Single mom of 3 boys under 6 years old blogging my way through parenting and building a "greener" & healthier lifestyle. Sharing with you Book/Product Reviews & Giveaways, Reader Discount Codes, Free Samples, Recipes (food & home), Kids Crafts/Education, and soon Ask a Lifecoach.
SodaStream is the world's largest manufacturer, distributor and marketer of Home Carbonation Systems. Our brands are sold in over 40,000 retail stores in 41 countries including home & electrical appliance stores, hypermarkets, supermarkets, department stores, convenience stores, DIY, specialty and "green" stores, water specialists & dealers, as well as online and in catalogs.
Our long standing and deep heritage dates back to 1903, when we introduced innovative solutions to the beverage market. We continue to grow as market leaders in both technological advancements and the quality of our products.
The SodaStream system enables consumers to carbonate water and to flavor carbonated beverages at home as an alternative to purchasing pre-packed bottles or cans. This has many important benefits to the consumer including cost savings and no hassle with bottles.
The advantages of SodaStream's Home Carbonation System include:
Convenience: No need to carry heavy bottles from the store. The SodaStream system is simple to use and requires no batteries or electricity.
Environmentally-Friendly: SodaStream is an "Active Green" solution that minimizes the huge eco-footprint caused by the manufacture, transport and waste of plastic bottles.
Variety: SodaStream offers over 100 flavors to suit everyone’s taste. Regular, diet, natural, fruity flavors, ice tea, energy drinks, sport drinks, tonic and many more.
Space Saver: No need to store bottles of beverages or empty bottles for recycling in your home.
Personalization: Make drinks just the way you love them… more bubbles, less bubbles, sweeter or lighter, even create your own flavor!
Family Fun: The system is quick and easy to use. It's fun for everyone and kids just love it!
Value for Money: Great savings compared to pre-packed carbonated water and beverages.
Satisfaction Guaranteed: SodaStream drinks makers are of extremely high quality and include a money-back satisfaction guarantee.
Every year SodaStream provides 600 million liters of carbonated beverage to millions of households, making it one of the largest beverage companies in the world.
We employ more than 1,000 people worldwide, with over 30 nationalities represented. Company headquarters are located in Israel and we have seven manufacturing facilities in Germany, Israel, Australia, South Africa and China. The SodaStream group has an intellectual property portfolio that includes 65 patents and 198 trademark registrations worldwide.
SodaStream maintains strict quality assurance in design and production according to the highest international standards: ISO 9001:2000, TUV NORD & SVTI (EU, Switzerland), TPED and PED (EU), DOT (USA), GMP & HACCP, IFS, and "Der Grune Punkt" (Germany).
My Opinion
There are two beverages that I cannot live without; Tea and Diet Pepsi. I drink the 20 ounce plastic bottles at work and cans at home. Even though I recycle, I often feel guilty at the number of bottles and cans that I go through in a week. I was very very eager to see if the machine would offer fountain style taste and if it would help me save money and reduce can usage at home.
SodaStream sent me the Fountain Jet Starter Kit along with a selection of their soda mixes and favored water drops. This is what comes in the starter kit:
Fountain Jet soda maker
1 60 Liter carbonating gas cylinder
1x 1 liter bottle with cap
User manual
Sample pack of 6 flavors
The starter kit does not come with any full size soda mixes, so you’ll need to buy them separately. They are priced at $4.99 - $9.99, with quite a few flavors (20-30) to choose from, including diet and non-diet flavors, tea, energy drinks, seltzer water and other sparkling naturals. They sent me a wide variety if mixes (makes the equivalent of 33 12 oz. cans of soda/396 oz. of soda) including diet and non-diet mixes and I was surprised that they are also made with a mixture of Sucrose and Splenda which is great for diabetics. That is 2.75 cases(24 pks) of soda.
The machine itself is made of plastic and is relatively light weight. It stands 16.7" tall, and just barely fits under my kitchen cabinets. The carbonator cartridge that comes with the Fountain Jet starter kit is supposed to create up to 180 liters (bottles) of soda. New cartridges cost $29.99 and require that you return the used cartridge to SodaStream or an authorized Sodastream dealer.
