SodaStream Source Review Plus GIVEAWAY! 2/15

***Disclosure: I received complimentary samples to facilitate my review. No other compensation was provided and all opinions are 100% honest and have not been influenced in any way.***

While I have cut-back on my regular soda consumption, my husband has not. He enjoys drinking plenty of soda, and we were spending TONS of money at the grocery store on 2Liter sodas. I'm talking up to 8 of them per trip. That's a lot of money, and a LOT of waste. He also purchases 2-3 20oz sodas when he's at work. Every single day. That's why I was so excited when I first discovered a revolutionary at-home soda maker that produces great tasting beverages and helps reduce my family's carbon footprint. Not to mention, the SodaStream is also extremely economical. The flavor refills are VERY inexpensive, and one bottle makes several liters of soda! There are TONS of different flavors to choose from... With Soda Stream, you will find all your favorite varieties, like Cola, Lemon-Lime,and Dr. Pete (tastes just like Dr. Pepper) as well as unique flavors like Black Currant Pear and Cranberry Raspberry. There are even energy drinks, lemonades, teas, and even green tea and sparkling water varieties! I happen to LOVE the sparkling waters, by the way.

I have had the pleasure of trying several varieties, and they are all refreshing and very tasty! And since these sodas are made on-demand, you will never have to worry about flat soda or an abundance of empty bottles again!  Did you know that plastic bottles are a MAJOR environmental hazard? It's a known fact that the vast majority of plastic bottles are not recycled and wind up in landfills. 

Here's why investing in a SodaStream is actually BETTER than recycling:
(from the Soda Stream website.)

How Does SodaStream Help the Environment? 
SodaStream is an "Active Green" product, meaning that consumers  are actively reducing their CO2 footprint every time they make soda  or sparkling water at home instead of buying it from the store. The more the system is used on a daily basis, the more CO2 footprint the user actively saves. (This differs from "Passive Green" products, which use green-friendly production processes, but their products are not inherently helping the consumers save on their daily footprint.)

Because SodaStream uses water straight from the tap, the system makes traditional store-bought beverage bottles obsolete. That means less plastic manufactured, less plastic waste is created, and fewer bottled beverages must be transported from manufacturers to distributors to stores to homes.

Globally, 206 billion liters of bottled water were consumed in 2008 (Zenith International Global Bottled Water Report, 2008). The energy required to make water bottles in the US only, is equivalent to 17 million barrels of oil (Container Recycling Institute, 2002).

According to the US Recycling Institute, more than 80% of bottles in the US do not get recycled and end up in landfills. Also, an estimated 4.7 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions were produced in the process of replacing the 134 billion bottles and cans not recycled in 2005.
 
Using your own home carbonation system means:

• Less packaging waste from cans and bottles.
• Less pollution caused by transport of bottled beverages.

One SodaStream carbonator makes 60 or 110 liters, equivalent to 170 or 310 aluminum cans! When empty, the carbonator is refilled and reused, ready to make more fizzy and tasty soda whenever you want it.

So I can finally feel GOOD about my impact on the environment! I shudder to think of the thousands of plastic bottles that are sitting in a landfill somewhere because of MY family. With my SodaStream Source, this is a thing of the past. Not only can I make delicious soft drinks whenever I want to in the comfort of my own home, I can teach my children to be more environmentally conscious and respect the world that they live in by reducing waste and minimizing their carbon footprint on the earth. We only have one planet, and we should take it as our personal obligation to care for it to ensure a better world for future generations.

I should also mention that the SodaStream will not effect your electric bill, since this ingenius machine uses absolutely no electricity at all! That's great news for me, since my entire household is run on electricity, and our bills can get pretty large...especially during the winter and summertime! 

Another nice thing about the SodaStream is that it is SO simple to use! Even my 13 year old can handle the task of making some wonderful soft drinks with this machine! My 4 year old daughter likes to help make the "fizzy water." Simple adult assembly is required, as there is a highly pressurized carbonator that must be inserted into the machine before using. 

From there, it's smooth sailing. The soda making process can be achieved in just a few simple steps. 

• Fill the reusable bottle to the fill line with ordinary tap water.
• Screw the bottle onto the SodaStream machine.
• Push down the carbonator and let it work its magic! You can choose the level of carbonation, too! One set of lights is low carbonation, 2 is medium, and 3 sets of lights gives you fizz heaven.
• Push the carbonator back up and remove bottle. Your water is now carbonated.
• Grab the flavor of your choice, fill the cap to the specified fill line, and slowly pour into the bottle.
• Gently tilt the bottle to mix it. DO NOT SHAKE! My bonehead hubby learned this the hard way!
• Enjoy!

We received the SodaStream Source to try for ourselves, along with several fun flavors like Kool Aid, Country Time Pink Lemonade, and even Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice! 

If you're not interested in the calorie and sugar content in the soda mixes and don't like diet, there are also some amazing mywater flavor essences that you can add to sparkling water. I happen to really love the raspberry! 

Making your soft drinks using the SodaStream Source is super simple. See that doohickey there? That is where you stick your bottle. That white "wand" looking contraption is what injects your water with carbon dioxide. 

Once your bottle is in place, just press down on the top and wait till you see the LED lights appear. Remember, 1 set is light carbonation, 2 sets is medium, and 3 sets is lots of fizz. 

Once your water is carbonated to your liking, simply add the syrup of your choice to the bottle. Viola! You've made your own soda! 

See, easy-peasy! It really is that simple! With the SodaStream, there is no guess-work involved, and the instructions are so simple to understand, even a caveman could do it!

My family loves our SodaStream Source. Honestly, we don't know how we've managed so long without one! No more flat sodas, no more running to the store because we're out of tasty beverage...It's also great because if we have company, we can offer them a HUGE selection of refreshments to choose from rather than just one or two different kinds. My absolute favorite flavors are the Root Beer, Kool Aid, and the Diet Lemon Lime. Yum! One thing is for sure, your taste buds will not get bored with so many awesome flavors to choose from! 

I also love that this machine is totally eco-friendly. Even the carbonators are refilled and reused! This product gets an A+++ from my family. And the best part? SodaStreams are located both online and at THOUSANDS of retailers, so supplies are not hard to locate! 

How to Connect :

You can purchase SodaStream units and supplies on their website as well as several retailers near you!

You can also follow SodaStream on Facebook and on twitter and be the first to know about new products and promotions! FYI: Doing so NOW will put you ahead of the game once my giveaway event begins!

You can also see the SodaStream in action on their YouTube channel!

Also, check out the SodaStream Ms.Fizz Blog! 

Enter to WIN :

I am thrilled to announce that one lucky reader will receive a SodaStream Fountain Jet Starter Kit of their very own! This includes:

-          Fountain Jet – winner’s choice of color (black/silver, red/silver or white)

-          1 carbonating bottle, reusable for up to 3 years

-          Reusable carbonator to fizz up to 60L of soda

-          Variety 6-pack of popular sample-size flavors

-          3 full-sized flavors of the winner’s choice

How cool is that?!

Simply enter using the easy Rafflecopter form below!

This giveaway is open to residents of the continental US ages 18+ until 11:59PM February 15, 2014. No PO Boxes. Winners will be drawn using Rafflecopter's Random Number Generator. All entries will be verified, so play fair! I will notify winner via e-mail and they will have 48 hours to reply before I am forced to redraw winners. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. This contest is not affiliated with Facebook in any way. Thanks for entering, and Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway