribe for my email updates. Leave a noisy comment below telling me that you signed up. You also get an entry if you've already subscribed...again, make sure you tell me that! (1 entry)
2. Follow my blog (publicly). Leave me a comment that you've become a follower. (1 entry)
3. Follow me on Twitter. Be sure to include your Twitter username in the comment telling me that you are following me. (1 entry)
4. Tweet the giveaway. Leave a comment with the URL of your tweet! (1 entry)
5. Friend me on Facebook and post about the giveaway on your Facebook status. Leave a noisy comment below telling me that you did those two things. (1 entry)
6. Become a Just Making Noise Fan on Facebook. Leave me a shout below telling me you became a fan. If you are already a fan... you get that entry! (1 entry)
7. Blog about the giveaway. Make sure to link back to this page on your blog. Comment below with the URL link of your post. (That is 2 extra entries!)
8. Email 4 friends about the giveaway. Make sure you put a link to this page on the email. Leave a comment below telling me that you emailed your friends. (That is 4 extra entries!)

Okay, there are a total of 8 entries and 12 opportunities to win. Good luck and have fun!

The Rules...
PLEASE, every comment must have an email address. The giveaway ends on May 31st and is open to ANYBODY in the WORLD! Please be prepared to pay for shipping costs.
I will choose the winner via Random.org and he/she will receive an email from me. The winner will be annouced on May 31st and will have 48 hours to contact me with his or her full name, address and phone number. Thank you!

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Honey Bee Buckwheat Cakes (Gluten-free & Soaked)

Spring is totally in the air around here! Today was warm, fresh and beautiful with green grass shooting up everywhere and trees showing off their beautiful flowers. Ahhh... who doesn't love spring?!

Wait... you must all be wondering what I am talking about because we don't have spring in Honduras... sorry! I am actually in the states with my in-laws right now! We are here for a few weeks for my brother-in-law's wedding and visiting a couple churches. We are so glad to be here!

Anyway, spring is a beautiful season of new life, warmth and amazing colors that stretch up to the sky. It is a so fitting that Easter falls in the spring season... the resurrection of the earth after the long, cold winter is a beautiful sight and is a visual reminder of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ! He overcame death and gave us a future & hope! Awesome!

Now, I want to share with you a simple & yummy-tummy recipe of Buckwheat Cakes... along with a surprised visit from a honey bee! This little guy came buzzing along and decided to check out the cakes & slurp up some honey while I was shooting pictures. I was actually really grateful that he came along because I wasn't too happy with how the pictures were coming out. Before he came along, the pictures looked flat and boring. I just love how the pictures came alive with character and life with him hanging out there and being a bee! LOL!!

Okay, okay... I'll stop talking about him.

The cakes are amazily simple to make and so good. I love the smooth earthy flavors and rich texture. If you are not a big fan of plain buckwheat, you can go half and half with whole wheat or spelt to tone down the buckwheat flavor a bit. I also like that this recipe is gluten-free and buckwheat is actually a seed, not a grain. Its phytic acid is much lower than the grains... making it much easier to digest and does not require a long soak. I acutally prefer to soak it close to 24 hours because we really enjoy the nice tangy kick... great with ripe fruits on top. Here I topped it with raw mango butter, butter and raw honey. I bet blueberries would be fantastic too!

 

Honey Bee Buckwheat Cakes

• 2 cups 100% buckwheat flour (or 1 cup buckwheat & 1 cup whole wheat or spelt)
• 2 cups buttermilk, kefir, yogurt or water w/ 2 Tbsp lemon juice or raw vinegar
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbsp raw honey
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 Tbsp melted butter or coconut oil

Soak flour with liquid in a warm place for 12 to 24 hours.


Lightly beat the eggs and pour into the soaked flour. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and thin the batter to desired consistency with water if needed.


Cook on a hot, oiled griddle or cast-iron skillet. These pancakes cook slower then unsoaked whole grain flour or white flour pancakes. When bubbly on top and golden brown at the bottom… flip over and cook for a few minutes till golden brown.

Top with mango butter or your choice of fruit, butter, raw honey and a honey bee (optional). Enjoy!!

Have a great week and don't forget to check out the giveaways and enter for a chance to win 2 ecousable bottles or an Action Baby Carrier!
Hugs,
Mare

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Review & Giveaway: The Action Baby Carrier

Thanks to the creators of the Action Baby Carrier, someone it going to come away from this giveaway with an awesome carrier!

