Seventh Generation "Back To School" Kit Review & Giveaway

 

School starts tomorrow around here and it won't be long before cold & flu season starts. My daughter seems to find every cold that runs through her class. So when I had the opportunity to receive a Seventh Generation "Back-to-School" kit from Seventh Generation through My Blog Spark, I jumped on it. The kit includes a Seventh Generation backpack, two canisters of Seventh Generation disinfecting wipes (one for home and one to donate to your child´s classroom), disinfecting multi-surface spray cleaner, facial tissue and paper towels. Matter of fact, I have packed one of the canisters of the disinfecting wipes in her backpack to give to the teacher on her first day. The wipes and spray have a nice clean scent (Lemongrass &Thyme Scented) and the paper towels are strong. 

Here is some information that was provided to me: 

Is your child picking up more than the ABC´s in school? While you´re packing your child´s backpack with the pencils, notebooks and tools they´ll need for a great school year, don´t forget the supplies they´ll need to stay healthy and germ-free, too.

 

With nearly 22 million school days lost each year due to the common cold and flu (CDC) and as many as 2.7 million bacterial found per square inch on common school surfaces (NSF International), it´s no wonder that 82 percent of parents with kids in grades K-5 fret about the germs in their children´s classrooms (according to a survey conducted by Seventh Generation).

 

This school year, Seventh Generation is sharing tips from best-selling author and pediatrician, Dr. Alan Greene, to help parents protect their child´s health during back-to-school season. Dr. Greene suggests taking the following precautions:

 

Optimize the immune system 

• Reap the benefits of probiotics like those found in yogurt. A recent study showed that children who received enough probiotics daily throughout the cold and flu season had a significant reduction in the number of illnesses they had and, when they did get sick, the symptoms were both milder and didn't last as long. 
• Be sure your child is getting plenty of vitamin D from the sun, from food, or from a supplement. 
• Build a strong foundation. Good food, good sleep, and good physical activity all help the immune system to flourish.

 

Be wise about reducing unnecessary exposure to harmful germs

 

Teach children the key times to clean their hands in the classroom. The most important times include after sneezing, coughing or using the restroom, upon leaving "high-risk" places (recess, naptime, play stations) and before meals or snacks.

 

Sixty percent of teachers surveyed said that they request that parents donate disinfecting wipes to the classroom. Seventh Generation´s disinfecting wipes kill 99.99% of germs* naturally using the active ingredient thyme, a component of thyme oil which is derived from the herb thyme.

 

Stress the importance of not touching their eyes, nose or mouth. Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.

 

Demonstrate to your children how to cover their mouth and nose for every cough and sneeze. This simple maneuver has spectacular results in decreasing the spread of viruses and bacteria floating about the room, waiting to be inhaled.

 

*Refer to disinfecting product labels for full details

You can also check out Seventh Generation on Facebook and Twitter today! Visit Seventh Generation on Facebook or Seventh Generation on Twitter and "Like" or "Follow" the brand to keep up with the latest news from Seventh Generation.

(Disclosure: Seventh Generation provided me with the infromation, "Back To School" gift pack and giveaway through MyBlogSpark. All personal views made in this post are fully mine.)

 Giveaway

 

Giveaway: One lucky reader will receive the same Seventh Generation "Back To School" kit that I received.

 

 

Giveaway Rules

1. This giveaway will end on 8/15/2010 at 11:59pm.
2. A winner will be choosen by using Random.org
3. The winner will be notified by email and given 48 hours after that to respond or another winner will be chosen.
4. Each giveaway entry should include an email address that the winner could be notified at.

 
Mandatory Entry
1. Leave a comment with a tip of how you keep your kid(s) healthy and germ-free.
 
Extra Entries
 
1. Follow me on Twitter and leave a comment with your Twitter name. If you already follow me, leave your Twitter name.

2. Tweet about the giveaway and include #MyBlogSpark in the tweet. Leave a comment each time you tweet about it with the status url of the tweet.

3. Subscribe to my blog by email (Sign up box is in the left sidebar) and leave me your email address. If you are already a subscriber leave me a comment also.

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Seventh Generation Product Review and Giveaway

 Well it is Spring Cleaning time here at the house. With all of the hospital and physical therapy rehab drama due to my grandmother, my house has been neglected. I was happy to receive a "Disinfecting Cleaning Kit" from Seventh Generation through MyBlogSpark to clean with. I am excited about giving my house an all over disinfecting cleaning.

