Seventh Generation Giveaway

This week was back to school week for my son. Each year, we gather the typical school supplies - pencils, crayons, rulers, glue and folders and send him off to school. In addition to the standard tools for school, Seventh Generation would like to help prepare your child with tips and information to protect your child's health as they head back to school. Here is some information from Seventh Generation:

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.

History of Germs (video courtesy of Seventh Generation)

I recently was sent a “Back-to-School” kit that included the following eco-friendly products courtesy of Seventh Generation through MyBlogSpark:

Seventh Generation backpack

two canisters of Seventh Generation disinfecting wipes (one for home and one I can donate to my child’s classroom)

Seventh Generation disinfecting multi-surface spray cleaner

Seventh Generation facial tissue

Seventh Generation paper towels

First, it came as no surprise to me, but as soon as it arrived, my daughter quickly claimed the backpack as her own. She cracks me up with all of her bags. I have had the chance to try the Seventh Generation disinfecting wipes and the disinfecting spray. They both work just fine for me. I use the wipes for a quick clean-up of a spill or a small section of my counter and spray when I am cleaning more of the counter or a bigger mess. The wipes are fairly comparable to other disinfecting wipes; if anything, they might be a bit more "sudsy" than others, but that's not anything that concerns me or is an issue. The facial tissues, which are made from 100% recycled paper, are a little less soft than I like. They work fine for run of the mill nose blowing and wiping, but I think they could be a little irritating if you were in the throes of a cold and were repeatedly wiping and blowing your nose.

Giveaway:
One A Busy Mom of Two readers will win a “Back-to-School” kit that 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.

To enter: Leave a comment sharing your tip for keeping your kids healthy and germ-free.

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Giveaway will remain open until September 7th at 6pm and is open to residents of US only. Winner will be selected using Random.org random number generator. The winner will be contacted by e-mail (Please make sure that your email address is either in your comment or clearly visible on your profile or blog) and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner may be selected.

About Seventh Generation
Seventh Generation is committed to becoming the world's most trusted brand of authentic, safe, and environmentally-responsible products for a healthy home. For information on Seventh Generation cleaning, paper, baby and feminine personal care products, to find store locations, and explore the company's website visit http://www.seventhgeneration.com/.

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

P.S. You can get great coupons for Seventh Generations products by clicking here and joining the Seventh Generation Nation.

No compensation was received for this post. The opinions expressed are all my own. I received the Back to School Gift Pack for my personal usage, so that I might share my experience with you. An additional gift pack was also provided for the give away. Product and information are courtesy of Seventh Generation through MyBlogSpark.