Thanks everybody for your shouts, this giveaway is now closed.

Don´t forget to enter for a chance to win 2 EcoUsable bottles! Plus, I appreciate any help spreading the news of these giveaways from you all. Thanks so much and enjoy!

So, The timing was perfect when I received the carrier because we were getting ready to head to the Caribbean and decided to bring it, along with my Ergo. We rented bikes the whole time we were there so we had to use both carriers to carry our girls. I tried out the Action Baby Carrier with Tabi while Jon and my father-in-law used the Ergo with Naomi.


Here you will see me using the ABCarrier while we were touring the amazing chocolate plantation near Puerto Viejo. Overall, I really enjoyed the ABCarrier and found it to be very similar to the Ergo with a few exceptions.

Before I continue… please know that I was given the Action Baby Carrier to review for free. This review is totally my opinion and has not been edited or reviewed by anybody. I am not being compensated in any other way for this product review.


There are a couple things that really impress me about this mom & pop business based in Alpena, MI. All their carriers are handmade in the USA and sold at affordable prices. Along with the carrier, I received a letter sharing about the manufacturing of the Action Baby Carrier:

The Action Baby Carrier was designed by Angela and Scott Alexander in 2007, they are owners of Optave Inc. The design of the carrier was based on the idea of a simple, compact and affordable baby carrier that was made in the USA.


When looking at other carriers, we wanted something that we could easily throw in a diaper bag and we did not want to spend $150+, so we set out to make our own. We came up with the Action Baby Carrier. The Action Baby Carrier may not have all the bells and whistles of some other carriers, but it is light weight at about 1 pound and can fold small enough to fit into a diaper bag.


Once we had a design for our carriers, the next issue was production. We did not want to have a page on our site explaining the working conditions of our factory over seas. There are a lot of Americans out of work here in the US. After contacting several sewing houses in the US that said we were better off shipping production to Asia, we decided it was best to just set up our own shop.


Currently all of our carriers are sewn by hand in Alpena, MI. We are proud to manufacture our carriers in our own shop. In a town with 23% unemployment, we are glad to be doing our part.

My Thoughts
Now, I mentioned above that the ABCarrier is very similar to the Ergo… it is very comfortable with foam-padded shoulder straps that can be worn backpack style w/ a chest strap or criss-cross (Ergo does not do this), it has an adjustable hip belt, sleeping hood, can be worn front & back, beautiful fabric designs and folds into a compact size to fit easily in a diaper bag. Click here to read the details.

I really like their carrier and love the fit, but there are a few things I did not like about it and hope they can make improvements on these things if possible:

• The straps - the straps are a little awkward to use because you have to pull them back & up towards your back to tighten them and that’s not easy to do. The Ergo’s straps are made that you can pull them forward & down to tighten comfortably without feeling like your arm is going to twist off. But I have to say that the scraps do feel very secure and strong… that’s a good thing!
• The fabric – I LOVE LOVE the outside fabric design… so bright and beautiful! The fabric is made of 100% cotton canvas so it is very durable, but the inside fabric is made of polyester… not my favorite fabric. I would prefer it if they use 100% cotton for the inside to make it even lighter and more breathable. Tabi was a little hot inside it because of the humid, tropical weather.
• The chest straps – I almost lost one of the straps when I was getting Tabi in the carrier. I did the criss-cross and didn’t noticed the strap missing till a little while later when I wanted to change it back to the backpack style. Thankfully we rode our bikes back to the spot and found it. The straps aren’t sewn on so they can easily fall out when you unhook the straps.

Really, these are minor things that will not endangered your baby. You can simply ignore those things & enjoy it as it is! It is a very well made carrier that will last you a long time.

Wearing the ABCarrier on My Side
The instructions only tell you to wear the carrier on the front or back, but I was able to wear it on my side. Check out the pictures below… it was so easy to do and very secure. Tabi was happy because she wanted me to hold her on my hip so she could see everything, but I wanted to take pictures too. The ABCarrier did a wonderful job of holding her securely while I took pictures through the jungles of the chocolate plantation.

