See the left apple, still crisp after 29 days.

After [...]]]> 24 days later and the Crisper Fresh-N pouch is still working to keep the apple fresh and edible.  We’ve been asking folks to “feel the apples” as they come by the booth.  The left apple is still crisp and firm, while the right on is quite mushy.

See the left apple, still crisp after 29 days.

After 5 outdoor markets, being left in the truck and not refrigerated. The apple stored with the Crisper Fresh-N pouch is still very edible.  The volcanic mineral, zeolite,  in the pouch continues to absorb the ethylene gas and control the moisture, so the apple stays firm and crisp.  The apple is also very sweet because the moisture remains in the apple.

Note the smooth skin of the apple on the left and how pockmarked the apple on the right is.

We’re still doing our markets and it’s lots of fun.  We are now having people come to back to the booth, raving about how great the Crisper Fresh-N works and encouraging others who stop to purchase the product.

We will be setting up a testimonial sheet at our next few markets, so stay tuned for lots of comments!

Each week, we’ll pick a testimonial and give the winner a FREE product, so stop by.

We’ll be at the Langley Market on July 14th and the Abbotsford Market, July 24th.

If you haven’t already been by, stop by and “Feel the Apples”.

Only $11.95 for years of ethylene gas absorption.  Crisper Fresh-N comes in a 2 pack.

Use in:

• The fridge crispers
• The fruit bowl on the kitchen counter
• Beside the bananas to stop the fruit flies
• In your picnic cooler
• Store with your potatoes
• They’re also great in dresser drawers

Use for about 4 months and then recharge by placing in the sun for the day or in the microwave for 2 minutes.

$11.95 for 2 pouches

Placing apples and bananas together is never a good idea.  Both release lots of ethylene gas and the two together ripen very quickly.

Sign up for your FREE fruit and storage chart and learn how to [...]]]> We found this video on youtube and thought we’d share it with you.  Here’s what happens before you start using Crisper Fresh-N.

Placing apples and bananas together is never a good idea.  Both release lots of ethylene gas and the two together ripen very quickly.

Sign up for your FREE fruit and storage chart and learn how to store your fruits and vegetables for maximum life and crispness.

Through our experiments at the farmer’s markets, we have discovered that our messaging isn’t as clear as we would like it to be. [...]]]> It’s the time of year when we re-evaluate our messaging and make sure our branding says what we want it to.   Fall shows start in August and our products excel during the holiday season.

Through our experiments at the farmer’s markets, we have discovered that our messaging isn’t as clear as we would like it to be.  Our products are great if we are standing beside them talking about them.  The packaging grabs people; they want to know what we do, but unless they have time and pick up the products, they don’t jump off shelves into the buyer’s hands.

The tubes we package everything in to ship to retail are also terrific.  They seal nicely – a must when dealing with a product that absorbs.  They ship wonderfully.

How to capture attention in 8 seconds or less?  What grabs you – what do you want to know?

I’m finding that the more specific or targeted we get, the clearer the message.  For example – Diva Diamondz remove smell in HER shoes!  Gentlemen Gems  take the funk out of footwear!  These are great at a retail or market.  We have organized our products into subsets and groups and our Diva Diamondz, Gentlemen Gems and SportzGemz works well as does the SportzGemz grouping for different sports.  I thought having a “Home” Fresh-N set would work as well, but it’s too broad.  This set has another natural subset which seems to make more sense.

Home Fresh-N contains:

• Home Fresh-N, a generic natural odor eliminator
• Nursery Fresh-N, for smelly diaper pails and other nasty baby smells
• Pet Fresh-N, removing kitty litter box odor, dog smell and any other animal smells
• Auto Fresh-N to remove all car smells, musty odors, spilt milk smell and the smell of cigarette smoke

Kitchen Fresh-N is the other subset and includes:

• Fridge Fresh-N for a fresh smelling fridge
• Crisper Fresh-N for longer lasting produce
• Kitchen Fresh-N to absorb cooking odors
• Bin Fresh-N to remove odor in your garbage can and to make sure your compost doesn’t smell

This seems to be a clearer message for people and it allows us to problem solve.