I’m curious if anyone has caught on to the fact that The Fountain Jet does not require any batteries or electricity to work. I know that I was a bit surprised when I unpacked the contents and did not see an AC adapter. The one liter bottle have been the perfect size to share with another person during a meal or with a snack. The bottles keep the fizz in the drinks even if you don’t drink them all in one sitting.
I was a little worried that the process to make drinks would be more trouble than it would be worth. I am not sure how much easier this system could be…
I have so far tried the Cola flavor which I think tastes like Coke. I'm not a big fan of Coca-Cola, but it was well received in my home. I loved the Sparkling Naturals Black Currant and Pear and the Green Tea Pomegranate and Peach flavor. Those had to be my two favorites out of the bunch. My boys really enjoyed the Root Beer (think Barq's) and the Diet Lemon Lime (think Diet Sprite). Everything we have tried so far has been packed with flavor and delicious (except the Cola for me). My bother's friend liked the Energy Drink Mix; he stated that is was comparable if not almost identical to Red Bull. We still have more flavors to try and I am just as excited to try them as I was to try my first mix.
I’ve established that the Fountain Jet is easy to use and makes good tasting sodas, but is it economical?
I say very much so. I am not the greatest mathematical person in the world, but it comes down to about $0.66 per liter (if I did the math correctly) or roughly $1.32 per 2 liter when you use the SodaStream to make your own soda.
It appears that the SodaStream Fountain Jet does save you money when compared to buying cans, individual bottles, or 2 liters. That said, I don’t normally buy 2 liter bottles because I usually only drink about half of it before it goes flat. That is one of the advantages to using the Fountain Jet to make 1 liter bottles, I find that I don’t waste as much. Another advantage is that I don’t have to lug and store multiple 12 and 24pk boxes of cans. This also reduces the amount of recycling that goes out weekly tremendously. So for me, this product gets two thumbs up.
*In the spirit of full-disclosure SodaStreamUSA sent samples for my family and I to try. No monetary compensation was provided and as always all opinions are my own.
The Basa Body story began years ago with a single trip to Kenya. We connected with wonderful, intelligent women working hard to feed their families. Their small-scale enterprise was called Coast Coconut Farms, where they produced virgin, organic coconut oil by hand.
Intrigued by their commitment, skill, and entrepreneurial spirit, we were determined to help these women tell their story and grow their business. The result is BasaBody, named after the women of Mombasa, Kenya, where Basa's coconut oil is produced.
As well as providing a sustainable income and employment for the women of Coast Coconut farms, Basa Body also donates 10% of its profits to humanitarian projects in Kenya. Yehu Microfinance is one of our partner organizations and has helped over 18,000 women secure loans to start their own businesses and help themselves and their families rise out of poverty.
My Interview with Troy @ Basa Body
I had the privilege of talking to Troy from Basa Body about all the wonderful things that their company is part of over in Kenya and the organizations that make it all happen. Thank you Troy & Basa Body for such a wonderful opportunity!
Here is what Troy had to say:
Troy: I am taking off to Kenya in a day so I want to briefly try to answer some of your questions below and I hope it gives you enough to go on. I am happy to see that you are getting involved with Basa and want to share our story with your audience. I appreciate it!
1) What was your inspiration to become involved with Coconut Farms, Yehu Finances, and Asante Foudation in Kenya?
Troy: I had lived for 2 years in rural Mexico as a young man and had seen poverty first hand. My business training and education played a factor in my philosophy that helping people become self-reliant through enterprise (i.e. a hand-up versus a hand-out mentality) was really the best way to help people to help themselves. When we visited Kenya for the first time, we were touched by the hard-working, vibrant and happy people in those rural areas and decided that this was the place we wanted to invest our time and resources to help these people have a better life and pull themselves out of poverty.
2) What does each organizations do (I could easily browse each website and have a "standard" answer, but it would be nice to "hear" it in your words)
Troy:Yehu Microfinance offers micro-loans ($100 or so) to rural women to help them start or expand their own microenterprises. They pay them back in 6 months generally and the businesses they start are very small. Typical businesses might be raising chickens, selling fish, a small sewing business or a home shop selling basic goods like soap, candy, eggs etc. There are now over 20,000 women (and some men) that are part of Yehu. The typical client in these rural areas makes about $1 per day in income.
