World’s Best Cat Litter Review

A review of something I haven’t personally test per-se, but my cat has. World’s Best Cat Litter has a great name, and has some claimed green credentials. Most normal cat litter is made from natural clay (or sodium bentonite), which is formed into pellets and dried. The clay is strip mined from the earth in a destructive process that leaves a indelible mark on our environment.

The corn used to produce the World’s Best Cat Litter are the same corn varieties approved by the USDA /EPA/FDA, and EU European Union for food use. This corn is also used to produce many ingredients, including corn sweeteners, food starches, corn oil, used in the production of high quality food and pharmaceutical products. This corn and/or its components are also used in the production of animal feeds.

Since the corn used is all natural and biodegradable, it is very safe for people, pets and the environment. There is no silica dust for you and your cat to breath in, if your pet ingests the litter it is digestible (so no need to be concerned about intestinal blockages), and over time the litter will naturally degrade and not be sitting in a landfill 100 years from now.

It claims to have unsurpassed odor control, and while it wasn’t the best in the world on that score, it wasn’t bad and not really noticeable as we clean the box regularly. Some people said their cats have not liked the texture, but ours didn’t seem bothered. It’s flushable but I didn’t try that as there’s no point (and I think it’s still not recommended in California at least).

Clumping was pretty good and scooping not a problem, overall it worked well. I would prefer to some degree that it wasn’t made of edible whole kernel corn that could be used for human food, rather than cat’s waste, perhaps looking at using some sort of inedible corn by-product.

You can buy it now from Amazon and pet stores of course!

EcoSMART Organic Insecticide Product Review

I’m not a big fan of the word insecticide, it conjures images of harsh chemicals sprayed onto the food I eat. However when asked to test Organic Ant & Roach Killer by EcoSMART, it was a good opportunity as I have an ant problem.

It’s listed as being non-toxic which is not quite true, it’s toxic to ants and roaches and certainly does kill them! It’s not toxic to your pets and kids (and you!), though as with anything I wouldn’t spray it in your eyes… It’s certainly less toxic than most commercial insecticides. The organic part refers to the treatment of the plant ingredients that are used, it’s classed as a Minimal-Risk pest control product, as all ingredients are “food-grade” and regarded as “Generally Recognized As Safe” by the USDA.

The ants that are invading my home certainly didn’t like it, I sprayed it around entry points in the hope they get the message that they’re not welcome. As far as I can tell it worked great. Technically it works when the plant oil gets inside of the insect’s exoskeleten and blocks the octopamine neuroreceptor sites, causing the little fellas to die. Well, it is called Organic Ant & Roach Killer.

They also make cool, safe, insect repellent without using harsh chemicals like DEET. While there are other home-made alternatives, such as vinegar or boric acid and sugar, if you’re wanting to buy an off-the-shelf product and aren’t looking to poison your family, then take a look at this.

EcoSMART will point you to the nearest store, but in my area places like Albertsons, Ralphs, Food4Less in the US have it, or you can get it from Amazon in a two pack.

Arena Flowers Bouquet Eco Product Review

Arena Flowers are the first florists in the UK to offer ethically sourced Fair Flowers Fair Plants (FFP) products. A bit about FFP was written by Arena Flowers’ marketing analyst, Adarsh Rangaswamy, on Green Girls Global. He says:

“Fair Flowers Fair Plants (FFP) is a European initiative which addresses historic shortcomings by creating a level playing field for all producers by setting uniform, global standards. One of the unique features of FFP is its emphasis on auditing the entire supply chain to regulate the use of pesticides, land, energy and the working environment. Furthermore, it also offers flexibility to florists to source their produce either from flower auctions or directly, through FFP compliant growers. This latter approach, favoured by ArenaFlowers.com where possible, guarantees fresher floral produce, reduced wastage and a happier customer (key!). In the longer term, FFP’s aim is to unify all existing standards to make it simple for growers, traders and consumers. We’re proud to say that we are the first UK florist to sell FFP-accredited products and have now launched an ethical category featuring all our whiter than white products.”