Here is some info that Seventh Generation gave me:

Seventh Generation has been leading the “responsible cleaning” charge for the past twenty years, Seventh Generation has tapped into the disinfecting power of the herb thyme, to introduce an EPA registered line of disinfecting sprays and wipes that kill germs* naturally! The new line of botanical disinfectant cleaners includes a multi-surface cleaning spray, bathroom cleaning spray and wipes.

The disinfectants contain thymol, a component of the herb thyme, and can be used on hard surfaces including counter tops, plastic cutting boards, highchair trays as well as children’s toys. Best of all, they kill over 99.99 percent of germs* naturally and are effective against the Influenza A Virus, including H1N1.

Seventh Generation has partnered with eco-lifestyle consultant and author, Alexandra Zissu, whose new book, The Conscious Kitchen, discusses what’s good for your health, what’s good for the planet and what tastes great. Her book also includes great tips on maintaining a green and healthy kitchen, including:

Change is Good

Choosing cleaning products without indoor air pollutants like volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, is a simple and effective way to reduce your indoor air pollution. If you’re not prepared to switch everything overnight, start by swapping out the one product you use the most, and moving forward from there.

Think before you spray

Residues from cleaning products can last on a surface for longer than we we’d like to know and travel to areas that we sometimes don’t intend them to. Don’t contaminate your food by prepping it on a surface that may contain harsh chemical residues - rinse cleaning products from food preparation surfaces carefully or use botanical disinfecting cleaners that do not require a rinse step.

Home is Where the Clean Is

Your standard cleaners are good for removing soils and dirt from kitchen surfaces, but to tackle germs you need a cleaner that is effective against microbes like bacteria and viruses. Many cleaners contain ingredients that have antimicrobial properties such as vinegar or hydrogen peroxide, but the germ killing power of these is not necessarily guaranteed. To be sure you are killing germs, use an EPA registered disinfectant. Seventh Generation tapped into the disinfecting power of the common garden herb thyme, to provide a disinfecting cleaner that kills germs* naturally.

Make the Old New Again

Think twice about the items that you’re using to clean and dry your kitchen equipment and dishes. Use rags (like old t-shirts and washcloths) instead of paper towels. If you aren’t prepared to kick your paper towel addiction just yet, use only recycled versions that are unbleached or haven’t been whitened with chemicals containing chlorine and see how long you can make a roll last.

The Writing is on the … Sponge

Be sure to read the fine print on sponges and only purchase those that do not contain antimicrobial pesticides. Remember to store sponges in a dry place and frequently clean them by popping plastic sponges wet in a microwave for two minutes or boiling sponges for three minutes in water.

Mom Was Right, Wash Your Hands

Wash your hands with soap and water before and after prepping food, and always before eating. So much of what can be potentially harmful in a kitchen can be reduced by this simple act that doesn’t require any harsh chemicals whatsoever.

What is my opinion?
I like the fact that they are enviromentally friendly and still have the cleaning and germ fighting power. The scent took me awhile to get used to since I normally clean with floral or citrus scents but now have gotten used to the clean scent. My cleaning habits center around my daughter's sinus problems. I try to wipe down for dust daily in our family room and kitchen area. I used the Disinfecting Wipes to do so and find that it cleans well. In the kitchen I used the Multi-Surface Cleaner and was happy that it left my countertops shining instead of dulling them. I even used it on my oven and stovetop (both are black in color) and was impressed with how it left them smudge free. The Paper Towels stood up to use and did not tear easily when wet. When I used the Bathroom Cleaner I started out cleaning the vanity and found myself having to use my old cleaner because it did not cut through soap scum easily. I went behind that cleaner and used Seventh Generation as a disinfecting spray. That was my only con that I experienced when trying out the Seventh Generation Poducts.


Giveaway Information
Prize: Seventh Generation through MyBlogSpark would like to give one of my readers the chance to receive the same "Disinfecting Cleaning Kit" that I received. It is pictured above.

Rules:
1. This giveaway will end on Sunday 4/11/2010 at 11:59pm.
2. There will be one winner and the winner and I will use random.org to choose a winner.
3. I will notify the winner by email and the winner will have 48 hours to respond to me. If that does not happen I will choose another winner.
4. Leave an email address in every entry that you have so that I know how to contact you.
5. There will only be 1 winner.
6. Winner will be chosen on Monday 4/12/2010.

Mandatory Entry
1.Tell us what the best thing you’ve done for the environment this year?



Extra Entries
2. Follow me on Twitter.

3.Tweet about this giveaway daily. One Tweet only per day. Leave me the Status URL for each Tweet. You can get the Status URL by clicking on the time under each tweet.

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(Disclosure: All views and opinions in the above review are solely mine. I did receive free product, information, and gift pack from Seventh Generation through MyBlogSpark. For more info on my disclosure policy click here.)

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