Category Archives: Giveaways

April 18, 2012 · 2:30 pm

REVIEW & GIVEAWAY – MUSEWEAR FLIP FLOPS

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I have been needing new flip flops for a while. The sad part is that I didn’t even realize how badly I have been needing new flip flops…that’s where my sister came in. Over the holidays she mentioned to me how sad and tired my favorite flips flops were. When I stopped to think about it, I realized that I bought them when my son was 5. Um, he is in 5th grade now (yikes). To top it off, I live in California and we tend to wear flip flops year round rain or shine, so you know those babies had been through the ringer.  They have been dearly loved.

So, I started wearing some of my old (but not as old) Havianas and then while out and about they snapped and I had to walk around with broken flip flops for the rest of the day, which is WAY easier said than done.

As if by divine intervention I was contacted by Musewear …they asked me to give their flip flops a whirl. Isn’t it funny how the universe works???  Their flip flops are cushy comfortable and I smile every time I put them on because each pair has an inspirational message printed directly on the footbed, so every time you slip them on you read a flash of positivity.  Musewear also has a line of flip flops called SunSignSoles that focuses on the Zodiac.  I have been wearing my Scorpio flip flops almost daily to and from pilates.

The eco side of me (which is a HUGE part of who I am) appreciates the fact that the flip flops are 100% recyclable and made from 100% Brazilian rubber.  Musewear is also very committed to giving back.  In their own words,

“Musewear was created to spread inspiration, positivity and plain ol’ fun with our flip flops AND our philosophy of giving something back to the world in which we thrive. We’ve built in the ability for you to make a difference when you shop with us. We think of it as “the Big Bang for Your Buck theory.” We’ve pledged to donate 15% of our profits to the organizations below [The Nature Conservancy, Best Friend’s Animal Society, andAmnesty International], because we admire their commitment to make our world a safer, cleaner and more vibrant place …”

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GIVEAWAY GIVEAWAY GIVEAWAY

Musewear has VERY generously offered to allow me to host a giveaway of their product where they will send FIVE readers ONE pair of flips flops (each winner gets to choose their design) Yay…5 winners!!!!

ENTRY DETAILS

  1. Become an e-mail subscriber of Veggie Grettie by entering your e-mail address in the e-mail subscriber box at the top right of the page under the header image of corn chowder (If you are already a subscriber, let me know in the comments)
  2. “Like” Veggie Grettie on Facebook (click HERE)
  3. Follow Veggie Grettie on Twitter (click HERE)
  4. Follow Musewear on Facebook (click HERE)
  5. Follow Musewear on Twitter (click HERE)
  6. Tell me your favorite inspirational quote.

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You will receive ONE ENTRY for EACH task completed.  You MUST leave a SEPARATE COMMENT BELOW FOR EACH  of the tasks you complete.

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The contest will run through 5/02/12 midnight PST.  The winner will be chosen randomly and must be a resident of the United States (includes Alaska & Hawaii). 

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Click HERE to read more about how Musewear got their start.

Click HERE to browse their products.

Images provided by Musewear.

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April 9, 2012 · 4:24 pm

HUGO NATURALS WINNER

We have a winner!  Kiersten DeBrower is the winner of the Veggie Grettie / Hugo Naturals giveaway…congrats!!!

Please contact me with your mailing address via gretchen (at) veggiegrettie (dot) com and I will have Hugo Naturals ship the products to you.  If I do not hear from you within 3 days I will be forced to choose a new winner.

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March 28, 2012 · 2:30 pm

HUGO NATURALS – REVIEW & GIVEAWAY

I was first introduced to Hugo Naturals in 2011 when I first attended Natural Products Expo West.  Hugo and Debra Saavedra, the founders of the company were so warm and inviting when I visited their gorgeous booth.  I could tell from the instant that I met them that they absolutely loved their company and products.  Debra spent a great deal of time with me going over their products and why they were so proud of the fact that they were the first body care company to remove all traces of gluten from their products (certified by the Celiac Sprue Association, or CSA, the largest celiac support organization in the United States).  That really resonated with me.  Never before had it occurred to me that I needed to be careful about the lotions, etc. that I used on my gluten intolerant daughter’s skin, but it made so much sense.  Our skin is our largest organ…of course it matters what we put on it!!!