We all know the benefits of wearing our babies and I love the way Scott & Angela put in their own words:

More than a Carrier.....
It is more than a baby carrier. It is more than an image of a child who is peacefully snuggled against their parent. It is a blink in time, a moment you will never get back. It is the smell of your skin close to your child. It is the moment your baby looks up and slowly closes his eyes and drifts off to sleep. It is the ability to fold laundry, trim flowers, go to the market as your baby is happy and close to you.
It is the strolls down old cobblestone streets, across open fields and busy cities. It is the security of knowing, feeling, touching your child. Knowing that you can not look away or just a split second and them be gone, because he is part of you, connected, bonded and secure.

It is what every parents wants- security of knowing what they are doing is the best, safest, and healthiest thing for their baby.

That is the power of Action Baby Carriers.

So, overall… I highly recommend the ABCarrier to those who desire to purchase things handmade & sold in the USA, want a good quality carrier at an affordable price and love bright color fabrics (they do have plain versions too). You cannot buy the ABCarrier directly from them, but you can locate a store near you that sells their carriers. Here are my ratings for the ABC:

Ratings: 1 - 7 (terrible - excellent)
Quality: 7
Style: 7
Ease of use: 4
Baby's comfort: 6.5
My comfort: 7
Ability to nurse: 6
Overall score: 6.2 [Very Good!]







Now, the Giveaway…


A free Action Baby Carrier of your choice! Thanks to Scott & Angela! I really do enjoy this carrier and love that it is handmade with integrity & love.



How to Enter...


Head over to the Action Baby Carrier website and pick your favorite print. Then come back here and leave me a comment sharing what your favorite print is. The print you choose will be the print you will receive if you win, so choose well! That's one entry... please read on for more entries to increase your chance of winning!


Extra Entries...
You must do the main entry first (above) before doing the extra entries. Remember that each entry is a separate comment. Thanks and have fun!

1. Subscribe for my email updates. Leave a noisy comment below telling me that you signed up. You also get an entry if you've already subscribed...again, make sure you tell me that! (1 extra entry)
2. Follow my blog (publicly). Leave me a comment that you've become a follower. (1 extra entry)
3. Follow me on Twitter. Be sure to include your Twitter username in the comment telling me that you are following me. (1 extra entry)
4. Tweet the giveaway. Here's a suggested tweet: "WIN a free Action Baby Carrier @ [enter URL here]". Leave a comment with the URL of your tweet! (1 extra entry)
5. Friend me on Facebook and post about the giveaway on your Facebook status. Be sure to include the URL to this page in your status update. Leave a noisy comment below telling me that you did those two things. (1 extra entry)
6. Become a Just Making Noise Fan on Facebook. Leave me a shout below telling me you became a fan. If you are already a fan... you get that entry!  (1 extra entry)
7. Blog about the giveaway. Make sure to link back to this page on your blog. Comment below with the URL link of your post. (That is 2 extra entries!)
8. Email 4 friends about the giveaway. Make sure you put a link to this page on the email. Leave a comment below telling me that you emailed your friends. (That is 4 extra entries!)

Okay, there is a total of 9 entries and 13 opportunities to win.

The Rules...

PLEASE, every comment must have an email address. The giveaway ends on ------- and is open to those who have US mailing addresses (hint: if you live outside of the US, but still have a US mailing address and a way to get the product to you... you are qualified!).

I will chose the winner via Random.org and he/she will receive an email from me. The winner will be annouced on May 31st and will have 48 hours to contact me with his or her full name, address and phone number. Thank you!

Enjoy!!
Mare

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Review & Giveaway: EcoUsable's Ech2o - The World's Only Stainless Steel Filtered Water Bottle

Thank you Marc Wollman (Vice President of ecousable) for this AWESOME giveaway!
Thank you everybody for all your shouts, this giveaway is now close.

Finally! The giveaways are starting!! I appreciate all the help I can get from you guys in spreading the news about the giveaways when they are posted. My time on the internet is limited and I will do my best to post the giveaways in good time.


Muchas gracias for all your help!

So, I am in love...

Seriously, I'm in love with the World's Only Stainless Steel Filtered Water Bottle.

Great filtered water, so eco-friendly, comfortable to hold, great colors and pays for itself within a few uses... How can I not love it?!

Of course, not every product is perfect and can have a flaw or two. The filter makes drinking through the straw a little hard and sometime it feels like you are trying to pull it out. Another thing is not to screw the lid too tight or you will have a struggle trying to open it... BUT, to me, they are minor things compared to being able to drink healthy, clean water wherever we go! And I've found two things to help with getting the water to flow easier... don't fill the bottle too full and tipping the bottle up will help the water to flow out better. So there, problems solved!