Coast Coconut Farms was started as a way to help create larger enterprises that would provide opportunities for the local people to earn $5 per day or more and really give them a chance to rise above the poverty level in their communities and improve their families lives. Coast Coconut Farms harvests wild coconuts grown along the beautiful coast of Kenya (we work with about 200 farmers who harvest the nuts and sell them to us) and converts those fresh coconuts into virgin coconut oil. There are about 40 employees, again mostly women, at Coast Coconut Farms. The oil is sold in Kenya but most is imported to the United States and sold in health stores as a very healthy cooking oil, or for use in high-end, natural skin care products like Basa Body.
Asante Foundation is a US-based non-profit that started and supports both Yehu and Coast Coconut Farms and has other projects in Kenya like Amani Village which is creating eco-villages in Kenya to provide low-cost housing options for the Kenyan people with innovative and green technologies for housing, water and solar power.
3) Has working with these organizations had an impact on your own life?
Troy: It is very fulfilling work and gives me the opportunity to travel to Kenya often. I see that people, regardless of their circumstances can be happy and have fulfilling lives, but most people need the opportunity to provide for themselves and their children and in many developing nations, those opportunities just don’t exist. That creates an opportunity for us to work together to bring our resources and knowledge to help create enterprises and educational opportunities in developing countries that really does change lives—both here and there.
4) What has been your best/worst experiences with working with these organizations in Kenya and seeing everything firsthand?
Troy: I think just seeing the happiness on a woman’s face in Kenya who now can educate her children and have hope that they will have a much better life as a result of her being a part of Yehu, Coast Coconut Farms or any of the projects we have been involved with. It is very rewarding for me to see the empowerment that takes place in these women’s lives when they see what they can do on their own with just a little encouragement and help from us. They have that potential in themselves and we simply help them recognize it is there and unlock it for them.
5) How has Basa Body helped women and their families in Africa overcome poverty?
Troy: Basa has been closely connected to Coast Coconut Farms and we have helped create markets for the oil being produced in Kenya and found a way to give these women a voice. Basa hopes in the near future to begin manufacturing skin care products in Africa and training the women on how to market the products there, creating additional business opportunities for them while providing much needed essentials like soap, shampoo and moisturizers to the local people.
6) Yehu offers business skills training to the people of Kenya. What kind of skills do they teach?
Troy: Yehu offers limited business training like marketing, record-keeping, and other essential basic business principals.
7) How many families has Coconut Farms provided sustainable jobs, management opportunities, and ownership to?
Troy: Coast Coconut Farms has impacted hundreds of families. There are about 200 farmers who provide coconuts to Coast Coconut Farms, plus about 40 employees producing the coconut oil. We will be expanding into dessicated coconut, coconut vinegar and coconut water, not to mention the Basa skin care products which may help create hundreds of additional jobs in the coming years.
8)How important are Asante's efforts in providing education to the children and adults in Kenya?
Troy: Education is the key to unlocking the potential of the children to improve their lives and raise the coming generation. The people of Kenya are thirsty for more education and will eagerly absorb anything that you can teach them. The children treat education as a privilege and sit quietly on the dirt floors for hours at a time listening to their teachers, committing everything to memory as paper and pencils are a rare commodity. It is very different from the entitlement mentality that we often see here in the United States regarding education.
8) What difference has all three of these organizations combined have you seen in the communities and villages? Are they thriving more? More opportunities, less poverty?
Troy: Poverty cannot be solved overnight but over the years you see the effects of empowering people to improve their own lives. Villages improve and become more self-reliant, children become educated (even going on to University!) and health improves. No one effort can solve the problem and there is not an easy fix, but there is definitely a change that is perceptible in these areas where Yehu Microfinance and Coast Coconut Farms have had a presence. It is making a difference.
10)How can people help whether they want to volunteer, donate, or help in some other way?
