10 Favorite Cruelty-Free Brands

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I recently posted about how I went cruelty-free with my beauty and household products. In the post I talked about how much easier it was than I initially expected. You can read that post here.

Now I'd like to share with you 10 favorite cruelty-free brands. I've used theses few brands for a while and really like them... I barely remember what I used before I went cruelty-free.

How I Meal Plan

Life can be crazy sometimes. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that. Add in kids and/or a job and life gets even crazier. I know it's hard enough to take care of myself and make sure I eat a healthy meal, then add in that I’m making meals for other humans (big and small) and meals can get hectic. 

For years now I’ve been meal planning and it has made a huge difference in daily life. First, I don’t have to worry about what we are having for dinner. And I don’t have to worry about if I have all the ingredients for the planned dinner. Plus, I am saving money because I’m not running to the grocery store (or drive-thru) at the last minute. An added bonus is that if I plan well enough, I don’t buy multiples of items. If I ever get lax on my planning (which does happen, I am human) I always seem to end up buying too many bottles of soy sauce or jars of peanut butter. 

Alright, let’s do this!

How I Went Cruelty-Free... and it was easier than I expected!

I don't specifically remember what I saw that gave me my "a-ha" moment, but I remember it was a pin on Pinterest. This was about a year ago and after I read the entire article associated with the pin, I was in shock.
I have always been an animal lover, I've always stood up for those who couldn't stand up for themselves and I've always been conscious of my choices and how they impact the world. But for some reason, I never paid attention to whether the products I used were cruelty-free. This Pinterest pin brought me into the light.

Honestly, at first, I was a little pissed at myself. I could've made changes in my purchases YEARS and YEARS ago! But I had to let that go and make better choices moving forward.
Cruelty-free means that cosmetics and other household products were designed and manufactured without harming animals. I'm not here to convince you to go cruelty-free. I do believe that is a personal decision (much like veganism), but if you are interested in more info about what companies often do to animals, you can Google it.

If you have made the decision to go cruelty-free, like myself, but aren't sure where to start then I am going to tell you what I did after my "a-ha" moment.

Trolls Themed Birthday Party

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A few days back, my little boy turned two and we threw him a Trolls themed birthday party. The party itself was small... we only invited two other little boys to join. But it was perfect for my kiddo.
To say he loves Trolls is an understatement. I'm embarrassed at the number of times he has watched it (and at the number of times I've used the movie to get some peace or to finish the dishes). That, however, is not the point. The point is that he is obsessed with the movie, the songs, the characters... everything! So picking the Trolls theme was easy.

I really focused on decorations because the party itself was just his two friends coming over, them eating pizza, watching the movie and playing with toys (and later cake). I didn't worry about activities or games because they are so young.
And I tried to DIY it to save money. Some things I had so overall I spent less than $50 on everything for the party minus the pizza we ordered.

Yum

Honey & Vanilla Granola... I also affectionately call it "Yum-Nola"

Kraft Helps Me Cheat in the Kitchen

I love to cook!
I am a foodie, if you will... a genuine "yummy, put it in my mouth now!" kind of person.

But more importantly, I'm lazy & cheap. I may like food, but I can't afford the finest cheese around and I sure as hell don't have time for 8 hour pot roast every Sunday.

What I can afford and do have time for is what I call cooking cheats. For instance, 8 hour pot roast takes an hour less when I use canned potatoes.
Is it the way grandma made it? No! But grandma was crazy, so that's a poor example.

And the best place to find cheap, easy recipes that I can steal... Kraft Foods!

Oh! How I love thee... and let's count the ways!

1. They use basic, everyday ingredients.
2. Most recipes can be done in 30 minutes or less.
3. It's easy to substitute or find new ways to make it tastier (just read recipe reviews).
4. The recipes feature products from Kraft, but it's easy to substitute off-brands of similar items.
5. Wife tested... husband approved. Good recipes for families (a.k.a. hungry husbands).

Seriously, this place is the bomb. They use to send out a free magazine/cookbook every 3 months, but they started charging for that (and remember, I'm cheap). But you can still find all the old recipes and new recipes on the website for FREE!

So sign up... get yourself a virtual recipe box and start your ovens. You won't regret it.

DISCLAIMER:
I know it sounds fishy, but Kraft did not pay me to say all these nice things. 
I really do think they're awesome. 
And I'm gonna prove it by sharing one of my favorite recipes from the site.

FRESH CORN SALSA 

What You Need
4 tomatoes (1-1/2 lb.), chopped
1 cup  cooked fresh corn kernels
1/4 cup finely chopped red onions
1/4 cup  chopped fresh cilantro
1 jalapeño pepper, chopped
1/4 cup  KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing 

Make It
COMBINE all ingredients except dressing in large bowl.
ADD dressing; mix lightly. 

Mara's Tip: I always use one can of corn instead of making fresh corn. It's easier. Go me!