Archive for Personal Care Products

U by Kotex Tween Talkable Moments #KotexMom

Over the past few months I have been sharing my experience and thoughts about talkable moments with my daughters about their menstrual cycles, the facts of life and using U by Kotex Tween products and their website.

While I have always strived to discuss these all important topics naturally, inside I have struggled a little bit with knowing the right words to say. After all these are the facts of life we are talking about, not just random information and I want to be sure that I explain things in such a way that my girls “get it”, not to mention digest the correct information – from me, not anyone else.

Preparing for the Talkable Moments

Lots of talkable moments at our house seem to occur either when I have the girls one on one in the car or one, two or all of them sprawled all over my bed or in the living room late at night. These moments seem to happen naturally for us. It’s rare that I deliberately set a time aside, though I must say I probably should do more of that with my busy work schedule. I certainly want my girls to know that I am accessible.

Breaking the ice for “big talks” never has been an issue for us. For the most part my girls come to me and ask me any questions that come up while they are on their period and the one who has yet to start asks me some questions but tends to ask her “twin” (they are 14.5 months apart) and her “twin” directs her to me.

I gave the girls each a little sack recently for them to carry extra pads and personal items in. They really liked this little gift. I think this is one way to break the ice on talks. I did at one point give one daughter a starter kit of sorts and remember her asking what each thing was for, but I don’t think she completely understood until she started her cycle, which is understandable.

I think bonding moments can occur when we deliberately set aside time to talk about questions our girls might have or to share resources and tools they can read and explore with you. Take Kotex.com/Tween for example, just taking my girls to this site and showing them how to navigate different topics and discussions opened up the door for us to have a very open talk and for me to find out where they are at with their understanding of the different issues we have already covered in other conversations. See Hello Period for specific topics.

Bonding Moments

Bonding with my daughters has become more challenging the older they grow or at least that’s how I find it as I am working part-time to full-time hours. It takes more effort on my part to concentrate and be focused on them when my mind is going in a million different directions. As I said before those moments come in the car or on our bed when we are just shooting the breeze. It’s amazing what children can come out with once the realize they have your full attention.

Sensitive Topics and Comfort Level

Most of my girls will tell me like it is. If they think something is gross, they’ll say just that or if I’ve talked too much, I’ll be told, “Too much information, Mom.” Then I know to stop or let it be for another time when they are ready. I hate to come across as having a perfect relationship with my girls because we are far from perfect, but for the most part, depending on the day we do have really good relationships. I do worry sometimes and hope I am giving them the information they need to transition into womanhood successfully.

What are your talkable, bonding moments with your daughter(s)?

“I wrote this review while participating in a Brand Ambassador Campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of U by Kotex Tween and received products to facilitate my post and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.”


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Lilla Rose Flexi 8 Party!!

 

It’s party time! We are hosting a Lilla Rose Flexi 8 party and we want you to join in on the fun! Flexi 8 clips are affordable, unique fashion jewelry for your hair. They come in a wide variety of sizes, styles, and colors so there is something for everyone.

With back to school events and sales in full swing, consider a Flexi 8 clip for a teacher’s gift. Christmas is just around the corner too.

All you have to do to join is place an order for a Flexi 8 clip using this link here.

Some info-

Party orders of $20 or more will receive FREE Shipping.
Any order of 3 or more flexi clips will qualify for a FREE Flexi clip coupon (up to $16 value)
Orders will not be shipped until the party has closed.

The party closes on August 31st so what are you waiting for? Join the party here. Keep an eye out for a review of a Flexi-8 clip that is coming soon!


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All-Over Comfort Pack Review

 

Bed Buddy® Herbal Naturals™ Targets Pain with Moist Heat

New Plush & Lavender-Infused Line Includes Neck Pillow, Wrap & All-Over Comfort Pack

The line is comprised of three distinct products (highlighted below), each of which feature the company’s proprietary Moist Heat ThermaTherapy® penetration system, which is shown to be better for treating muscle pain, chronic aches and pains, and arthritis than “dry heat” because it allows quicker, deeper heat penetration into the joints.