Troy: People can donate to the Asante Foundation to benefit Yehu Microfinance or the Amani Village and other projects in Kenya on those websites directly or by sending a check to the Asante Foundation here in the US at 1260 S. 1600 W., Orem, UT, 84058. Those contributions are tax-deductible. You can benefit Coast Coconut Farms by purchasing Basa Body all-natural coconut oil based skin care products and Coast Coconut Farms coconut oil. Other organizations we support include Choice Humanitarian and Kenya Keys.
Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions. Again, it is very much appreciated. Keep on trekking and kudos to your efforts!
My Opinion
I was recently given the fantastic opportunity to review some of Basa Body's Coconut Oil Body Lotion. The lotion goes on nice and my skin absorbs it. There’s no greasy or slimy feel, and no stickyness to it either at all like most lotions on the market. That’s the benefit of a lotion made with organic coconut oil.
Let me just say, this stuff is REALLY amazing! I fully intend on buying another bottle, because I'm almost out. I love how soft and smooth my skin feels after using it. And, of course I love the smell of real coconut oil, it’s just so refreshing and relaxing. It reminds me of being back in Florida on the beach.
It's also great for my northern skin becuase the winters get harsh and my skin dry out terribly. What I loved the most about it was that it's made from virgin, organic, coconut oil that is produced by hand (I love handmade things, they have a personal touch and are made with love) by women in Kenya.
So not only are you getting a fabulous lotion that is completely organic, you are also helping out the people of Kenya in many ways.
If you would like to learn more about Basa Body, purchase their products, or learn more about their efforts in Kenya, please visit:
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.
As an added bonus Basa Body has offered one (1) lucky reader the chance to win a bottle of their own Basa Body Lotion!!!
At 17, Justin began his studies at the Culinary Institute of America where he attended classes. He then studied under their family’s restaurant famous French Chef Claude Debeir for several years before gaining complete realm of the restaurant kitchen. Since leaving his family’s business, Justin owned 2 very successful businesses in a 15 year timeframe. Justin still was curious about healthy cooking while retaining a healthy lifestyle. Justin wanted to form a company based on healthy raw alternative foods free of pesticides and chemicals and supplements to help combat aging.
In 2008, Regeneration USA was created. Justin Chernalis, Founder of Regeneration USA has over 10 years of dedicated experience and understanding of the inner workings, the delicate chemistry, and hardcore mechanics of the human body and how the body is affected by the modern-day stressors of today’s fast-paced, over-worked, and unbalanced lifestyle, which is literally a “killer” to our beauty, health, and longevity.
Justin wanted to create a product he could take on the road with him as an alternative to fast food. The Anti-Aging Whole Food Bar was created, made from all organic raw foods to help with aging skin body and mind in a fast paced world. Focused on staying healthy and looking good as we age Justin started his studies on Anti-Aging foods and supplements to help slow and reverse the aging process. Since the creation of the whole food bar he has also added several organic raw supplements to Regeneration’s line
Ernie holds a Mechanical Engineering Degree and has worked in many different companies since 1985. His entrepreneurial spirit has enabled him to startup Five (5) successful companies during this timeframe. His vast business experience has been working in the Engineering, Garment, Real Estate and Telecom Industries. This was a result of growing up in strong business family while growing up in New York City. In February 2008, Ernie partnered up with his business associate Justin Chernalis and together formed Regeneration USA with the goal of leading a healthier lifestyle by providing the purest food and supplement products to the world.
Candice joined Regeneration USA in February of 2010, to lead our Worldwide Sales and Business Development Team, she became a Partner of the Company soon after. She is a strong business leader and represents Regeneration, USA at most Natural Product, Wellness and Health Events throughout the US and Internationally.
Candice has worked with fortune 500 companies throughout her career from Microsoft to Real Estate Companies. Throughout most of her life, Candice has always been exposed to "organic supplementation" and healthy food choices, as result of growing up in a Holistic Practitioner household. Over the last 10 years Candice has worked exclusively with Nutraceuticals,
Organic and Raw Foods. Candice's personal goal is to make a difference in the lives of others and by providing products that promote healthier aging and longevity via healthier food choices and whole body supplementation.