Flash forward to this year’s expo and in my opinion, Hugo Naturals once again had the most gorgeous booth in the entire expo (the pictures just do not do it justice).  This year Hugo walked me around the booth and showed me the amazing soap carvings that had been and were being made right before my eyes…gorgeous!

I enjoy their products so much that this year I gave my friend Jodie some of their bath products for her birthday…Hugo’s fizzy bath bombs are out of this world, so naturally I had to make sure I included one in her gift bag.

One of my children was sick for a few days this past week and when I suggested that they take a bath to help make them feel better they asked me if I had any of those “awesome fizzy bath balls” for the bath.  Regrettably I ran out (time to re-stock!), but that lets you know how truly wonderful they are.

Besides the fact that I thoroughly enjoy their products, I feel good about purchasing them because their entire product line is vegan, and is also certified cruelty-free by the Coalition for Consumer Information on Ingredients (LeapingBunny.org). Hugo Naturals has also completely removed soy (and gluten) from their recipes.

Hugo Naturals has very graciously offered to provide a wonderful giveaway to one lucky Veggie Grettie reader.

The following FULL SIZE products will go to one lucky winner:

*** ENTRY DETAILS ***

Earn one entry for each task completed:

  1. Become an e-mail subscriber of Veggie Grettie by entering your e-mail address in the e-mail subscriber box at the top right of the page under the header image of corn chowder (If you are already a subscriber, let me know in the comments)
  2. “Like” Veggie Grettie on Facebook (click HERE)
  3. Follow Veggie Grettie on Twitter (click HERE)
  4. Follow Hugo Naturals on Twitter (click HERE)

You will receive ONE ENTRY for EACH task completed.  You MUST leave a comment below stating which tasks you have completed (you can leave it all in one comment if you’d like).

The contest will run through 4/08/12 midnight PST.  The winner will be chosen randomly and must be a resident of the United States (includes Alaska & Hawaii). 

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March 27, 2012 · 7:13 pm

NEW MYSTERY GIVEAWAY WINNER

This is someone’s lucky day (Nikki’s to be precise).  I chose a winner for the Veggie Grettie Mystery Giveaway through random.org last Thursday and never received a response from her, so today I went back to random.org and chose a new winner.  The winning comment was from:

Nikki

I’m a subscriber and I just “liked” you! Hooray!

Nikki please contact me at gretchen (at) veggiegrettie (dot) com with your mailing address and I will mail that heavy box of goodies to you ASAP.

Congrats!

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March 22, 2012 · 6:45 pm

UTI REMEDY REMINDER & Mystery Giveaway Winner

When I woke-up yesterday I went into the bathroom and WHAM… I thought, “Uh oh… I am getting a UTI.”  The first half of the day was VERY uncomfortable.  I had to take the time to pee during pilates class despite the fact that I used the bathroom when I left my house to drive there AND when I got there (the studio is only 2 minutes from my house).

I have clearly crossed into the “TMI” category with this post, but I really want to emphasize that it is possible to fix a UTI under certain circumstances without antibiotics.  I work hard to keep all the good bacteria in my gut and I don’t want to take antibiotics that would wipe all the bacteria out of my body if I don’t have to.

Point being, I feel AWESOME today!!!  Trust me, I worked at fixing the problem yesterday and I am still working at it today, but it seems as though everything is under control now.  PLEASE NOTE – If I wasn’t feeling better this morning, I would have called my doctor.

This is what I did yesterday to try and heal my UTI naturally:

  • Took 1 dose of D-Mannose powder EVERY WAKING HOUR for the first day
  • Drank 4-5 Liters of water throughout the day
  • Ate lots of fruits and veggies

For those of you interested in reading more about natural remedies for UTI’s, click HERE to read my column about it over at Chic Vegan.

Now, on to happier topics…

!!!WE HAVE A WINNER!!!

Lola G is the winner of the Mystery Giveaway.  Thank you to everyone who entered.  This is my favorite giveaway to date.  I really appreciate all of the wonderful comments you left for me (talk about an ego boost!).  Some of you requested a sneak-peak at the contents, so I opened the box-up this morning and took a quick snap-shot (pictured at the top of the post).  Let me tell ya, this box is filled to the brim!

