Green Living | Saved By Grace

Sanibel Soaps {Review + Giveaway}

February 9, 2024 By Christine 7 Comments

I love when products are not just as they seem, but have a deeper meaning as well. This makes them not only stand out, but be extra special.

Sanibel Soaps is not just your average soap company. It is manufactured by a single crafter, which, as you know already gets brownie points with me, but also each soap has a special message of faith and scripture on it. Since God ..”Fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14) each of us, I love the reminder on such a simple day to day item.

Each one of Sanibel Soaps not only has a special scripture, but the products themselves are extremely pampering and great for skin. They contain natural ingredients and invigorating essential oils. The simplest thing you can do for your skin is to treat it with kindness. Sanibel Soaps help you do that with natural oils as well as no chemicals. They also feature home grown herbs. It is ideal for everyone, including those with sensitive skin issues.

JoAnne, the woman behind Sanibel Soaps, is absolutely amazing. She has been there to inspire me, even though she didn’t know me before now, and help me in the last couple weeks when I was in trouble, emotionally and in my faith. I hope to be a blessing to her, the way she has been to me.

Pros:

Natural ingredients and gentle cleansers create the ultimate soap experience. Not only does Sanibel Soaps clean well, but it leaves skin soft and healthy. The scents are calming and invigorating. Not only can you get these scripure soaps with uplifting messages of faith, but the store also has scented sprays, lotion bars and roll on scents.

Cons:

I wish there were more fruity type scents in the product line, as that is what I really prefer for scented products.

Verdict:

These soaps truly clean well and leave your skin luxuriously soft.

To Purchase:

Head over to the website to make a purchase and see all the lovely products that are offered!

Win it!

JoAnne has been so kind as to offer one reader of Saved By Grace a Phoebe Gift Pack (ARV $18.99). This giveaway is open to US Residents and ends 02/16. The Phoebe Gift Pack contains:

1 - Soothing Lavender soap
1- Joyful Moment roll-on
1-De-Stress Body Mist
1 - Healing Hands lotion bar in pouch
2- Personal size “rose hip/jasmine soaps
1 tag - choice of “You are a blessing” or “Friend“

Although Phoebe is only mentioned once in the Bible (Roman 16: 1-2), she is a significant woman. A helper; a confidant, a dependable woman.
A loyal friend. Is there a Phoebe in your life?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: Beauty, Christian Living, Giveaways, Green Living, Product Reviews Tagged With: beauty, giveaways, Green Living

Red Letter Paper Company Valentines {Review}

February 8, 2024 By Christine Leave a Comment

With Valentine’s Day just a little under a week away, Its really time to get to thinking about gifts for this special holiday about love.

One awesome card company I found is Red Letter Paper Company, who makes Christian cards (yay!) with a modern edge.

Not only are these cards wonderfully simplistic and not too flashy, they have scripture on the back and are absolutely delightful in print. I was sent two of the Valentine’s (Love/friendship collection) and I just absolutely adore them. They are so crisp, neat looking and funny.

I got a funny one and a romantic one. The funny one simply says, “Hubba, Hubba” on the front and is blank inside. One the back, it reads “How Beautiful you are, my Darling!” Song of Songs 1:15. If you have not read that chapter in the Bible, let me tell you, it’s a steamy and highly romantic one. The first time I read it, I blushed! God is the ultimate author of romance!

The second card I got reads,”In your arms is my favorite place to be“, is also blank inside, and on the back reads, “And now there three remain; faith hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13

These cards are absolutely the way I like them. I love how they have a blank inside because I personally can never find pre-written cards that are not too cheesy or missing “something”. I love how they have a unique, simple and crisp design and would be great to give to both men and women. (I can tell you one thing, I have a hard time finding a Valentine’s day card for my husband because I just can’t bring myself to get him any with the color pink on it!)

I also love the Christian edge these cards have. Many Valentine’s cards are simply too full of sexual connotations and while that is sometimes cute, it gets old. I am a true believer that men like to be romanced, too, in their own manly way and romance can exist without sex.

Red Letter Paper Company not only makes Valentine’s day cards, but also many other cards, even some for everyday. Make sure you hurry and get some for your love this Valentine’s day! To order, and see the selection, please go to their website. Make sure you follow them on Facebook and Twitter as well!