  • The Neck Pillow easily drapes over the neck and shoulders to provide deep moist heat to sooth aches, pains, tension or arthritis in the neck and shoulders.
  • The Neck and Hand Wrap, which features a unique design that includes warming hand pouches, minimizes aches and pains in such chronic problem areas as the neck, hands and shoulders.
  • All-Over Comfort Pack targets a wide array of chronic pain areas such as the back, hip flexor, shoulders and abdomen with a large, universal shape that easily molds to the body for indulgent comfort.

The Herbal Naturals™ products are soft, lined with luxurious real lavender and chamomile; contain only 100% all-natural ingredients; warm quickly in a microwave; are fully reusable with a machine washable cover; and remain heated for up to an hour.

A member of Carex’s global family of premium-quality brands, Bed Buddy® offers a versatile and premium-quality line of reusable hot and cold packs that support individuals suffering from aches, pains and arthritis and are designed to fit most body types and to help people of virtually all ages and health profiles.

All-Over Comfort Pack Review:

Let me say this is an AWESOME product. This is the first product of its kind that we have used. Prior to using this product we have used traditional heating pads, which offer heat, but not MOIST heat as this product does. My husband suffers from severe osteoarthritis in his knees (5 operations) and has chronic back problems (1 prior operation) …let me tell you this is SO, SO WONDERFUL for his “aches and pains”…we have iced and heated so many times over the past 17 years of marriage that it has become part of our lives. The moist heat provides soothing relief …and since it stays warm for over an hour it is just right for therapeutic relief!

One great thing (can I say great enough in this review?) about this product is that it is ready in minutes! Just pop it in the microwave and voila instant moist heat.

Another factor that is a wonderful additive is that the product comes with a velvety WASHABLE cover. I LOVE this feature! If the product gets sweaty or dirty…just pop the cover in the wash and it is clean, so convenient!

The scent is WONDERFUL! The product is lightly scented with lavender and chamomile…what an aromatic sensation! I feel like I am at the spa as I breathe in the luxurious scent and drift away in moist heat!

So far my husband has been monopolizing the product…but I do know that this product would be AWESOME for stomach cramps…especially menstrual cramps. When I was a young girl I used to get horrible cramps….how I would have LOVED to have this product…I cannot imagine the relief this would have given someone with those painful cramping episodes!

Overall, I can honestly say my family has fallen in love with this product. The All-Over Comfort Pack has so many uses I cannot wait to go out and shop for the rest of the line. I intend to buy more of this and the other products in the line for Christmas gifts…I know a few people in my family that will adore the products!

You can find this product and many more at carex.com. I would definitely consider perusing the site the company has so much to offer in moist heat and home healthcare products.

Bed Buddy Product link  http://www.carex.com/products/Bed_Buddy/93

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.


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U by Kotex Kick Off #KotexMom



As a mom of four daughters there is a lot to talk about concerning the passage of womanhood. It’s funny because my mom never really had “the talk” with me about the “birds and the bees” she gave me a book that our community health nurse provided parents and teens. Yet at the same time she has asked me why I didn’t ask her certain things when she finds out there were things I really didn’t know. I think there was a gap between the book she gave me, health education and the bits I picked up from friends. This has helped me as a mother because I never wanted my girls to learn stuff from other people. I wanted them to hear the truth from me so I answered any questions with as little or as much information they needed for their age at the time they asked the questions and provided them with more as they got older. It has really helped my two older girls. I think my third daughter asks her older sisters questions more than she does me, but they always try to defer her to me as they know and understand the information should come from me. So far we haven’t talked too much to my 6 year old about a girl’s monthly cycle nor has she asked many questions. I am assuming she will pick up some things just by living with me and her three older sisters, but other things I will probably have to talk to her about.

I desire to have open and direct conversations with all of my children about the facts of life. I want them to be able to come to me with anything. For those of you desiring the same thing, U by Kotex is a great resource that I will be talking about in the coming months.

