Filling Our Home with Laughter and Help from Ology Healthy Home Products

I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms MeetSM program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms MeetsSM blogger, I agreed to use this product and share my honest opinion and experiences. All opinions are mine alone and are not necessarily shared by May Media Group LLC or hte manufacturer of this product. #Momsmeet

I don't like to clean, but I am motivated by these two little people and 30 sticky fingers, 3 tongues, 3 noses and a whole lot of mess left in their wake.

If you have small children I know you feel my pain, right? It is a constant balancing act to keep the house clean and disinfected enough to keep us all healthy while also cleaning with products that are free from harmful chemicals and eco-friendly to protect my children's future.

My son just finished Kindergarten and believe me it was a year full of amazing milestones and many days where we were all layed up by illness. Yes, being thrown into the petri-dish of a classroom, my son brought back a lot of new germs to share.

This was not the kind of sharing I try to teach my children.

My daughter is following right behind and though I hope we have built up a little immunity to these germs, I know there will be some new surprises in the coming year. I am already stocked up on All-Purpose Cleaner from Ology. Suitable to clean kitchen counters as well as most household surfaces, it also doesn't contain harmful chemicals that I don't want to use around my young baby.

Cause if the baby can reach/touch it... it is going in his mouth!  Yes, I have even caught the kid licking walls recently. Sheesh...

Luckily I can rest easily knowing the cleaner is plant-derived, but also cuts through the grease and greasy finger prints that seem to coat every surface within 3 feet of the ground. Please don't look at my baseboards and walls too closely.

Now, I am a re-usable rag sorta gal. I like to re-use anything I can, but some messes require a handy stockpile of paper towels. I am not ashamed to admit that there are times I just don't have time to throw in one more load of rags. Ology has an alternative to traditional tree-paper options. Their paper towels are 100% tree free! Score one for the forrest, right? They are actually made out of renewable sugar husks and quick growing bamboo.

I thought they were soft on my hands and held up to scrubbing down my stove and counters quite nicely. I have also been keeping a roll right on the table since my 5-year old is going through an ultry klutzy phase. Liquids anywhere near arm's reach are sure to be upturned during dinnertime. These Ology Paper Towels quickly soak up the mess and we can get back to our meal.

I also tried out Ology's Laundry Liquid. I have mentioned before that my kids have sensitive skin and we are a fragrance free household. I am always on the look for new fragrance free options that won't break the bank. It just amazed me that the absence of dye and perfume usually costs more to buy. But, whether you go the Free and Clear route or try their lavender vanilla scent, it is all  using natural ingredients - nothing artificial.

I quietly switched out our usual detergent and tried the Ology brand. You know what? I didn't hear a single complaint.  Our laundry came out smelling clean - not unnatural from an artificial scent, and it also looked clean. Now, with a farming husband and three young children, that is amazing!

Safe for high efficiency washers, it worked well for us.

All these products are part of Walgreens Ology brand and are free of harmful chemicals and safe for you, your family and the environment. You can find these three products exclusively at Walgreens. And if you were curious about the packaging?  Every Ology bottle is created with 100% post consumer materials.

Yes, I love seeing a company create a product that consumers have been asking for. Now, if Ology products inspire you and your family to make positive changes in your home, be sure to submit an #OlogyPledge for a chance to win a $100 Walgreens gift card. Learn more about the Pledge to Create a Healthy Home Sweepstakes at  greenmomsmeet.com/ologypledge.

Well, my home may never be completely spotless and clean, but with the Ology products I can keep my family a healthy and happy family.... and my surfaces will definately boast a few less greasy fingerprints.

Anything but Boring! My Month of Salad Swaps with Fresh Express

I received free products from the sponsor of the Moms Meet(SM) program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agreed to try and post about this product. My opinions and experiences are my own and do not reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC, or the product manufacturer.

Does the idea of 30 days of salad make your cringe? Do you get tired of the "same old, same old" lettuce and tomato sides?

I have to admit that I have found myself in that rut several times but this past month I have renewed my appreciation and love of a good salad. Now I am convinced it is all about what goes into your salad. How do you build your salad?

Usually I grab a bag of salad mix at the grocery store and then some sweet bell peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms and occaisionally an avocado. Yes, that means all my salads pretty much taste the same. No wonder I would rather eat a cheeseburger.

Throwing caution to the wind, I downloaded the Fresh Express 30 Day #saladswap App for my iPhone. I mean, at Free, I couldn't really go wrong, right?

Fresh Express is available at both Target and my local grocery store, and it is the bag I grab when I want either an easy salad kit or a ready-to-eat bagged salad mix. They are washed, rinsed, and gently dried, then sealed in a patented “Keep-Crisp®” breathable bag.

I love the wide variety of salad options.

Making all these salads actually showed me that changing up my bagged salad preference can make an old salad taste new again. I always grabbed the Spring Mix before, but now I have some new favorites for my family including the Sweet Butter and Veggie Lover's mixes.

Okay, the App gave me a list of options for swapping out my favorite high calorie foods for a sensible, but delicious salad. And there were so many great options including this Cheeseburger Salad recipe to replace and save calories from a traditional burger. The little meatballs were a perfect to satisfy my tastebuds and all my favorite cheeseburger components were on one plate.

Signing up at saladswap.com also gave me access to a progress tracker (keeping track of all those great salad swaps I am making!), motivation along my journey and even some Fresh Express coupons. Who doesn't love coupons? The website resources along with the App on my phone, got me ready to dig into some great salads. Check out the site for more information.

All these great salads even inspired me to create something new at home. Here is my Mandarin Orange Sesame Chicken salad using pre-cooked chicken strips, mandarin orange segments, Fresh Express Sweet Butter Lettuce mix, slivered almonds and sesame ginger dressing. I highly recomend it. And there isn't a tomato in sight.

Now, my 30 days are not up, but I wanted to share the fun so you can sign up and start on your own salad swaps. Head over to the site, saladswap.com or download the App and then head over to grab a coupon from Moms Meet to get you started. While you are there, check out Moms Meet, a fun place where eco-minded parents meet. There is some great information and products being discussed there.

Connect with Fresh Express on Facebook and Pinterest for even more inspiration and product information.

What would like to swap?