PS. All cards made by Red Letter Paper Company are green! They are printed on recycled paper, FSC-certified and made carbon neutral while using 100% wind power. For the Win!

Filed Under: Green Living, Product Reviews

Jax Hats {Review + Giveaway}

February 6, 2024 By Christine 14 Comments

If you have been following my blog for any amount of time, you know that I fully support crafters and small business. I just love how items that are handmade just feel so wonderful to have and use.

Jax Hats are no exception. I first stumbled across Jax Hats a year or so ago at my local Saturday Market. I loved the style of them and the fact that they were not only handmade and local, but upcycled as well. Jax Hats are made from Upcycled sweaters and they are just wonderful!

Lately, my “color” has been lots of greys and browns. Jackie, who hand crafts Jax Hats made me a wonderful hat in grey and black. I have worn it many days in the still cold weather here in western Montana and not only does it keep my head warm, but it is so darn cute. I get compliments on it everywhere I go! I love that the band on the hat is made from t-shirts. It does an excellent job of keeping the hat comfortably in place!

Jax Hats also has a new line of infant and toddler gear as well. These hats make me wish I had a little one again because they just look absolutely darling on both little boys and girls.

The button that you see on the side of the hats are all hand-crafted as well. This hat is just so cute and fashionable, I am worried the warm weather may be coming too soon and I will have to retire my new favorite fashion accessory!

Pros:

These hats are hand made, high quality and they fit well. I love that they are made with upcycled materials and that the buttons on the sides are also home-crafted. You cannot find a better hat for anyone! These look great on women, children, teens, infants and even men!

Cons:

They can be a bit pricier than some people can afford compared to retail prices, but for quality this good, it is more than worth it in my opinion, because after all, these are not mass produced and you are supporting a great independent craft business.

Verdict:

Everyone needs a hat like this! I highly recommend these hats!

To purchase:

Head on over to Jax Hats’ Etsy store and make a purchase. She is even willing to make you a custom hat in colors of your choice as well as do “home parties” where you can earn a hat for yourself if you are in the Missoula or Philipsburg, Montana area.

If you are looking to purchase in a local store in Montana, please visit the following locations:

Apricot Lane in Southgate Mall and the Gallitin Mall in Bozeman
Rockin Rudy’s (Missoula)
UPCYCLED on Higgins (Missoula)
The Artist’s Gallery on Higgins (Missoula)
The Green Light (Missoula)
CELLO (Bozeman)
FAWN (Kalispell)
Freckles and Fairytales (Kalispell)
FREYED SEW (Helena)

Win it!

Jax Hats has GRACIOUSLY made a custom hat JUST for my my blog readers for a giveaway! These hats retail for around $35, so make sure you sign up to win! Please share this blog post so others can enter too! This giveaway is open to US Residents and ends 02/21!

Please Make sure you also follow Jax Hats on Facebook!

Here is the hat that one lucky reader will win! Please enter on the Rafflecopter Form below. If you need help understandiong how to enter on Rafflecopter see my post here. Also, please wait a few moments for the widget to load. Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: Fashion, Giveaways, Green Living, Product Reviews Tagged With: Fashion, Green Living

Ology-New at Walgreens!

January 14, 2024 By Christine Leave a Comment

I frequently shop at Walgreens because I love how you can get a good bargain on household supplies there (not to mention makeup, toys and food!). I noticed a month or so back, they have a new brand of products there called Ology. The Ology line of products is a green line of paper products, cleaners, laundry soap,conditioner for your hair and even light bulbs!

What really impressed me was the price. As a bargain hunter, I am always looking for a good sale. Ology allows me to buy green products at a very reasonable price and with the Balance Rewards program there, I was able to not only get a ton of great Ology products on sale, but also some FREE!

I decided to try a variety from the Ology line at Walgreens to see which ones I liked best.

I got “paper” towels (made from Bamboo and sugar cane husk!), Bath Tissue (also made from bamboo and sugar cane husk), All Purpose Cleaner, Face Tissues (again, made from bamboo and sugar cane husk) and Conditioner (white pear and cucumber).