Do you throw out fruits and veggies?  Is your produce costing you a fortune?  Tired of knocking over the baking soda in the fridge?  Does your garbage can make you want to gag?

The next challenge is how to translate this to the web?  Most of the above don’t contain keywords with enough power to put us on page one of google, so is there a way of pushing the above and driving traffic to the website.  This is where social media comes in.  Catchy phrases grab attention and then people can click to follow the link.

This week, we’ll put the above to the test and report back.

Your comments are welcome!

Day 9 - Crisper Fresh-N with apples

The apple on the left is still firm and crisp. The apple on the right is [...]]]> Crisper Fresh-N Experiment

It’s now Day 9 of our experiment.  The apples have been to 2 sunny, warm farmer’s markets and have sat on the counter in our kitchen the rest of the time.

Day 9 - Crisper Fresh-N with apples

The apple on the left is still firm and crisp. The apple on the right is much softer, is getting brown spots and is wrinkling.

The pouch is absorbing the ethylene gas being released as the apple is ripening.  It’s also absorbing any excess moisture.  The result is that the apple is still very crisp.

You may notice that the colour of the pouch has changed from the previous day.  At market on Saturday, a young boy picked it up to play with the first pouch and carried if off with him.  This was our display pouch which I promptly stuck in with the apple.  I forgot about it and left it there, not realizing it was a different colour until just now, when I looked at the photographs from Day 4.

Follow this link to go to our Day 4 post.

We tried something new.  Rather than take my word for the product working, we created a demo.

We’ve been saying that the Crisper Fresh-N pouches keep produce fresher for longer.  4 days ago, we took 2 apples, purchased on the [...]]]> Yesterday’s market in Langley was great!  The sun was shining, the feeling festive and the traffic was decent.

We tried something new.  Rather than take my word for the product working, we created a demo.

We’ve been saying that the Crisper Fresh-N pouches keep produce fresher for longer.  4 days ago, we took 2 apples, purchased on the same day, from the same place.  In one bowl, we placed a Crisper Fresh-N pouch and the apple.  In the other bowl, an apple.  We then separated the bowls, leaving one in the kitchen and we placed the other in the dining room.

Day 4

The 2 apples in their bowls.

The 2 apples after 4 days on the counter.

This apple is starting to wrinkle and is quite soft.

This apple is still firm and crisp.

As you can see, the apple that has been stored with the Crisper Fresh-N pouch is still shiny. The apple is also still crisp and firm, even though it’s been on the counter for 4 days and spent 4 hours in the sun at market yesterday.

The other apple is wrinkling. It’s not crisp and firm anymore.

Which one would you rather eat?

Simply adding Crisper Fresh-N to your produce bowl or placing the pouches in the crispers in your fridge will make a huge difference in the crispness and firmness of your product.

The zeolite inside the Crisper Fresh-N pouch absorbs the ethylene gas being released as the produce ripens.

Use the pouches for 4 months and then place them in the sun for 8 hours to recharge them. You can also place them in the microwave for 2 minutes and that will recharge them too.

Our special this month includes the Crisper Fresh-N pouches.

For more products for your kitchen, home, shoes and sports equipment, visit our products page.

In 2008, the New York Times ran an article with the image above.  122 pounds of food is thrown away in the US each month (for a family of 4) and the stat is not much better in Canada.

What a waste, not only of the food, but of the money spent and the amount [...]]]>

In 2008, the New York Times ran an article with the image above.  122 pounds of food is thrown away in the US each month (for a family of 4) and the stat is not much better in Canada.

What a waste, not only of the food, but of the money spent and the amount that accumulates in the land fill.  It’s absolutely incredible that we can be this wasteful.

Only some of the food above is thrown out because it has spoiled.  The rest is discarded because of past expiration dates or because it’s unwanted.

