Product Reviews | Saved By Grace

Mother’s Day Gift Guide: American Country Handcrafted Furniture

May 2, 2024 By Christine 1 Comment

In the day of many things being mass-produced it is always refreshing to find a company that does it “the old fashioned way” and hand crafts their products. American Country does just that.

American Country is a husband/wife team that creates stunning and sturdy handcrafted furniture to decorate and add amazing style to your home. Each product is made with steady craftsmanship in a wood shop and hand painted. The products are crafted with pine and although this may sound silly, one of the first things I did when I got mine, was smell it. It had an amazing scent that immediately made me feel that this product was high quality and would be a long lasting heirloom!

American Country allowed me to get a Family Sign made with the colors and finish of my choice. I was awed by how beautifully it matched my decor in my living room. The sign is heavy and sturdy and you could really see the love and quality craftsmanship put into it. It is a wonderful conversation piece! Now, I just need to figure out where I like it best!

American Country not only makes these beautiful Family Signs, but also benches, cabinets and shelving. They have been features three times in Country Sampler Magazine! Make sure you check out their Pinterest account for a quick view of some amazing handcrafted furniture!

I recommend this company as a wonderful gift idea for moms this Mother’s day! They have an etsy shop as well for those of you that are etsy-addicts like myself!

Pros:

The pieces are absolutely stunning and the turnaround time is fantastic! All the items sold are made to order, you pick the finish and colors and you get a custom piece just for you!

Cons:

I do wish there were some more colors to choose from, but I am very happy with how beautifully the colors I chose turned out!

Verdict:

If you are looking for authentically handcrafted furniture with amazing quality, American Country is your place to shop!

To Purchase:

Head over to the American Country website and order your own Family Sign or another wonderful product from their line. I bet you will be just as happy as I was! The Family sign is hand crafted and hand painted and it was $49.99. They ship to the 48 Continental US states and Canada. Follow American Country on Facebook as well for updates, new products and beautiful furniture!

Filed Under: Family, Homekeeping, Product Reviews Tagged With: Family, Product Reviews

Mother’s Day Gift Guide: Pearls from Pearl Paradise {Review + Giveaway}

May 1, 2024 By Christine 21 Comments

There are some gifts that are timeless and in my opinion, pearls are one of those gifts. They can be heirlooms and are perfect for many occasions from casual to weddings.

I had never owned a set of genuine freshwater pearls until I was sent an absolutely stunning set from Pearl Paradise, the leading freshwater pearl website online. I chose a set of 7.5-8.0 mm black pearls on an 18 inch strand with a white gold clasp. They looked beautiful online but even more gorgeous in person!

You may be wondering, what is a Freshwater Pearl?

Freshwater pearls differ from salt water pearls in that they are more plentiful, grow in a wide variety of colors from classic off white to pastel shades and are more versatile. Freshwater pearls are often regarded as being lower quality but with Pearl Paradise, they offer their freshadama collection with the highest quality of nearly perfect to perfect freshwater pearls on the market.

Are pearls expensive?

The pearls at Pearl Paradise are at awesome prices you won’t find elsewhere. The strand I got retails for $690.00 but is sold on Pearl Paradise for an amazing price of $139.00!

Pros:

Pearls from Pearl Paradise are of the highest quality. I was literally blown away at their luster and quality! I wish the pictures I took really showed off how beautiful they truly are! The pearls came with a pearl care guide, a beautiful box to store them in, a certificated of appraisal and polishing cloth. I highly recommend these absolutely stunning pearls to give your mom this Mother’s day. She will be overjoyed!

Cons:

The strand could have been a little longer in length. I got the 18 inch strand, but I wish there was a longer length.

Verdict:

Pearl Paradise is highly recommended by Saved By Grace!

To Purchase:

Check out the Pearl Paradise website and make sure you use code MOM2013 to get 10% off your order!

Giveaway:

Pearl Paradise has generously offered to allow one reader of Saved By Grace a Pearl necklace like mine in the color of their choice: pink/peach, black, lavender and multicolor! This is an over $100 value!

Giveaway is open to US residents, 18+ and runs from 5/01-5/10/2013

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Filed Under: Fashion, Giveaways, Product Reviews Tagged With: Fashion, giveaways, Product Reviews

Fresher, Cleaner Clothes with Purex’s Natural Elements!