While you can get Fair Trade Flowers too, FFP flowers are also ethical and as I normally only buy British blooms, I thought I’d give Arena Flowers a go and Adarsh was happy to oblige. Thankfully he included chocolates and wine as opposed to a balloon and cuddly toy but I was delighted with the results. I was sent the Bright and Cheery bouquet which was a visual delight.

Not only did it look great, but the smell of the roses is lovely and the lilies will open in a couple of days – I can’t wait. In the UK flowers are seen as more of a luxury item than in other countries, but receiving a bunch like this for the home reminded me why I get them. They brighten up the room, delight the girlfriend and coming with flower food, they’ll last a while. If you’re going to buy flowers anyway, why not make sure they’re ethical? It’s estimated that more than 18 million Fair Trade stems were sold in the UK in 2005 so there’s certainly a market for FFP-accredited flowers.

Arena Flowers has its own blog, a sister site in the Netherlands and you can send internationally too.

The Bright and Cheery selection costs £34.99 with the vase, wine and chocolates extra, but no delivery charge.

Stubby Pencil Studio Eco Stationery Review

My local Wal-Mart may spell it’s Stationery department “Stationary” (I’ve haven’t been in for a year until last week and it still hasn’t changed – or for that matter, moved), but I’m certain that stationery is the correct word for pens, pencils and paper.

Stubby Pencil Studio provide eco-friendly stationery and art supplies, 100% recycled cards and invitations and unique non-toxic gifts and kits. They sent us lots of great stuff for adults and kids alike.

Smencils (made by Smencil World) are gourmet scented pencils made from 100% recycled newspaper. They come in normal (#2 graphite) pencil versions and colored pencils. As you can see from the picture to the right they come in individual tubes, which does increase packaging (though is recyclable), but on the other hand stops you becoming overcome with fumes from the (environmentally friendly created) smell. The ones we got came with the following smells: chocolate, grape, orange, very berry, bubble gum, cherry, root beer, cotton candy, watermelon and tropical burst. And you know what? The kids love them. I mean LOVE them. The colored Smencils come in their own pencil case too (picture below), the color of the smell relating to the color of the pencil. I think I may be addicted to very berry flavor.

We also tested Prang Fun Pro Soybean Crayons that unlike traditional petroleum-based crayons, are crayons made from all natural pigments and soybean oil (AP certified non-toxic).It’s been a long while since I used a crayon last but apparently they’re great.

To test these products we were also given some fantastic color ‘n kids cards. These are eco-friendly cards for kids to color, trace the letters, and create their own greetings. Printed on heavy, 100% post consumer waste stock, they have cute black and white illustrations on the cards to encourage do-it-yourself card making for young children and grown ups alike. I didn’t feel at all embarrassed writing my age on the back! Interactive, educational, and green! There are ones for all occasions, thank yous, birthday greetings, get well cards, notes to teachers, valentines, Easter…. These were really fun too.

Another way of testing them was to color in a Made By Meâ„¢ kit, which is a do-it-yourself wooden toy kit. We had the bug, but they’re also available as a train or race car. The kit includes a 4″ long unfinished, sanded smooth pine shaped body, and 4 natural wheels and axles, all you need is some glue, a hammer, paints, crayons, markers, stickers and imagination (and to be over 3 years old).

Smencils cost $5 for 5, Colored Smencils $14 for 10, color n’ kids cards from $0.80 and sets for $7.95 and Made By Meâ„¢ kits only $4 from Stubby Pencil Studio. If you kids love using drawing and you want to do it in a green way, then give them a try. I’m off to try a watermelon smencil….

Fairtrade Soccer Ball Eco Product Review

Sometimes we get sent products to review that aren’t that much fun, but as I love soccer (football in my language…) it wasn’t exactly a hardship testing this fairtrade ball.

Called “Right To Education”, this ball is eco-certified and certified Fair Trade. Union-made and vegan. Fair Trade means the adult workers who produced this ball received a fair wage – at no extra cost to us! Fair Trade Sports donate 100% of after tax profits to children’s charities.

I’ve put together a short video (click here if you can’t see the embedded video) of me and the Fairtrade soccer ball. Not sure why I choose that music, the banjo just appealed to me!