Wouldn’t it be great to be able to keep the food a little longer?  And now that summer is coming and we can purchase great fruits and vegetables from local farmer’s markets, it would be great to have those fresh fruits and vegetables last until the next market.

We chatted about what it’s like to be a work at home mom (WAHM), what it takes to create a successful business and a bit about Fresh-N Home Products.

Follow the link below to [...]]]> I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Tisia Lee who is the virtual assistant for Kelly McCausey of  WAHM blog radio on Friday.

We chatted about what it’s like to be a work at home mom (WAHM), what it takes to create a successful business and a bit about Fresh-N Home Products.

Follow the link below to listen in.

Interview by Tishia Lee for Kelly McCausey

Kelly McCausey is a full-time Work at Home Mom. That is the fulfillment of a dream she didn’t even know she had until a few years ago when she realized that her ‘little internet’ business had limitless potential.

Kelly has created a great site with tons of info for WAHM.   Check it out.  You’ll be glad you did.

As a Mom, you want your family and yourself to be healthy.  Eating fruits and vegetables is a great start. Knowing how to take care of you produce and store it correctly will save you hundreds of dollars.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Americans throw away nearly 31.6 million [...]]]> Proper Storage Prevents Spoilage, Saving You Hundreds

As a Mom, you want your family and yourself to be healthy.  Eating fruits and vegetables is a great start. Knowing how to take care of you produce and store it correctly will save you hundreds of dollars.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Americans throw away nearly 31.6 million tons of food every year. The average family tosses 1.28 pounds of food a day, for a total of 470 pounds a year, according to a study done by the University of Arizona. That’s throwing away money!
There is a right and a wrong way to store your fresh fruit and vegetables.  Some should be stored in the fridge, some not.  Some should be left in plastic, while others shouldn’t. We’ve created a simple chart to follow, so you will know which to store with what.

What to Store Where: A Handy Chart
Use this color-coded key along with the chart below:

• Store unwashed and in a single layer
• Store unwashed and in a plastic bag
• Store in a paper bag
• *Ethylene producers (keep away from other fruits and vegetables)

Print off this handy chart to keep in your kitchen so you can refer to it after every shopping trip.

Countertop Storage Tips
There’s nothing as inviting as a big bowl of crisp apples on the kitchen counter. To keep apples crisp and all countertop-stored produce fresh, store them out of direct sunlight, in an uncovered bowl, or inside a perforated plastic bag.

Refrigerator Storage Tips
For produce that is best stored in the refrigerator, remember the following guidelines.

• Keep produce in perforated plastic bags in the produce drawer of the  refrigerator. (To perforate bags, punch holes in the bag with a sharp object, spacing them about as far apart as the holes you see in supermarket apple bags.)
• Keep fruits and vegetables separate, in different drawers, because ethylene can build up in the fridge, causing spoilage.
• When storing herbs (and interestingly, asparagus, too), snip off the ends, store upright in a glass of water (like flowers in a vase) and cover with a plastic bag.

Keep all your fruits and vegetables crisper longer by adding a Crisper Fresh-N pouch.

• To each crisper drawer in your fridge.
• To the fruit bowl on the counter.
• By your bananas
• With your potatoes in a cool, dry place.

Crisper Fresh-N absorbs the ethylene gas being released as fruits and vegetables ripen.  Fruits and vegetables give off an odorless, harmless and tasteless gas called ethylene after they’re picked. All fruits and vegetables produce it, but some foods produce it in greater quantities. When ethylene-producing foods are kept in close proximity with ethylene-sensitive foods, especially in a confined space (like a bag or drawer), the gas will speed up the ripening process of the other produce. Use this to your advantage if you want to speed up the ripening process of an unripe fruit, for example, by putting an apple in a bag with an unripe avocado.  Crisper Fresh-N pouches will help your already-ripe foods to last longer and remember to store fruit and vegetables as designated in the chart above.