U by Kotex Ambassador Program Kick Off

I was recently chosen to participate in the U by Kotex Ambassador Campaign, which I consider a great privilege. One resource is Aimee Teegarden Gets Real Video by Kotex & Nickelodeon ParentsConnect that launched this month. After watching it I can say that I have really tried to be like Aimee’s mom. My girls feel like they can talk to me about anything (just asked them to confirm! ;))

When the girls were little I found myself nervous about talking about the subject of menstruation, which is a gateway to the sex talk too. But I found it easier to answer questions as they naturally occurred or to simply talk about topics as they found their way into our conversations rather than staging the whole thing.

I have already had numerous talks with my two older girls and we continue to talk as issues come up. One issue that seems to be lacking right now is them keeping track of their cycle, which I think is an important habit to get into. U by Kotex has a period tracker/planner that might help:

With my two younger daughters it hasn’t been as nerve wracking because I have done it before, but they are different and receive information differently so the key is to explain things in a way that they will retain and understand it for when their periods do start. That’s why I am interested in finding new resources.

I like the Kotex brand and have used their pads, but was not even aware of U by Kotex until I received the opportunity to apply for an Ambassadorship. I am hoping to learn some new ways to discuss menstruation with my younger girls as well as find new resources for my older girls. The U by Kotex website has videos, articles, Q&As (including a place to post questions), resources, coupons, period planners and of course, products just for our young girls – they can even design their own pad!

Teaching our daughters about menstruation shouldn’t be stressful but as natural as the sun rising and setting.

To learn more about U by Kotex:

Vist their website: www.ubykotex.com
Connect on Twitter
Fan them on Facebook

“I wrote this review while participating in a Brand Ambassador Campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of U by Kotex Tween and received products to facilitate my post and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.”


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EasyTwist Review

There are seven out of ten of us in our family who wear glasses. Our second oldest, “B”, had a lazy eye and got her first pair of glasses at the age of four. She has been by far the most responsible with her glasses out of our five children…for some reason. We have tried the mall kind of glasses and they do not hold up as well as the ones we have got at our eye doctor’s office. I cannot remember the name of them, but they are special frames they offer for kids and they are pricey but worth it in the end.

One of our son’s, Jag, broke his glasses recently and I decided to try something new. EasyTwist from Aspex Eyewear are an all new fun brand that sells flexible glasses for kids. (They have glasses for adults as well.)

They are made from Trilaston a metal developed by Aspex. This metal is known for it’s elasticity and ability to recover the orginial shape of the glasses. I love that they are nickel/titanium free. As a mom I want the best for my child, yet want something that will last. These frames are free of nickel and are hypoallergenic so they shouldn’t cause your child any skin reactions. So far my son has had no reaction.

Typical glasses will eventually lose their flexibility, these frames should not – we haven’t had them long enough to verify this yet. EasyTwist can tolerate stress, shock, and temperate changes! These glasses also retain their shine and luster.

We love these frames! Aspex sent us out a pair for my one son and he just loves them. He thought that they were very comfortable and he loved the cool design on them! After testing these we found that these glasses really seem to be everything that they claim to be. With the EasyTwist frames we don’t have to worry about them easily breaking if my son accidentally bent them a little out of shape – which is a huge bonus.

These frames get two thumbs up from us and if you have a child needing new eyewear we suggest that you check them out. For styles, prices and colors visit this link.

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.


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I’m a Coppertone Water MOM!

Summer is coming, don’t forget your sunscreen!

Growing up I remember using the bottle with a little girl loosing her bottoms to the puppy.  Well, here I am years later still using Coppertone for myself and family.

I received a brochure called “Sunderstanding”.  It has great information, I’d like to share.