EDIT: If you’re looking for similar balls in the UK, Nigel’s Eco Store have a selection.

The Magic Wheel Eco Product Review

If you ever look what category posts on Life Goggles are put in, you may notice this one says Product Reviews, but also Transport. That’s in the loosest sense of the word as I haven’t been able to go anywhere on this yet.

But I’m jumping ahead. The Magic Wheel, as you can see from the videos and pictures, is a cross between a unicycle, skateboard and scooter. Sort of. It’s a wheel with steps either side (and a shopping trolley/cart wheel on the back) that you have one foot on while you push off with the other like a skateboard until you reach sufficient speed to put both feet either side and glide to your destination. Well glide for a bit until you need to start pushing again.

First of all – it’s trickier than it looks in the promotions video – check out my video for my (embarrassingly, not first) attempts at mastering the Magic Wheel. I know it’s April 1 so I might as well look at fool. To be fair, I’m not very good at skateboarding etc which I think would have helped, but it’s a bit tricky and young, cool kids are probably better at it than me. The package comes with some vague safety instructions and a dvd with some dubious English subtitles. But between them they tell you enough about the product to be able to give it a go.

Adam’s attempt at magic wheeling

You stick the knee pads on yourself at the right height which makes it a bit more comfortable and easier to control, and away you go. Sort of. I didn’t go very far to be honest but again, I think you could if you persevered. Despite the backdrop of London’s Tower Bridge, after an hour I’d had enough and went for a drink.

How you’re meant to do it

One thing you will notice is how everyone looks at you when you’re on it, or even carrying it. I haven’t seen another one in London and they’re pretty cool looking, if slightly impractical. That’s my main problem with it, not that I can’t get the hang of it. What is it actually for. It’s less portable than a skateboard and it advises you not to go downhill or do tricks on it. It’s less stable than a bike or even a scooter and I’m left wondering why it doesn’t have a thicker tyre/tire on it to help make it more stable. Probably because it means your legs will be a lot wider and you’ll end up walking like John Wayne. Also if you’re short it might be a bit dodgy going on this. On a couple of occasions I came close to injuring myself between the legs and I’m 5′ 10″.

The Magic Wheel is a fun thing for a while, but at $199 or £120 your investment might be better placed elsewhere.

Mandyleigh Storm Album Review And Free Mp3’s

Our favourite Sellaband artist Mandyleigh Storm releases her debut album Fire & Snow on March 10th 2008. So what’s the album like? To get a balanced opinion I also asked Adam to review it too. [Disclosure: We invested a small amount in Mandyleigh via Sellaband. Read about it here.]

There are many highlights of the album, to listen to some free tracks whilst reading this, you can download “Deep Sea Green”, “Cry Hard” or “Let It Go” for no charge from Sellaband and the whole album for only $3.50.

It’s not often a new artist comes along and you can recognise their voice instantly, but hers is one. A excellent opening with Deep Sea Green, followed by one of my favourites, Winter’s Day. Slightly “toned down” for the album, it’s apparently all about a relationship breaking down but you still want to save it. Love it! With strong album themes regarding depression, several tracks such as Go With It and Keep The Silence certainly don’t depress with the latter more a traditional pop song with a pop beat, that shows her versatility.

Sunny New Day is a change of pace and uptempo and is Adam’s current second favourite. My actual favourite is Grey, another song about depression. Adam had heard this one before a while ago and once it starts it was like a nice reminder of things past (if that makes sense). The simple music means the voice does a lot of work – lucky it’s a good one. Quite slow and sad but not soppy, it’s like the end of a film or something, very familiar and easy listening.

The Limited Edition CD also comes with 6 of the demo mp3’s, a video interview with Mandyleigh, and vocal .wav’s of “Keep The Silence” and “Go With It” for the remixers and mashup artists out there.

Green credentials? Well you can download the album for a start, with three tracks being free and the entire album only $3.50. Plus efforts have been taken with regards to the Limited Ediiton CD packaging to produce it in as an environmentally sustainable way as possible.

Overall, I love this album as much as I hoped I would, a stunning debut from a unique singer. Download the free tracks, and if you like them buy the album. Either way, let us know what you think!

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