Food is expensive, and I know I can’t afford to waste it.  5-9 servings a day is recommended for a healthy lifestyle.  That’s a lot of fruit and vegetables.  Knowing how to take care of the produce will help prevent all of that healthy food go to waste.

Join us this weekend at the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre for the 18th Annual Wellness Show.

The Show is on:

April 30, 2010 Friday 12 noon to 8 pm

May 1, 2010 Saturday 10 am to 7 pm

May 2, 2010 Sunday 10 am to 6 pm

Click here for a list of exhibitors.

The Wellness Show features speakers and exhibitors to leave you feeling relaxed, re‐energized, [...]]]>

Join us this weekend at the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre for the 18th Annual Wellness Show.

The Show is on:

April 30, 2010
Friday
12 noon to 8 pm

May 1, 2010
Saturday
10 am to 7 pm

May 2, 2010
Sunday
10 am to 6 pm

Click here for a list of exhibitors.

The Wellness Show features speakers and exhibitors to leave you feeling relaxed, re‐energized, and able to
face the world at your very best.

No matter what stage of life you are at, this year’s 18th Annual Wellness Show is sure to have just what you need to help with your journey. Relationship advice, marriage preparation, getting ready for baby and beyond, it will all be covered April 30 to May 2 at the Vancouver Convention Centre.

Terry Walters, acclaimed author of Clean Food will be talking about her passion for healthy, delicious food, that is locally sourced. Terry’s talk will be emceed by Dr. Rhonda Low, whose daily health tips on the nightly CTV news help to keep us all feeling better.  Plus there are loads of other celebrity chefs in attendance.

Come join in the fun this weekend and make sure you stop by the Fresh-N Booth to enter our draw.

Saturday, Fresh-N Home Products is the Demo Stage sponsor, so be sure to enter to win the gift basket.

See you this weekend!

The Tofield IDA is located on main street or 50th Street in Tofield.  Tofield IDA is a drug store and a gift store, very typical of [...]]]> 67 km southeast of Edmonton, Alberta is a small town of approximately 2,200 people called Tofield.  Travelling on the scenic highway 14, Tofield is an easy 40 minute drive from Edmonton.

The Tofield IDA is located on main street or 50th Street in Tofield.  Tofield IDA is a drug store and a gift store, very typical of many drug stores in small towns in Alberta.

Sandy Thompson is a lovely lady who works at the Tofield IDA.  She has carried Fresh-N Home Products for the past 6 months.

When Sandy visited our booth at the Alberta Gift Show in February, we promised her a “bonus” product and a thank you for her re-order.  We shipped her a set of Diva Diamondz.

Sandy gave the Diva Diamondz to her husband to remove smell from work shoes.  Before the Diva Diamondz, Sandy’s husband had used baking soda which worked okay if you didn’t mind the dust.  Since using the Diva Diamondz, Sandy has noticed that the front hall smells better and that her husband removes his shoes and inserts the Diva Diamondz.  “The Diva Diamondz must be working if he is willing to put them in his shoes”, says Sandy.

Sandy also LOVES the Kitchen Fresh-N, which she leaves open on her kitchen counter and the Fridge Fresh-N.

When we spoke with Sandy last week, she mentioned that a client came in and purchased 5 different products from the Fresh-N line.  Needless to say, she is very pleased with sales.

Thanks Sandy!

I love listening to Sandra. She’s motivational, inspirational and most of all relatable.   Her topic was Success Imperatives for 2010 [...]]]> Earlier this week, I attended a luncheon of the eWomenNetwork and listened to Sandra Yancey speak. Sandra founded eWomenNetwork 10 years ago and the network is now the largest women’s networking organization in North America.

I love listening to Sandra. She’s motivational, inspirational and most of all relatable.   Her topic was Success Imperatives for 2010 and how as women we actually need to focus on how our business will bring in cash.  As women we build relationships, which are fabulous, but often times we will “give away the farm” rather than charge someone for our products or services.  I know, I have been guilty of this in the past.