April 30, 2024 By Christine 19 Comments

One thing I love about detergents for cleaning is the awesome smell! I am the crazy lady in the store opening up the bottles sniffing each one and trying to decide which to pick. Purex’s Natural Elements offer me a great clean and a great “sniff”!

This is what you will often see if you find me in the detergent aisles of any stores!

As someone who is forced to do my laundry at the laundry mat, I often have run into the problem of ending up with musty smelling clothes from tireless usage of the public washers. Purex’s Natural Elements left my clothing smelling amazing, with no musty smell and cleaned the toughest stains out of my husband’s work clothes. I was surprised by the way it was able to get the grease spots out of his work shirts and keep them bright and red as they should be!

What’s different about Purex’s Natural Elements?

Purex’s Natural Elements uses natural plant extracts to get that amazing scent. I tried the “Tropical Splash” (one of my favorite scents of all time!). Not only does it provide a great natural scent, but it is also good for sensitive skin. We have two sensitive skin people here; my daughter, who suffers from eczema flair-ups and my husband who has trouble with even deodorant. Neither one of them experienced a reaction after wearing clothing cleaned with Purex’s Natural Elements.

Great, but does it clean well?

Yes! As I said, it got the grease spots out of my husband’s work shirts and even cleared up some ketchup stains on my daughter’s shirt.

Awesome! But I am trying to live greener. Is Purex’s Natural Elements good for the environment?

Absolutely! Purex’s Natural Elements is biodegradable to help promote greener cleaning!

Purex sent me 3 coupons for FREE full sized products. I want to give them away to my readers! So, three lucky readers will win a coupon so you can try this yourself! I promise you will like what you smell. After all, I am the crazy lady you see in the aisles sniffing the detergents, so I am a self-professed “expert”.

Giveaway starts 4/30 and runs until 5/5. Open to US residents, 18+ Good luck!

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Filed Under: Giveaways, Green Living, Homekeeping, Product Reviews Tagged With: Cleaning, Family, giveaways, Green Living, Product Reviews

Spark of Amber teething Jewelry {Review +Giveaway}

April 28, 2024 By Christine 20 Comments

As many of my readers know, I have let go of my pre-concieved notions of green and natural living this past year and part of that is examining what I could have done differently in the past. While I don’t plan on having any more little ones besides my wonderful 10 year old daughter, I do think this “new” (I say, “new” because it is newer to me!) idea of using Amber Teething Jewelry is an awesome idea!

Spark of Amber “Sunrise” Teething Necklace

I was happy to be sent a beautiful teething necklace from Spark Of Amber to review. In my research of these necklaces, I had to ask why they work and how they work. Amber has amazing pain relieving qualities that are natural and calming. This works because amber, specifically Baltic amber, contains succinic acid, a natural compound that soothes inflammation. It has been used for centuries to treat minor inflammatory pains.

You may be asking yourself the same question I did.

How is this SAFE for youngsters to wear a necklace ?!

The answer is simple. The amber teething jewelry at Spark Of Amber have a knot tied at each bead to ensure it is not a choking hazard and Baltic amber itself is non-toxic. It is however, recommended that you take the necklace off at night and instead lightly wrap it around the child’s ankle under footed PJ’s.

Baltic amber’s anti-inflammatory properties are absorbed through the skin.

Check out what a bloggy friend of mine, Jaynessa at Birbitt Thinks , said about her experiences with amber teething jewelry and whether it was effective for her little guy:

I think it helped a lot! We never used anything on him at all except the amber necklace! He never messed with it, and we definitely noticed a difference between when it was on and when it wasn’t

Here is a darling picture of her son wearing an amber teething necklace! (please note, this one pictured is NOT a Spark of Amber product, but is shown merely to demonstrate just how cute they look on little ones from a mom who has used them!)

Pros:

I love this beautiful piece of jewelry. I love that it is safe for young children and that each strand has a knot tied at each bead to ensure that. Spark Of Amber also has fast shipping and great customer service. The jewelry is absolutely stunning!

As I do not have a baby myself to try this on, I wore it as a bracelet. I suffer from inflammation in my body and absolutely noticed a sense of calmness and less pain than usual while wearing it. To be honest, this completely stunned me as I am a skeptic of all things!

Cons:

This needs to be watched with very young children. Please make sure you try to keep it out of your child’s mouth.

Verdict:

Absolutely recommended! The quality of Spark of Amber jewelry is amazing. I could tell it had quality construction and was very authentic.