All the “paper” products are bio-degradable and bleached with H202, not chlorine bleach.

Pros:

I LOVED the way the conditioner smelled! It was awesome that it was Sulfate ad Paraben free, as well as not tested on animals. The bottle was 100% post consumer waste. This was also a huge plus for me! I absolutely loved the all purpose cleaner! It smelled so nice and I am so happy it is so safe and harmful chemical free yet it cleans amazing! I will be buying this again. It is such a great value.

Cons:

The “Paper” products were honestly disappointing. I don’t use paper towels too often, and opt for reusable rags, but they tore too easily and didn’t absorb much. The toilet tissue was rough on the skin and was used up too quickly. I didn’t find that the conditioner worked any better than the kind I already use and of the other items, it was a bit pricier than I would normally pay.

Verdict:

Stay away from the paper products if you are looking for a good absorbancy or hate rough toilet tissue. Definitely buy the all purpose spray!

To purchase:

Head over to you local Walgreens Store for these products and more from Ology! Some of the items are available online, but many are not.

Filed Under: Frugal Living, Green Living, Product Reviews Tagged With: Green Living

20 Mule Team Borax {Review and Giveaway}

January 13, 2024 By Christine 9 Comments

Until recently, I had always wondered about Borax. I had seen it in the stores, humbly nestled in with the laundry supplies, but had no idea what it was used for. Then I found out you could make your own AMAZING laundry soap with it!

One of the reasons I was so hesitant to try it was I used to be so stuck in my ways. I was not willing to try anything that may deviate from them and I was afraid I would buy something that I had no use for.

If you don’t know what Borax is, it is a naturally occurring mineral from the earth. It happens when evaporation of seasonal lakes occurs. Borax is just another name for sodium tetraborate. If you are worried that 20 Mule Team Borax has extras in it, you needn’t. It has absolutely no added chemicals chlorine or phosphates added. Its as pure as what you would find on the ground. All they do is wash it, dry it and box it up!

Not only can you use 20 Mule Team Borax for making laundry soap, you can also just use it as a laundry booster for removing stains. It works by softening hard water and allowing deposits on your clothing to lift and keeps them from re-depositing on your clothing.

In addition to laundry, you can also use Borax to:

Deodorize your garbage can. Just sprinkle some in the bottom!
Soak Cloth diapers in a solution of warm water and 1 cup 20 Mule Team Borax
Cat litter deodorizer. Sprinkle some in with your cat’s litter
Clean rust stains with a paste of lemon juice and borax
Keeps fleas and pests away. Sprinkle of carpet and vacuum
Clean the toilet with it. Add 1/4 cup to the water and let sit for 30 minutes. Scrub it clean!
Help baked on food come off easier with this soak: add two tablespoons to the water and it will come off easier after a bit of soak time.

I highly suggest you check out my Laundry Soap recipe and make some for yourself. You will be amazed at not only have clean it gets your clothing, but also how much money you will save! Check out the Store locator on where to buy 20 Mule Team Borax! It shouldn’t be too hard to find since it is sold in pretty much every store in my area.

Now, you can see the “magic” of 20 Mule Team Borax yourself because Saved By Grace is giving away 3 coupons for a free full sized box of Borax! Just enter on the Rafflecopter form below! This giveaway ends 01/23.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was provided a box of 20 Mule Team Borax for the purposes of this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Filed Under: Frugal Living, Giveaways, Green Living, Homekeeping, Product Reviews

Coconut Oil Uses

January 3, 2024 By Christine 1 Comment

Coconut oil is so useful in more ways than just cooking some tasty meals. It has many healthy uses that you may be surprised about. I scoured the web to find the most unique uses for this almost miracle natural resource. Here is my top 20 unique uses for coconut oil.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Beauty, Crafts & DIY, Green Living Tagged With: health

Nature Box

December 27, 2023 By Christine Leave a Comment

One of my goals for the new year is to eat better. I am hoping this combined with some activity will help me lose some weight. Part of eating better for me will be replacing the fattening and bad for me snacks with good, wholesome ones. I like that Nature box can help me do that.

