POM is not Wonderful & a $100 Giveaway!

Please head over to my new blog at TheUrbanHousewife.com, where you'll find this post & more!

As bloggers, there are times when we are offered free products, typically in exchange for a review or writeup, which results in publicity for the company. While it can be hard to resist the lure of free, I try to consider all aspects of accepting these items, as there's always a chance I may not like them. Additionally, there is the ethical side of things, so research is always in order. When I was recently contacted by POM (cough) Wonderful with an offer of samples, I knew right away I would not be accepting them.

You see, POM has a history of animal testing. In the past, they would torture our dear rabbit & mice friends, so they could make claims about the health benefits of their juices. When I found out about this a few years ago, I jumped in to action & told all of my friends. Of course, PETA jumped in to action as well & the result was the agreement that POM would stop the deadly testing.

So, why am I still boycotting them? While I appreciate that they stopped the insane & inhumane misuse of animals, realistically, they went from a murderous juice company to a NORMAL juice company & therefore I believe they deserve no special treatment & certainly not my support. With all of the juice options out there, I cannot give my money a company that lacks ethics & likely would not have stopped testing had they not been called out. They have their results from the tests they've already done & therefore can make health claims, but innocent animals still died for their marketing. I will not be a part of their marketing & I hope other bloggers will refrain from giving them positive press & legitimizing POM to their readers, even if they did receive samples.

I know this is a heavy topic for a typically light hearted food blog, but I feel that is it important that my readers know about animal cruelty, so they can combat it. I am not only vegan, I am an activist as well, so this is an topic I cannot shy away from.

Now, as bloggers we also get FUN offers as well! When I was contacted by OnlineShoes.com & asked if I would like to give away a $100 gift certificate to my readers, I was more than thrilled. What a great way to give something back to my friends & possibly draw out the lurkers as well.

OnlineShoes.com has a nice selection of vegan friendly items, including a large selection of EARTH Shoes, many of which are labeled as vegan! While I may be more of a loud & proud boot kind of gal, or even a subdued boot kind of gal, there's likely something for everyone at OnlineShoes.com.

Want to win a $100 gift certificate from OnlineShoes.com? Comment & tell me about the WORST shoes you've ever owned! LA Gear with double neon laces (wait, those were awesome), squeaky soles, or downright uncomfortable? I want to hear about your footwear faux pas!
The winner will be drawn at random & must reside in the United States (or have a place to send them?). Don't forget to leave a way to be contacted & get your entry in by February 16th!