About a year and a half ago a marketer sent me a big box of organic snacks and juices. The intention was to have me write about it, preferably mentioning how much my family loves it—blah blah blah—it’s the greatest yogurt on earth—blah blah blah—OMG you guys MUST go out and buy this stuff—blah blah blah.

Well, needless to say that didn’t happen. I just didn’t find the time to live up to my end of the bargain. What I did find time to do was consume every last drop of all that free stuff, especially the Honest Kids juice. And then after we ran out of the juice, I went out and bought more, a lot more.

And then more time went by and more juice was consumed and I felt even worse about never writing. I wrote her a couple of times letting her know that my kids loved the stuff, particularly the juice, and that I would write about it soon. And I meant it. I wanted to tell her about the time I served it to a child during a play date, a boy who isn’t allowed refined sugar. But since this juice is naturally sweetened (fruit only) he was allowed to have it. He thought the juice was the single greatest drink on earth. He was so into it, his mom and dad decided to pick some up as well. I meant to tell her that.

But I didn’t.

About a month ago, she sent me yet another package filled with their latest juices as well as a cool mason jar I continually drink from. The package also included a whole bunch of guilt. I was reminded of (yet again!) how I’d never written a thing. I mean, how hard can it be to throw something up here? C’mon, Michele.

So, here’s the deal: I’ve promised many times before that I won’t ever become a blogger who writes reviews, or accepts free goods from marketers just so I can lie and tell you how great a product is (even if it isn’t). I am a terrible liar. I also don’t have a lot of time. I honestly have NO idea how other mom bloggers do this sort of thing and remain full-time moms. I started this post three weeks ago, and it’s just now going to see the light of screen (or so I hope). I just can’t keep up with it.

This is what happens when I try and do anything for longer than 15 minutes:

I also don’t like feeling guilty, so I usually don’t agree to accepting free anything.

And even though to some degree advertising got both Toby and me to where we are today, I am not crazy about selling shit to people. I want people to make their own decisions based on their own tastes and needs. What do I know about what you like? Nothing. But I do know what I like, and I can and will discuss that.

And so…

Here’s the honest truth: I have been buying cases of Honest Kids juices since this particular marketer sent me her package. At first it was just a few here and there. But once we moved to the suburbs last October, and therefore discovered more storage, I started buying cases of the stuff. My mom buys it in bulk as well. She knows how much my kids love it, so it’s at her house as well.

I never wrote the review I promised all that while back and I’ve always felt badly about that. But what I have done is continue to buy the products she sent me. I became a loyal customer. My boys bring the juices to school for lunch every single day. If I forget to include one for some reason, I get an earful. We go through so much of this juice.

I’m even turning it into popsicles.

My family will continue to drink Honest Juices for the foreseeable future. I’ve turned at least two other families onto Honest Kids juices. I have even handed these juices out to the workers who did our roof, cut down our rotting trees, regraded and seeded our yard, and redid our bathroom. I gotta tell you, watching hardworking men and women with filthy fingers sip juice through a kid straw is pretty hilarious.

It only took me roughly 17 months to write, but I suppose in the end, given how much we buy, I suppose in the end I did ok.