To purchase:

Head on over to Spark of Amber and check out the entire line of amber teething jewelry. Amber comes in many shades and looks great on anyone. Spark of Amber sells adult jewelry as well.

Giveaway:

Spark of Amber has generously allowed me to give away one teething necklace to a lucky winner on Saved By Grace blog! Enter to win and make sure you share this with all your friends!

Giveaway is open to US residents only and will run from 4/28/2013-5/8/2013

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Filed Under: Family, Giveaways, Green Living, Health, Product Reviews

Optics Lab {Review}

April 20, 2024 By Christine Leave a Comment

With allergy season in full swing in many parts of the US, that means dry eyes for many people. As a contact lens wearer on occasion, it can mean my eye feel like they need to be dug out with a spoon. (Sorry to be so graphic, but, hey, it’s how they really feel!)

I was sent several products from Optics Lab to try out and test. Optics Lab creates products with you comfort and vision in mind including:

OcuFresh Eye Wash
OcuSave Eye Vitamins
Eye-Cept Contact Lens re-wetting drops
MiniDrops eye lubricant

I found myself needing these drops a couple times recently. I have a feeling they will come in handy when the fire season gears up in fall as well. Each product from Optics Labs is useful for different issues that can arise from the eyes. The OcuFresh Eye Wash is made for getting rd of small irritants such as smoke or pollen in your eye, OcuSave Eye Vitamins can save your eyes from future problems like cataracts, Eye-Cept re-wetting drops really come in handy for the contact wearer and MiniDrops eye lubricant is great for those that suffer from issues such as chronic dry eye.

Pros:

The OcuSave Eye Vitamins were small soft-gels that were easy to swallow. I take a lot of vitamins a day, so having a small soft-gel to add in was great. Some of the pills I take are huge! I cannot speak for the effectiveness of them as I was only sent a 30-day supply. I used the OcuFresh Eye wash when I was attempting to BBQ on a warm day here and smoke got in my eye. They did not burn my eyes and I immediately noticed comfort again. I followed up with the MiniDrops to lubricate my eye again. Both products worked well and I am happy they are safe for the entire family. I rarely wear contacts as I find they bother my eyes with dryness and irritation. To test out the Eye-Cept drops, I placed my hope in them and went to work with contacts in. Towards the end of my shift, my eyes started to get irritated and itchy. I used the drops and found they helped take care of the problem almost instantly.

Cons:

I really see no cons to these products other than I was not able to see any benefits to the vitamins since I was given a small amount.

Verdict:

These are a must have for the summer! The drops are sanitary and one time use and fit right in a purse or beach bag for summer trips.

To purchase:

OcuFresh is sold at major retailers such as Rite Aid and Walgreens, OccuSave Vitamins are available at Harris Teeters, Eye-Cept is sold at Drugstore.com and CVS and MiniDrops can be found on Amazon and Rite Aid. Many of these products can be found at more retailers than I mentioned. Just click on each product listed above for locations near you or where to purchase online.

Filed Under: Health, Product Reviews Tagged With: health, Product Reviews

OWG (Old World Gourmet) {Review}

April 18, 2024 By Christine 3 Comments

I am so glad the warmer weather is coming our way soon in Montana because that means backyard parties are about to start!

One company making waves for over a decade now is OWG. They have all your get-together foods ready to make and they make hosting easy as pie!

I tried several products of theirs to see how they stacked up. I was happy to see such a variety for pallets including sweets, drink mixes and salty snacks. You can’t be a host with the most without a variety!

I did a small get together to hopefully welcome spring with a couple friends to test out all of OWG’s products they sent me. We were lucky to try Cracker Smack, Chocolate Espresso Cream Cheese Chewies and Strawberry Margarita Mix. We tried the Cracker Smack as an appetizer, and after a lovely Sunday meal of home-cooked fried chicken and mashed potatoes made by yours truly, we dove into the Chocolate Espresso Cream Cheese Chewies and later in the evening, we had the Strawberry Margarita mix.

I should say that even though my “Welcome Spring” get together was bombarded by snow, we had no problem having a blast inside with a summer drink and good friends!

OWG makes not only the tempting treats we delve into, but also bread mixes, wine mixers, gourmet snacks and even “Parties in a pitcher”.

I altered the Strawberry Margarita mix to not include tequilla as I am not a fan, but instead used a blush champagne. I just poured it into a bowl, poured the champagne in and added a bottle of cold water. You can make these in the freezer or even enjoy them instantly in a blender with ice. I did the blender method and topped them with a fresh strawberry!

The Chocolate Espresso Cream Cheese Chewies looked delicious when assembled and ready to pop in the oven. They were even better when they were baked and cooled! Delicious!

Pros:

The Chocolate Espresso Cream Cheese Chewies smelled so rich and delicious when they were cooking in the oven. I couldn’t wait to try them! They were so easy to assemble and took very few extra ingredients. Cracker Smack was also easy to make and tasted wonderful. I served them with fruit, but these would go great with an assortment of cheeses. My favorite was the Strawberry Margarita Mix. In minutes, I had an amazing drink to die for and all my friends made comments that they couldn’t wait to try these again this summer!

Cons:

I did find that the Chocolate Espresso Cream Cheese Chewies were a little hard to get out of the pan and honestly, not as good as I had hoped. Don’t get me wrong, they were still good, but they could have been a bit less sweet. The Cracker Smack was a bit spicer than I had anticipated.

Verdict:

Definetly check out OWG before you plan your girly get togethers! They have everything you need to be the hostess with the mostest! The prices are just right!

To Purchase:

Chocolate Espresso Cream Cheese Chewies retail for $10.00, Cracker Smack is $5.00 and the Strawberry Margarita Mix is $10.00. These party products from OWG come with very generous portion sizes!

Filed Under: Food, Product Reviews Tagged With: food, Product Reviews

Monkey Mat {Review}

April 10, 2024 By Christine 2 Comments

With the weather getting nice outside, it is definitely picnic time! One problem many moms come across is how to let their little ones play outside and do so as clean as possible!

I am not a mom to little ones anymore, as I have a 10 year old, yet I still think the Monkey Mat is something every mom should have in her arsenal! (aka-”purse”). The Monkey Mat is a portable play mat that is so compact, it fits right in your purse, glove box and picnic basket!

The Monkey Mat is made out of a water repellant material and has weighted corners for keeping it in place. It also features an attached zip pouch for easy compact carrying.

I want to stress that this mat is not just for moms with toddlers! I am glad to have it for our many picnic outings as blankets are great, but they take up a lot of room and are not water repellant. The Monkey Mat folds out to a 5 x 5 ft size, so it has a lot of room on it for playing, outdoor exercise, picnics and outdoor concerts. Montana has so many outdoor events and I often wish I had brought a blanket to sit on. With the Monkey Mat, I don’t have to even think about it. I can just slip it in my glove-box and keep it there and wherever we are, the Monkey Mat is ready to go.

Pros:

I love the water repellent materiel. Montana mornings often mean dew on the ground and this is perfect. I love how portable and light-weight this is and the how easy it is to fold out and put back in the attached pouch. I also love that it has weights on the ends to keep it in place. There are even loops on the ends to tie it down if the weather is extra windy! Moms with toddlers and babies will appreciate the loops it has on the indie of the mat for tying down toys!

Cons:

I wish it was just slightly larger. That is really the only complaint I have about it!

Verdict:

Please, don’t think this is only for babies! This mat grows with your child and is even useful for adults! I would highly recommend this awesome product!

To Purchase:

Head over to the website to purchase the Monkey Mat for $39.99. You can also check out the local places it is sold in states such as California, Colorado and New York!

Filed Under: Product Reviews Tagged With: Family, Kids, Product Reviews

I Heart Keenwah {Review}

April 5, 2024 By Christine Leave a Comment

In my quest to eat healthier, especially in the snack department, I am always open to trying new products on the market. I was intrigued when I was asked to give I Heart Keenwah (Quinoa) a spin. I love cooking with quinoa, but never really thought of it as a snack food. The folks at I Heart Keenwah have made an all new snack out of one of my favorite side dishes and stuffings.

The variety I was given to try was the Almond. Not being a big fan of almonds, I was hesitant to try it, but went ahead and gave it a shot. I Heart Keenwah is full of (you guessed it) Quinoa, which is full of whole grain as well as being a complete protein on it’s own. I Heart Keenwah is gluten free as well.

Pros:

The crunchy texture was that of a crunchy granola bar that I love and enjoy. It was a good combination of nutty and sweet. I think this is a healthy snack food that doesn’t taste as you would expect. It is a far cry from the tasteless cardboard often found in healthier snacks.

Cons:

There was not as much Almonds as I had thought. In the picture on the packaging, it shows large nut pieces and inside, there is hardly any detectable nut clusters. For someone like myself, this is not a bad thing, but my husband was a bit disappointed.