We bought one through Amazon.com back in June 2009 when we visited the States because I wasn't too excited about drinking chlorinated tap water or bottled water while we traveled for two weeks... Why? because drinking tap water tastes gross & is really not healthy for you. Bottled water is wasteful, expensive, not 100% reliable & the plastic chemicals often leach into the water... does that sound yummy and refreshing to you? I didn't think so.

Here's a great example of how awful tap water really is: When we were visiting our home church in Des Moines, IA... we stayed with some great friends in West Des Moines. The water in that area is known to have strong chlorinated tap water and a taste that is just disgusting (ask anybody who lives there!). Anyway, we were getting ready to leave the house and I was checking the water bottle to see if it needed to be filled up. As soon as I took off the top... I got a HUGE whiff of chlorine and was gagging from the strong smell. It almost felt like I was back in my high school's indoor swimming pool, I could not believe how bad it was!! I had Jon (my sweet hubby) smell it to see if I was just imagining it, but I wasn't... he withdrew with a disgusted look on his face and I had to laugh because he looked so comical. It really did a great job of filtering out chlorine and other nasty stuff because the water tasted so refreshing during the entire time we traveled. We've traveled with our bottles in most of the USA, Costa Rica & Honduras using the tap water with no ill effects! I even filled it with snow water up in the mountain of Washington and it tasted like clean snow.


My hubby was (and still is!) so glad that I convinced him that we needed to get this bottle for our travels... well... that's what we wives are to do :o) LOL!!

Now, there are several other reasons why I love this brilliant filtered water bottle:

• The container is made of high-quality 304 food-grade, non-leaching and recyclable stainless steel. I learned that stainless steel requires less energy to produce than aluminum and doesn't need a lining.
• The Ionic-Absorption Micro-Filtration System is 100% BPA-free.
• The 25 oz Ech2o water bottle filters up to 100 gallons of water and supposed to last about a year. Replacement filters are sold separately and made in the USA.
• You are saving, up to 757 half liters worth of bottled water, money!!
• While you drink, the filter instantly removes up to 99.99 percent of pollutants (Tested by independent state and EPA approved labs to EPS/ANSI protocols and NSF Standards 42 & 53): Aesthetics: unpleasant taste, odor, clarity, chlorine, sand, sediment and Radon 222. Biological: Pathogens such as cryptosporidium, giardia & other cysts and spores. Chemicals: toxic chemicals, detergents, pesticides and other harmful industrial and agricultural wastes. Dissolved Solids: heavy metals such as aluminum, asbestos, copper, lead, mercury and others.
• You can drink water from the tap, pool, rivers, streams and lakes (everything except salt water). I haven't tried anything beyond the tap water, but it does great for us in Costa Rica!
• Great for emergencies and survival.
• Safer than plastic bottles.
• Available in a variety of colors, designs, sizes and accessories. Their bottles range from $12.49 - $39.99... which is really inexpensive compared to spending money on one-time-use bottled water.

Besides all the great things listed above... my favorite thing about this bottle is taking it with us to the airport and being able to have refreshing, filtered water after going through security. You all know how crazy expensive bottled water can be at the airports and it is vital to stay hydrated while traveling. Check out this fun video below (its a little long, but it gives you a good picture):

Of course, after having a great experience with this bottle I had to contact the company and thank them for creating this brilliant bottle. To my surprise, they replied back quickly and wanted me to review their other products along with doing a giveaway. I was more than happy to do it and found all their products excellent in quality. They are light, very durable & feel great in our hands. We are tossing out our old SIGG bottles because they use aluminum w/ a inner lining while EcoUsable are using food-grade stainless steel. I know SIGG is a high quality brand, but now that stainless steel water bottles are available... why do I want to keep the aluminum?

Their extra accessories are simple, but nice! Their Sports Tops are made from safe, non-leaching polypropylene and has a dirt-proof lid which easily flips open with a gentle pull to unlock the mouthpiece mechanism. EcoUsable also have fun bands called Water Wrapz that fit around the bottles for style and non-slip comfort.

Now, the Giveaway...