I definitely plan on doing another mystery giveaway in the future.  Maybe the next one will be a box filled with some of my personal favorite products???  You will just have to wait and see.

Lola, please e-mail your mailing address to me so I can get the box headed your way gretchen (at) veggiegrettie (dot) com

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March 14, 2012 · 9:00 pm

MYSTERY GIVEAWAY – Hint…EXPO WEST

As you all know, I have WAY too many samples from the Natural Products Expo West to consume myself and I want to make sure nothing goes to waste, so I have decided to share a BIG box of them with you (click HERE if you didn’t see Monday’s post).

I completely FILLED the Large USPS Flat Rate Box pictured above with samples and it will go to one lucky winner.  Note that not all of the products are gluten-free (thought many many are) and there may be some honey in there…with so many samples, I couldn’t find the time to check them all, so if honey is an ingredient you avoid, please make sure you check the ingredients.

To enter you must complete the following:

1.  Become an e-mail subscriber (if you aren’t already) by entering your e-mail address in the box on the upper right hand corner of this page under the header image.

2.  “Like” Veggie Grettie on Facebook (click HERE).

3.  Leave me a comment below telling me that you have become (or already are) an e-mail subscriber, and that you have “liked” Veggie Grettie on Facebook.

I will choose a winner randomly and the winner will be announced March 22nd, 2012

*** THE CONTEST IS OPEN TO THOSE WITH A US ADDRESS…if you live outside of the US, you may have the box shipped to a friend in the States ***

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February 13, 2012 · 2:30 pm

VEGAN HOLIDAY KITCHEN – Giveaway

Over the holidays I was gifted a copy of Nava Atlas’s Vegan Holiday Kitchen by my parents and I absolutely love it.  I was recently offered a copy of the book to review and when I mentioned that I already owned it we agreed that it would be wonderful to give a copy to one lucky Veggie Grettie reader.

Nava Atlas is the author and illustrator of many books on vegan and vegetarian cooking, most recently Vegan Holiday Kitchen, Vegan Express, Vegan Soups and Hearty Stews for All Seasons, The Vegetarian Family Cookbook, and The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet. A book on leafy greens, Wild About Greens, will be published in June 2012.

I have been given permission to share three of the recipes from Vegan Holiday Kitchen with you…the hardest part was choosing which ones to share!

CORN FRITTERS WITH CILANTRO SAUCE

Click HERE for the printable recipe

HEARTY LENTIL AND MUSHROOM SHEPHERD’S PIE

Click HERE for the printable recipe

CRANBERRY-CARROT CAKE

Click HERE for the printable recipe

 *** WE HAVE A WINNER ***

ASHLEY won the giveaway with the following comment-

I would really appreciate this book because I have recently been diagnosed with Lupus and as a part of keeping myself healthy (as well as my family) I have changed to a vegetarian/vegan diet as it helps keep my symptoms better controlled.
Thanks!!

All recipes and images reprinted with permission from Vegan Holiday Kitchen © 2011 by Nava Atlas, Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.  Photographs by Susan Voisin

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January 31, 2012 · 2:30 pm

GO GREEN LUNCH BOX – Review & Giveaway!

Whenever I get a new product to try I always try to photograph it ASAP in case something happens to it before I have a chance to review it like a huge pasta sauce explosion.  It may sound like I am being dramatic, but if you were at my house this morning you would understand that it looked like a murder scene when the Berbere Stew I was prepping somehow spilled ALL OVER the counter, cabinets, sink, dishwasher door, floor, you get the picture.  You just never know, so I always try to take pictures of products right away whether I end-up posting them on Veggie Grettie or not.

I was recently sent a Go Green Lunch Box to review and I am so impressed with it.  My daughter was super excited to try the lunchbox and was so disappointed every morning that she woke-up and learned I hadn’t photographed it yet.  We had been having a string of icky grey days weather-wise and that doesn’t make for good photographs.  The first sunny day we had I dropped everything and snapped a bunch of photos.  My daughter was so happy to learn that the photos had been taken and the lunch box was finally hers.

The Go Green Lunch Box has a lot of features that I really appreciate, however the bento box design is my favorite since it seems to inspire a lot of creativity when making lunches.  I had so much fun trying to decide what to put into each compartment and there is so much room!  This is not a small lunch box.  I could easily pack a huge lunch for my husband in one of these lunchboxes and cover all the bases from appetizer, to main dish, to dessert, and beverage (It comes with an 8 oz. reusable drink container).