Verdict:

I say give it a try. It is a great snack for taking with you this upcoming warm season for hikes because it is full of protein and a good, healthy source of carbs. There are several varieties including the almond I tried as well as Cranberry Cashew, Chocolate Sea Salt and Ginger Peanut.

To Purchase:

I Heart Keenwah is available at Abe’s Market or on the site in bags of over 12 for bulk direct ordering. Follow I Heart Keenwah on Facebook and Twitter.

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

Parnevu Shining Gel {Review}

April 3, 2024 By Christine 1 Comment

I am loving Parnevu products! This is my second review of some of their products for dry hair, a significant problem for me.

I started noticing that my hair was changing as I hit my thirties. Along with my hair, was skin issues (another post entirely!) I thought to myself, “Why does my hair hate me?!”

Over the past year or so, I have tried several products to bring back the luster and shine my hair once had. None of them seemed to work all that great and I tried everything from sprays, to special conditioners.

Parnevu asked me to review their Shining Gel for Extra Dry Hair and I was happy to oblige. In the past I reviewed the Hair Mayonnaise and I loved it, so I had high expectations for the Shining Gel as well!

Pros:

The Parnevu Shining Gel has a pleasant smell. It may seem silly, but that is important to me. I was pretty amazed at how well it really did make my hair shine. I love that the texture of it was no “gooey” and slimy as well! Take a look at this picture of before I put it in: (this is on dry hair)

Now, if you look at the “After” shots, you will see the shine got kicked up a notch in a major way! I honestly have not seen my hair this shiny since my teen years! Just look at how well it even defined curls in my naturally wavy hair!

Cons:

The formula can have a greasy texture when applied and it leave a film behind on your hands. This wasn’t overly troublesome as it didn’t seem to terribly weight my hair down or make it appear unkempt and greasy.

Verdict:

I think the Parnevu Shining Gel would work best on hair that is not fine in texture as I can see it might weigh down super fine hair. I have a medium texture to my hair.

To Purchase:

This product retails for an awesome $5.00. I can’t say enough about the amazing value and quality of Parnevu Products!

Filed Under: Beauty, Product Reviews Tagged With: beauty, Product Reviews

Zevia {Review}

March 31, 2024 By Christine Leave a Comment

I love being a blogger for many reasons, but one reason is I often hear about new products from my fellow bloggers. A while back, when I first started blogging, I saw a couple reviews for Zevia. Zevia is a no-calorie stevia sweetened soda.

First off, I should tell you a bit about what stevia is. Stevia is a plant derived sweetener that is very concentrated. Unlike sugar, it does not cause blood sugar to spike (good news for diabetics like myself) and has no calories.

I use stevia in many things at home. It can come in the pure extract version or in packets mixed with other sweeteners. The pure extract powder I buy is so sweet, you can actually TASTE the sweetness just by opening the baggie I keep it in!

Zevia is NOT carb free, though. It has low carbs, especially when compared to other sodas, but it is not completely carbohydrate free. It is GMO free, though so that is a major plus!

There are 15 different flavors of Zevia. Although I was sent a coupon for a free 6 pack (Zevia sells for around $5.50 a six pack here), I went ahead and purchased a couple more flavors to try as well. I tried the Mountain Zevia, Dr. Zevia, Ginger Root Beer and Cola.

Pros:

I love that this is a diabetic friendly soda option. I also love that even though it has carbs, it is low carb when compared to other sodas. Zevia has so many flavors to choose from as well and I think I will try many more before I find a favorite. The Ginger Root beer was my favorite that I tried. Cola come in a close second.

Cons:

With some of the flavors, I noticed an aftertaste that I wasn’t too fond of. Stevia can have a funny aftertaste and I think some of the flavors don’t mix well with it. One in particular that it went bad with was the Mountain Zevia flavor. it is kind of a bitter flavor. I also noticed that it is very important to drink Zevia ice cold. It tends to lose it’s fizziness fast as well.

Verdict:

I would recommend trying several flavors to find your favorite before you decide you don’t like it. Other than that, I would recommend this as a soda for anyone to drink, especially those that are watching their ingredients and artificial sweeteners.

To Purchase:

Head over to the store locator on the Zevia site and find where you can purchase your own. It can be somewhat hard to get all the flavors, but you can also request certain flavors at your favorite retailers.