Nature Box is a monthly delivery of good eats that opens your palette to a new discovery in healthy snacking. For just $19.95 a month, you get 5 different Nature Box Snack with a total of 15-20 servings in total. Shipping is always free and you can cancel at any time.

Nature Box snacks contain none of the following ingredients:

- High Fructose Corn Syrup

- Partially Hydrogenated Oils

- Trans fats

- Artificial Sweetners

- Artificial Flavors or Colors

There is a satisfaction guarantee as well. If you are not satisfied, you can get a refund.

In the box I go, there was an interesting array of goodies. Some I was not too sure about and others, I really enjoyed. The November Box contained; Carrot chips, Cinnamon Spiced Granola, Country Ranch Peas, Roasted Garlic Pumpkin Seeds and Chipotle Maple Almonds.

Pros:

I liked that it had a wide variety of snacks with varying tastes from sweet to hot to salty. I enjoyed the packaging it came in and the box was chock full. I think this is a very good value at $19.95. I love that there is a money back guarantee. My favorite snacks were the Country Ranch Peas and the Cinnamon Spiced Granola. I added some raisins to the granola and it was so good!

Cons:

I thought the carrots were terrible. I didn’t like how plain they tasted. I also thought the use of paper confetti in the box was wasteful, especially from a company that is trying to have an eco-friendly appearance. I also think the portion sizes were pretty small.

My Verdict:

I think this is 4 stars out of 5. It is really hit or miss with some of the snacks. I think a person either likes them or they don’t, but there is enough of a variety in the box to take your pick.

You can find Nature Box on Facebook and make sure to order on their webpage!

Filed Under: Green Living, Product Reviews

Homemade Laundry Soap

December 7, 2023 By Christine 13 Comments

There are many recipes for homemade laundry soap online. Some help you make a “liquid” type that you cook and others are in the powder form. I used to be very hesitant to make my own things like household cleanings. Call it laziness, because I now realize it was. I used to make all sorts of excuses: “I don’t have the time”, “It couldn’t possibly clean as well as store bought”, “It is not cheaper at all!”and even (shamefully) ” I am not some do gooder environmentalist hippie!”

Then my friend over at SimplyShan told me to just try making homemade laundry soap. I agreed to give it a go.

I have been making my own cleaning supplies such as degreasing wipes, for a little over a year now and I am very impressed with how well they clean as well as well as how much cheaper they are!

To demonstrate how much cheaper homemade laundry soap is [Read more...]

Filed Under: Crafts & DIY, DIY Cleaners, Frugal Living, Green Living, Homekeeping Tagged With: DIY

Cleaning with Lemon

December 1, 2023 By Christine Leave a Comment

One of my biggest nemesis is grease in my kitchen. I have no hood over my stove, due to the space in there and my landlady not installing one. The grease covers my walls and around my stove pretty badly. It gets cooked on and it is nearly impossible to remove.

In an effort to go more green with my cleaning techniques, I decided to try something that made sense to me. I was unsure it would work, but to my surprise, it worked.

Do you know lemons can [Read more...]

Filed Under: Frugal Living, Green Living, Homekeeping

ReUsies ™ {Review + Giveaway}

November 30, 2023 By Christine 1 Comment

As I make the move to more greener ways to live, one thing I needed to find a way to do that with was my use of sandwich bags.

ReUsies ™ to the Rescue!

I love how these bags can save me from throwing away tons of plastic sandwich bags over a lifetime. I found them to be durable and I loved how easy they were to care for. They have a nylon leak resistant lining that works with a variety of foods. When I was done, I just hand washed and left ot out to dry. They can also be tossed in the washer and dryer as well as the dishwasher. ReUsies ™ are 100% cotton.

ReUsies ™ come in a variety of designs. The one I got was super brilliant in color and I thought it was fun as well.

I think these would make a great gift for just about anyone looking to go a little greener. When my daughter was a toddler, she would have loved having her own special designed bags for all her little snacks.

I found ReUsies ™ to be well made and I can see them as being durable and long lasting.

ReUsies ™ has offered to give one reader of Saved By Grace a set of two in the design of their choice! Just enter on the Rafflecopter widget below!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Filed Under: Frugal Living, Giveaways, Green Living, Product Reviews