Back to School with Seventh Generation Giveaway
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 bacteria 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
My Blog Spark recently invited me to review a few of the Seventh Generation products, as well as share a giveaway with my readers. The focus is how to be germ-free in this back to school season. My review pack came with a backpack, first of all, that is eco-friendly, made out of recycled material. 
It’s really a cute pack with a zipper and ropes to put your child’s arms through. It’s the perfect little bag for a walk in the park with the kiddos.
We also received a bottle of their Disinfecting Multi-Surface Cleaner, which kills 99.99% of germs botanically. It kills germs like Influenza A, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enterica, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli. This spray is good for things like toys, countertops, the highchair, etc. It has a Lemongrass and Thyme scent, which really isn’t strong at all, at least in my opinion. It’s a fresh, clean scent.
Another product that came in our pack was the Seventh Generation Paper Towels and a box of Seventh Generation Tissues. The paper towels are made from 100% recycled paper, hypo-allergenic, and unbleached. 
They are brown, and they’re a bit rough, but they really are tough, strong towels, in my opinion. One roll comes with 120 2-ply sheets. The tissues are also made out of 100% recycled paper, hypo-allergenic, and whitened without chlorine bleach. One box comes with 175 2-ply tissues. Personally, I like a tissue with a bit of lotion to soothe runny noses, but these tissues definitely do the job and are eco-friendly.
Lastly, we received two bottles of Disinfecting Wipes, one to give away to a teacher I know. These wipes also have the power to kill 99.99% of household germs, including Salmonella enterica, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Influenza A. I like the wipes because they’re nice for quicker clean-ups, but I also feel a bit safer using them on toys and things, rather than a bleach or other sprays filled with harsh chemicals. The wipes also have a Lemongrass & Thyme scent.
You can win a whole Back to School kit, with the products mentioned above, from Seventh Generation and My Blog Spark!
You can enter to win by doing one or more of the following; just be sure to leave me a separate comment for each way that you enter. I’ll draw the winner, via random.org, on Wednesday, September 22. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Good luck, and have a wonderful day!
- Leave a comment, giving tips for keeping your kids healthy and germ-free.
- Leave a comment with ways that you keep your household clean during the school year.
- Visit Seventh Generation, and tell me your favorite product.
- Like Seventh Generation on Facebook.
- Follow @SeventhGen on Twitter.
- Tweet about this giveaway, being sure to link back to @SeventhGen, #myblogspark and @missmalu; in fact, you can tweet daily to earn extra entries.
- Follow Real Heart Prints, or subscribe to my posts.
- Follow @missmalu on Twitter.
- Blog about this giveaway, being sure to link back to Real Heart Prints.
- Digg or Stumble this post.
(Disclosure: The Seventh Generation product, gift pack, and additional gift pack to give away were all given to me, free of charge, by Seventh Generation through MyBlogSpark.)
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