I’ll be updating you periodically on how we are doing with our Coppertone Sunscreen.  We’ve really only had one day so far here in NJ where temps were above 70, and I didn’t have my Coppertone Sunscreen then.  It’s been rainy and soggy here, so I’ll keep you posted!  But, for now you can head to Coppertone’s webpage and print out a coupon or download their MyUV Alert app through Itunes.

I’m very excited about being selected to be Coppertone Water MOM!

Thank you Coppertone and MomSelect!

“As a member of the Coppertone Water MOMS group, I receive product samples and promotional items to share and use as I see fit.  No monetary compensation has taken place and any opinions expressed by me are honest and reflect my actual experience”


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Noodle and Boo Reviews

We all like to look good, feel good and smell good. I love the way my babies and children smell after a bath. Of course it’s because they are clean, but the personal care products we use on them play a part in them smelling good too. I tend to be picky when it comes to what baby bath, shampoo and soap we use on our children due to all the different chemical sensitivities we have experienced over the years. Plus I remember when I was younger having a reaction to different bubble baths and soaps, it’s not fun!

I love it that so many more companies are becoming aware of the ingredients they are putting into their products. Noodle and Boo is one of those companies.

Noodle and Boo – The Company and Ingredients

Noodle and Boo choose ingredients that are derived from natural resources and are certified organic (when available) and safe to use. Yay! I love it!

Their products do not contain parabens, sulfates, dyes, triclosan (new one for me), phthalates, PPG’s (another new one for me), GMO’s (Genetic Modified Organism) or formaldehyde donors. Looking good, eh?

Noodle and Boo products are made and manufactured in the USA. Another bonus! Their products are tested to minimize risk or allergic reactions and dermatologist and pediatrician tested. So the pros are in the know and Noodle and Boo has done their best to insure their products are safe for our wee ones.

Noodle and Boo – Giving Back

Noodle and Boo displays their social responsibility by giving back a significant portion of their profits to organizations like: St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, Save the Children, Keep a Child Alive and Compassion International.

Noodle and Boo – The Products

We received Noodle and Boo’s Bouncing Baby Bubbles, Extra Gentle Shampoo and French-Milled Baby Soap. They came nicely packaged. But they have a whole line of products and gift items for both mom and baby/child that you can check out at their website! www.NoodleandBoo.com They even offer small samples, “try us to love us” is their slogan.

Noodle and Boo Reviews

I love the three products we received. They have a pleasant, but gentle scent, foam nicely and leave your skin smelling good! The only little thing is I think my daughter had a reaction to the Bouncing Baby Bubbles, but it does state on the back of the bottle a “common sense caution” regarding any irritation that occurs. So my sons get to enjoy all the bubbles!

Overall I highly recommend Noodle and Boo. Two thumbs up from me!

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.


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Spring Cleaning #CBias #EasterSmiles @Colgate

Have you started your spring cleaning yet? Did Easter gifts put you in the mood to purge? My spring cleaning seems to be ongoing. We’ve done most of the closets – sorting, purging, organizing and packing things away. The garage was started but it’s far from being done. I did get brave and packed up some winter things, not all, after all we are still getting frost. Who knows if we could get another snowfall. This is Chicago.

This week I decided it was time to go through our bathroom medicine cabinet. We do not have a lot in our medicine cabinet, but since it has been several months since we moved, I thought it was time to see what was really lurking behind those doors. We have three sections in our medicine cabinet. One side is mine, the middle is for family and the right side is my husband’s.

My Side of the Medicine Cabinet

The Middle

The middle side has scissors, band aids and thermometers. Pretty bare…

My Husband’s Side


Hmmmm…..what’s down there in the right-hand corner?

I found some interesting dates on some peridontal stuff called Peroxyl, also a Colgate product, in my husband’s side of our medicine cabinet. As I was going through the cabinet my four year old and 20 month old jibber jabbered away at me.

Take a look at these dates, if you look closely enough you can see they are from 2007 and 2009. I had no idea they were that old, neither did my husband.


Look closely at the edge

I promptly threw them into the garbage can.

I found Ibuprofen that is still good ’til 2013 and ear drops good thru 2014.