This is a very well designed lunch box in that the lid has silicone seals for each of the 5 compartments which keeps all of the food and flavors separate.  I tried hummus, yogurt, and other sauces and they all stayed within their own compartments with no leaking (However, I also did a soup test and there was some leakage).  There is also a locking mechanism on the lid which prevents it from opening and spilling (very smart design feature).  In addition the lunch box is dishwasher safe (top shelf), though I find that it is very easy to hand wash.

It is apparent that the Go Green Lunch Box was designed by a mother who understands children’s lunch needs;  There is even a white board where you can write your child a message!

Now…to the GIVEAWAY.

GO GREEN LUNCH BOX GIVEAWAY

Kim Castner (pictured above), the founder and designer of the Go Green Lunch Box has offered-up a Go Green Lunch Box set to one Veggie Grettie reader!!!  The lunch boxes come in a wide variety of designs (click HERE to see them) and she is allowing the winner to pick the design of their choice.

TO ENTER

You will gain one entry for each task completed:

  1. Subscribe to Veggie Grettie’s E-mail Subscription (upper right corner of homepage below the Header photo)
  2. “Like” Veggie Grettie on Facebook
  3. “Follow” Veggie Grettie on Twitter
  4. Tweet the following message, @veggiegrettie is hosting @GoGreenLunchBox giveaway http://veggiegrettie.com/2012/01/31/go-green-lunch-box-review-and-giveaway/
  5. Send an e-mail out to your friends telling them about the giveaway and cc me on it gretchen (at) veggiegrettie (dot) com

Come back to THIS POST and leave a comment detailing which of the above you have completed and make sure I have your e-mail address so I can contact you if you win.

Good luck!  This is a great giveaway.

***** The giveaway will run through February 12, 2012 *****

To learn more about Go Green Lunch Boxes, visit their FAQ page by clicking HERE.

Giveaway limited to residents of the US and Canada

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December 16, 2011 · 3:44 pm

PLANT FUSION GIVEAWAY WINNER

We have a winner….Renee!

Thank you so much to all who entered the giveaway.  Have a wonderful Friday and even better weekend.

Renee…please send your mailing address to gretchen (at) veggiegrettie (dot) com

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December 12, 2011 · 2:30 pm

PRODUCT REVIEW – Earthbound Farms PowerMeals and FREE eCookbook

Earthbound Farms recently sent me samples of their new PowerMeals.  For those of you unfamiliar with Earthbound Farms, they practically invented bagged salad in 1986 and have turned that invention into an empire of goodness (click here for their story).  While we are all capable of buying lettuce, washing it, spinning it, etc., let’s face it; we all probably wouldn’t eat as much salad if it weren’t for the fact that we can go buy a bag of it ready to go.  I know I buy it more often than I’d like to admit purely due to the convenience factor.

PowerMeals are basically bagged salad on steroids and they come in three flavors:

  • Blueberry Quinoa Protein Balance (Gluten-free)
  • Tomatillo Black Bean Protein Energy (Gluten-free)
  • Cranberry Wheat Protein Boost

I took the PowerMeals with me on a recent vacation and they really saved me in the sense that I knew I had healthy meals options with me to fill in the gaps when it would have otherwise been easy to choose a less healthy option.  They were heaven-sent!

My only criticism of the PowerMeals is that the dressings that come along with the salads are too high in fat (Total fat of the salads with the dressing ranges from 21-23 grams), but that is easy to remedy by bringing your own dressing which is what I did.

In celebration of their 25th year in business, Earthbound Farms is offering Veggie Grettie readers a free eCookbook, Salads for Every Season, which is available for download now through 12/31 afterwhich it will cost $2.99.  In their own words:

The 83-page eCookbook is an anthology of delicious salad recipes from Myra’s first two cookbooks. Full of wonderfully tasty recipes, the eCookbook will come in especially handy for those looking to lighten up the menu during the holidays.

I have not had a chance to look through the eCookbook yet, but I am sure that there are a lot of great recipes inside.  Remember that there are bound to be some recipes which are not vegan, so adjust accordingly.

Enjoy your free eCookbook!  Click HERE to download it before 12/31/11.

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