My Opinion
These great tasting anti-aging bars are wonderful. They really do work as a meal replacement. I felt full and satisfied after eating one. These bars as a meal replacement work due to their protein content and low glycemic index which produce only small fluctuations in blood and insulin levels. This is the key to long term health by reducing our risk of heart disease, diabetes, and sustainable weight loss. These bars promote healthy blood sugar, cardiovascular health and a healthy body and mind as well as skin. Here' my thoughts on each bar and info on them.
Regeneration USA Anti-Aging Whole Food Bar, Goji Flavor, 1.76-Ounce Bars
Certified 100% Gluten Free; 100% Organic, 100% Raw & Kosher cold pressed bars; All antioxidant; All anti-aging ingredients; All natural low glycemic ingredients including Trans-Resveratro, Goji Berry & Omega 3,6,9.
9g of fiber; 9g of protein,
Made with recyclable wrapper and boxes.
A great tasting blend of raw sprouted super foods and low glycemic ingredients. Each whole food bar contains the equivalent Trans-Resveratrol contained in 30 Bottles of Red Wine. The bar can be used as a meal replacement. Certified 100% Organic, Raw, Gluten Free & Kosher. These bars do not contain any processed sugars, corn syrup, salt, hydrogenated oils, genetically modified foods, preservatives or synthetic sweeteners of any variety.
Regeneration USA Anti-Aging Whole Food Bar, Regenerating Brownie Cocoa Flavor, 1.76-Ounce Bars
Goji Berries, Acai Berries, Cranberries, Resveratrol, Maqui Berries, Mangosteen, Pomegrantes, plus our very own Anti-Aging Vitamin Mix designed for Healthy Skin, Body and Mind
Cold pressed bars; All antioxidant; All anti-aging ingredients; All natural low glycemic ingredients
100% Gluten Free; 100% Raw & Vegan
A great tasting 100% raw & vegan whole food bar made with all low glycemic ingredients. Each whole food bar contains the equivalent Resveratrol in 30 Bottles of Red Wine. The bar can be used as a meal replacement. Certified by Brunswick Labs for the bars antioxidant capacity of 7,800 ORAC units per bar. These bars do not contain any processed sugars, corn syrup, salt, hydrogenated oils, genetically modified foods, preservatives or synthetic sweeteners of any variety.
Regeneration's organic bars have been named as the "The Top 5 Most Innovative Products" at the 2009 Natural Food Show in Boston, MA. These bars were a FAVORITE among celebrity guests at the 2010 Pre-Emmy Events and have also been featured on Good Morning America "The Future of Natural Foods".
On top of offering these awesome, tasty healthy organic bars, Regeneration also makes Anti-Aging Jiaogulan Tea of Life,Humic and Fulvic Minerals,and Longevity Antioxidant Formula.
Regeneration also offers two affiliate programs that can easily generate a second income stream for you. You can join both programs.
1. Third Party Share-A-Sale Affiliate Program: You simply signup and post our banners and text links on your website. When someone purchases our products by clicking through your link you earn a 20% commission, its that easy. Join Here.
2. Direct Regeneration USA Affiliate Program: Signup and receive an identical
e-Commerce Website as ours, promote to customers and other affiliates. Earn up to 47% commissions. Join Here.
If you are interested in learning more about their great products and the many health benefits they offer, please visit them:
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.
Congrats Erin S., Sarah H, Shelly, Erica B., and Sabrina S. You all have won two coupons to try Jamba Juice @ Home Smoothie Kits! I will need your mailing information (no phone number required) so that I can get your prizes in the post first thing Tuesday morning! You will have 48 hours to do so before I have to pick new winners.
Congrats Adrienne H. You are the Hurtie Hug winner! I will need your mailing information and what color Hurtie Hug you would like. You have 48 hours to do so before I have to pick a new winner. So, check that email!
It appears that the SodaStream Fountain Jet does save you money when compared to buying cans, individual bottles, or 2 liters. That said, I don’t normally buy 2 liter bottles because I usually only drink about half of it before it goes flat. That is one of the advantages to using the Fountain Jet to make 1 liter bottles, I find that I don’t waste as much. Another advantage is that I don’t have to lug and store multiple 12 and 24pk boxes of cans. This also reduces the amount of recycling that goes out weekly tremendously. So for me, this product gets two thumbs up.