We definitely had toothbrushes that needed replacing. My youngest daughter, Blondie and I went shopping at Walmart and bought the Colgate Nickelodeon toothbrushes by Dora the Explorer and Spongebob Squarepants. Perfect for our younger children. You can see more of our shopping trip on Google+.

Oral hygiene is important to our family especially since my husband suffered from gum disease several years ago. Let’s just say he’s very good at giving the children reason to brush their teeth!

To learn more about Colgate products visit their website, follow them on Facebook or Twitter.
Happy Spring Cleaning!

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. #CBias #EasterSmiles


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Just For Men Autoshop

Neither my husband or I color our hair. Quite frankly, I think it is an unnecessary expense to try to stay looking *young* and I love my husband the way he is. He’s been greying since I met him 20 years ago. While I have some grey since I hit the big *40* a couple of years ago, you can barely tell…so far.

I think my husband wanted to kill me when I told him I “needed” to color his hair for a review! He’s usually a very good sport but had no interest in coloring his hair after finding out that I was not getting paid anything for doing the review! How’s that for honesty? The warnings and ingredients were enough to scare us off, but I had committed to doing this review. Sometimes I just do not think when I accept reviews and this was one time I should have said no due to the probability of chemicals being in the product. I am slowly learning, but have a ways to go yet. Nevertheless my daughters and I forced, I mean, er…um…convinced my husband to let us do a small area just above his ear.

Just For Men Autoshop

Just For Men Autoshop is a hair coloring agent for men who are turning grey. It comes in five colors: Real Black, Jet Black, Brown, Dark Brown, Medium Brown and Light Brown. It was hard to match up my husband’s “real” hair color so I went by his eyebrows and chose Real Black, but it was really dark so I think Dark Brown would have been a better choice.

The warnings are scary, like I said. But hey, to each his own.

It came with an easy to use applicator brush that screwed right onto the tube of coloring. Squeeze and apply. Also within the product box were a pair of plastic gloves to keep the dye off the one applying it. I didn’t find it messy at all and could have done it without the gloves. As a matter of fact, my husband could have done this himself, except he really didn’t want to and remember he was coerced into doing this.

My Husband’s Hair Before

My Husband’s Hair After

I will admit that my husband quickly washed off the dye after I applied it upon seeing how dark it was. You can barely the difference, but it is somewhat darker than the original photo. He did a good job of getting most of the dye out. If you look closely enough you can even see the discoloring of his skin beneath the hair. Just For Men Autoshop recommends trying a test spot and waiting 48 hours before doing the whole head to see if there is any reaction or skin discoloring.

Ta-da!

Almost back to normal.

For ease of use, definitely a great product. For chemical contain, it’s not something we could use on a regular basis in our family. The downfall of being label readers.

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.


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PottyCover Review

“Mommy, I have to go potty!”  The one phrase that makes my skin curl when we are out.  All I can think of is all the germs and gross encounters in a public bathroom.

Problem Solved!  Here’s the PottyCover.  It covers the sides and front of the toilet not just those little doughnut things that slide all over.  “Double layered with soft non-woven fabric on top, coated with a layer of plastic on the bottom to keep away from germs and wetness.”  So, now you and/or your child can actually sit on the toilet when you are out.  Each PottyCover is individually wrapped, so you can toss some in your diaper bag or purse.  These cannot be flushed, you’ll need to toss them in the garbage when you are done.  Don’t forget to wash your hands!

The PottyCover is available online at Amazon.com, Ebay.com, Bed,Bath & Beyond, and Buy Buy Baby (also available in the store).

PottyCover Review

I want to buy these by the dozens!  What a great idea!  We went out to breakfast with extended family and my daughter (3 years old) needed to use the potty.  It was a stress-free ordeal!  I just put the PottyCover on and she was able to sit and hold on without me trying to hold her.  No more wrestling with toilet paper trying to cover the seat.  Anyone can use these not just your kids.  I need to stock up!

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.


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