25 oz Pink Ech2o Filter Water Bottle, 16 oz Aqua EcoUsable Water Bottle, 1 Stripes Water Wrapz & 1 White Sport Drinking Cap. Yep, you read that right... 2 bottles and 2 accessories! Thanks to EcoUsable, It has been has been fantastic having filtered water on the go. We've used it everywhere in Costa Rica, Honduras and parts of the USA. It is a relief to have these bottles around! If you are not completely convinced that this filter can do the job... watch this video:

How To Enter...

Head over to EcoUsable and "join the revolution"... sign up to receive special offers and sales via email . Then come back here and leave a comment letting me know that you've "joined the revolution". That's one entry!

Extra Entries...
You must do the main entry first (above) to qualify, then post a separate comment for each extra entry. Thank you!

1. Follow my blog (1 entry)
2. Subscribe to receive my posts via email (1 entry)
3. Follow EcoUsable on Twitter (1 entry)
4. Follow EcoUsable on Facebook (1 entry)
5. Follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway (1 entry)
6. Be come a fan on Just Making Noise's Facebook page (1 entry)
7. Email 4 of your friends about the giveaway (4 entries)
8. Post about this giveaway on your blog and leave me a link (2 entries)

You can have a total of 12 entries (12 separate comments). Remember, if you are already following me on Twitter &/or my friend on Facebook &/or following my blog and so on... you automatically have those extra entries! Thank you!!


The Rules...

PLEASE, every comment must have an email address. You can comment with your blog account as long as I can contact you through there! The giveaway ends on May 31st and is open to those who have US mailing addresses (hint: if you live outside of the US, but still have a US mailing address and a way to get the product to you... you are qualified!).

Now, head over to EcoUsable and start entering for this brilliant giveaway!

Disclaimer: I was given a sample pack of bottles to review from EcoUsable. This review is totally my opinion and has not been edited or reviewed by anyone. I was not compensated in any other way for this product review.

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Just Making Noise´s One Year Anniversary!

Today marks the one year anniversary of Just Making Noise! As you all know, so much has happen since the starting of my blog. I have so much to share! So, again... I ask that you get comfortable in your chairs, couches, counter stools or whatever you are sitting on at the moment.

I wish I could say that this is a happy day, but to be honest... I woke up with tears in my eyes and a heavy heart. The first thought that came to my mind was... I can´t do this!

Living in Honduras as strip away most of the comforts that I´ve grown up with and it has been hard. There are days where I wish I had a Trader´s Joe or health food store just around the corner and my friends close by, but I don´t. Thankfully, I was given the opportunity to check my email and blog without the girls so I can focus, get some things done and get caught up (Thanks to my wonderful family). Of course, I wanted to see what people had to say about my last post and one caught my eye:

Thanks so much for letting us in on your life and giving us specific ways in which to pray for you and your family. I feel I have found a kindred spirit in you and your blog. Today alone I made 2 of your recipes (Rise-n -Shine Smoothie & Kefir Sourdough Pizza) - both were delish! Will be praying for you and your family as you make this transition to Honduras.
Here's a section of Scripture that has encouraged me as of late: Phil 4:11-13 "Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any & every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance & need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. "

Thank YOU Child of Grace and each one of you who left my blog with prayers, scriptures and encouragement. It warmed my heart knowing that you all care and are praying for my family. Now I feel so much better! Of course, I have my Lord Jesus and know I could not do anything with Him.

Now, I have many little things to share with you all:

Tabitha Update

Your prayers for Tabi were heard and she is about 95% healed. THANK YOU!! Her skin is returning to normal and we are so grateful that we chose not to go the medical route. The natural route DOES WORK... just need to be patience to allow the body to heal and straighten itself out. So often we want the problem(s) to be gone right now and I am guilty of that, but I am so glad God used Tabi´s skin issue to teach me a new level of patience. Please don´t think I´ve got it all together... I don´t, I still have so much to learn about patience and letting God be in control. Please keep praying for me and healing for Tabitha, thank you!

Real Food Media

I´m sure most of you have noticed the new ads I have around my blog. I am thrilled to say that I´ve joined an awesome group called Real Food Media, started by Ann Marie of Cheeseslave. Looking forward to many adventures with these gals!

Giveaways

Yes, I have many giveaways coming up and hope to get them out SOON! Thank you for your patience! Also, it would be much appreciated if some of you or all of you can help me by sharing, tweeting, facebooking and blogging the giveaways when they come out. As many of you know, my time is limited on the internet and challenging. Again, any help is most appreciated!!

Now, I my time is up and I must head home. Blessings and hugs to all of you!!

Mare

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