*THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED

I hate cleaning. Okay, make that HATE in big, fat bold writing as big as I can write. I'm sure when C married me, he had no idea about my weird aversions to cleaning. Perhaps if he did, he would've turned and run away from me.

Cleaning makes me sick. No really, it does. I have terrible allergies and asthma. Whenever I've used cleaning agents with ammonia, bleach, carcinogens (diethanolamine (DEA) and triethanolamine (TEA) when mixed with nitrites can form nitrosamines, a carcinogen)1, VOC's, phosphates and fragrances I suffer from asthma attacks and get massive headaches. Massive. Also, it feels like my stomach throws up on itself. It's not good.

Uh, by the way, did you know that Pledge contains silicones, butane gas and propane?2 Crazy and scary.

So for the past five years, I've been trying my best to use non-toxic, safe for the environment cleaners. It sucks when you feel like puking up a lung and gouging your red and irritated eyes out while scrubbing the shower.

Recently, I was introduced to Better Life - a green company started by Tim Barklage and Kevin Tibbs that manufactures cleaning products that does not contain:

• alcohol
• dyes
• ethoxylates - can be toxic to wildlife and waterlife3
• petrochemical solvents - toxic and can cause dermatitis, dizziness, headaches, nausea and organ damage4
• sulfates like SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfates) and SLES (Sodium Laureth Sulfates) - foaming agents that are used in bath and skin products and also a degreaser for car engines5 (and you put this stuff on your face? No thanks.)
• synthetic fragrances - contain Phthalates which have been known to damage organs. Phthalates also used in polyvinyl cholride plastic otherwise known as PVC - not good.6
• volatile organic compounds (VOC's) - emitted as gases and can cause eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches, nausea, liver and kidney damage and may cause cancer.7 Holy cow, Batman!

 

So I've been using Better Life cleaning products for about a month now and love it! I've Been using Even the Kitchen Sink in the kitchen and the bathroom 'cuz it gets the muck off. I Can See Clearly WOW! gets those pesky little hand prints off the mirrors from the kids I share a bathroom with. What's even better than using cleaning products that don't cause hair pulling, teeth-grinding headaches? Using products that have quirky names and fabulously designed bottles. Maybe you don't care what your cleaning products look like, but I love it when companies actually put some thought behind fonts and color-coordination and do play on words (like Simply Floored floor cleaner, What-Ever! all-purpose cleaner)  - it stimulates the brain!

Get away from all those nasty chemicals and bring in Better Life into your life. Your body and the rest of the family will thank you.

Here's the 411 on how to win Better Life's amazing and green The Better Life Starter Kit (a $45 value) which contains:  -

• What-EVER Clary sage and citrus green all-purpose cleaner
• I Can See Clearly, WOW! green glass cleaner
• Simply Floored! green ready to use floor cleaner
• Even the Kitchen Sink green gentle scrubber
• Collapsible Six-Compartment Cleaning Caddy
• Twist Euro Sponge
• Twist Loofah Sponge (2-pack)

Winning this green cleaning product kit is easier than getting your kids up in the morning for school. Really.

YOU MUST:

• click your way over to Better Life then leave a comment here about which Better Life product you could use

FOR EXTRA ENTRIES LEAVE ME A COMMENT FOR EACH:

• follow Better Life's blog

• leave a comment on Better Life's blog

• subscribe to the Better Life blog

• follow Better Life on Facebook

• follow Better Life on Twitter

• sign-up for the Better Life Newsletter

• subscribe to Better Life's YouTube channel - Clean Happens

• subscribe to my blog. Click on the Jellyfish that says Feed Me 'cuz he's hungry or click here

• follow my blog

• grab The Fashion Slinger button and put it on your site (it's there on the right hand side, see? No not there. There!)

• follow me on Facebook

• follow me on Twitter

• retweet the following message: No more odors that gag u & chemicals that burn your eyeballs! WIN Better Life's Starter Kit of green cleaning products http://bit.ly/7F8jRE
  (3 extra entries)

• blog about this giveaway with links back to me, Better Life and Better Life's blog (5 extra entries)

Totally easy. You can do this!

Rules (because if there weren't any, I'd win all this great stuff): Giveaway is open to all U.S. residents and ends on December 22, 2009 at 11.59pm Eastern. You must leave a comment in order for your entry to count. ONE winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be contacted that they've just won one of the best prize ever! Winner will have 24 hours to contact me with confirmation. Another winner will be chosen if confirmation not received within 24 hours. Winner will receive one The Better Life Starter Kit. The winner will be listed on the Holiday Bazaar Giveaways 2009 page. Yee-haw!

AND don't forget to check-out this year's Holiday Gift Guide - when you care enough to give cool stuff that you totally covet (not like the ugly holiday sweater your Aunt Hildie gave you back in 1989 that still haunts you today).

*Items for review and giveaway are provided by Better Life

**images courtesy of Better Life

1 Organic Consumers

2 Health-report.co.uk

3 Environment Agency

4 Nutritional Medicine DC

5 Natural Health Information Centre

6 Natural Ingredient Resource Center

7 United States Environmental Protection Agency