Sandra is an astute business women and I admire her greatly.  I feel honored that she knows me by name and recognizes me when she comes to Vancouver and when I attend convention in Dallas.

Sandra also uses and LOVES our products.  I was privileged to be interviewed by Sandra a while back.  Listen here for the interview.

The interview was also featured in

Here’s an excerpt from the interview.

As a sports mom to three athletes, Wendy has driven many miles holding her nose. Wendy’s husband believes that encouraging her kids to excel at their chosen sports helps to make them stronger, healthier and more disciplined individuals. The challenge was that as the talent and level of play increased, so did the smell. Wendy believes that there is a natural solution to most problems, so she went looking for one to stop the smell. In the past two years, Diamond Diva Designz (now Fresh-N Home Products) has grown in leaps and bounds, proving that hard work, a bit of talent and a great idea can grow, even in a struggling economy.

The church is quite old and as with all older buildings in need of constant repair.

Last week after church one of the parishioners, a police officer, complained of getting a [...]]]> My friend Rob is the pastor of a fairly large church near Toronto, ON.  He has only been the pastor of this church for a few months.

The church is quite old and as with all older buildings in need of constant repair.

Last week after church one of the parishioners, a police officer, complained of getting a splinter from a pew.

As the church was expected to be full for the services over Easter, another of the parishioners chose to sand and re-varnish the pew on Thursday.  Late Thursday afternoon to be exact.

Rob opened the sanctuary door for choir practice later Thursday afternoon to the overwhelming smell of varnish.  Not good!  Rob needed to remove the smell -  NOW.

After a few moments of panic, Rob remembered that the Ladies Guild had sold Fresh-N Home Products at a fundraiser a few months earlier.  He phoned a member, who also sung in the choir asking her to bring in the products she had purchased.  She arrived carrying a 12 oz. jar of Kitchen Fresh-N granules.

Rob opened the window closest to the fragrant pew, creating a small draft and placed the Kitchen Fresh-N jar on a stool level with the seat of the pew.

15 minutes later, the smell was GONE!

We love to receive these stories!  If you have a story you’d like to share, please share your story with us.  Thank you.

Promo extended until April 15th!.

With Spring quickly approaching, outdoor sports like soccer and ball are starting.  While nothing is better than sitting at the field on a warm spring night watching your loved one play, the drive home can be less than pleasant.

Sports equipment stinks!  The harder the athlete plays, the more the equipment smells.  The [...]]]>

Promo extended until April 15th!.

With Spring quickly approaching, outdoor sports like soccer and ball are starting.  While nothing is better than sitting at the field on a warm spring night watching your loved one play, the drive home can be less than pleasant.

Sports equipment stinks!  The harder the athlete plays, the more the equipment smells.  The foot odor coming from the cleats rises and wafts through the air.  Confine the smell in a car or van, add to that a few more players with their equipment bags and the smell can overwhelm.  Travelling to weekend tournaments can be a nightmare.

We have the answer.  Our all natural pouches, containing zeolite, are perfect.  We’ve bundled Auto Fresh-N pouches, which tuck under the front seats of the car or the middle seats of a van, with SportzGemz3, a 3 pouch set for cleats/shoes and the equipment bag, and smell won’t be a problem.

Simply slip the pouches inside the cleats/shoes after the game and smell won’t be a problem.  The zeolite mineral also dries, so overnight your shoes are dry too.

Every 3 or 4 months, remove the pouches from the car and the sports equipment and place them in the sun for the day.  The sun recharges them.  Recharge your pouches as directed and you can use them for 3+ years.

Another plus is that the mineral is completely non-toxic.

SportzGemz3 come in blue camo, black camo, pink camo and green “grumpy but gorgeous” shown in the photo.

Auto Fresh-N comes in either black camo or green camo.

I’m sorry, the special is now over, watch for our newest monthly special.