Three Products I USED to Hate...

But now I love!

Seriously, I tried these three products semi-recently and they all sat there in closets quickly after, not catching my attention until I tried them all again. You can say they were an acquired taste, I guess, like beer or coffee. I truly don't know what my deal is, but now I can't get enough.

Somehow I found myself using all three items in the last few days and connected my hate-then-love relationship I had with each and figured my writer's block can be cured (hah) by posting these to my blog. Also, I love reading what people like, so here's my short list.

Yankee Candle Sage & Citrus Scent: If you like a musky smell, this is definitely in that category. I wouldn't go as far to say the candle smells like sage or citrus (though I love both and both scents), but it's definitely something I'm loving right now. It's a bit masculine (if a scent can have a gender anyway... eye roll).

Little Secrets Peppermint Dark Chocolate Candies: These are better quality m&ms for sure. At first, I was hoping for... m&m flavor. But then, as I savored each one (after shelving them for a couple months in between my first impression and second-- now obsessed), I loved the flavors and texture. No artificial anything and fair trade cocoa. And they're available at regular grocery stores and Whole Foods. Kinda thinking teacher gifts possibly. To go along with the Whole Foods soaps I already bought and a box of yummy tea.

Kiehl's Facial Fuel Energizing Scrub Skin Buffer for Men: The name is stupid, because what makes it gender specific? But anyway, if you can get past that part and get past the first wash or two, then it will grow on you. The first two scrubs with the light exfoliation were rather unpleasant, in fact. I hated the smell. I'm not really sure how to describe it, but it ends with a light menthol scent and cooling feel and is more of a neutral scent without the additional musky smell most "male" personal products tend to possess. But now? I literally find myself looking forward to my mini spa facial in the shower each night. It's not cheap, so maybe that's why I love it a little more (you know, because it's so expensive that you (I) automatically assume something has more value). The little things.

Anyone else have any products that took a little adjusting but they ended up loving after awhile? Link me up to them!

And... what about teacher gifts? What are you guys doing? School ends next month for most of the country, so the time is coming!

Review: Well Beginnings with Walgreens

The baby is in diapers. Of course. The toddler is still in diapers with no foreseeable change happening soon. {perhaps you can hear me grumbling?} 

Well Beginnings diapers in size 4 (31ct., $8.99) being modeled by the toddler who won't potty-train. At least his bum looks cute with an elephant on it.

The kids are both changed many times each day and I use both diapers and wipes to make it happen. They take regular baths (together even since sister is sitting up!). And oh yeah. They've both had a fever this month.

Insert Walgreens. I hit up Walgreens earlier this week when the meds I was using for her fever and teething just weren't keeping the hot body at bay. We grabbed our necessities and checked out quickly. We have no fewer than 5 locations within 5 miles of our house. It's pretty great. They have a Well Beginnings product line that is exclusive to their store and carries a variety of products to care for young kiddos like my own. I've personally tried quite a few already and added a few more trials to my list with this review.

I discovered their diaper and wipes line a few months back and even have their Well Beginnings training pants ready with those cute superheroes all stocked up in the closet just collecting dust. So until then, I'm grabbing the diapers and wipes instead. For both kids, in fact.

I've tried many-a-diaper in my 30 months of this {diaper-changing} mom job. And honestly, these are right up there with the big dogs. They carry size newborn to 6 and the newborn to size 2 even have a wetness indicator like the competitors! I was able to share a bunch of these trial packs at a playdate with friends in the park recently and that was a feature I made sure to share. Even better, they have a soft, stretchable waist, added vitamin E & aloe, full day/night wetness protection and are 100% guaranteed.

That's right. You can try them and get your money back if they just aren't jiving with your family.

But the Wilson fam is just fine with them. Moisture is wicked away. There aren't leaks or blowouts. No rashes. Check. Check. Check.

The wipes are just the kind I like. Honestly! I prefer something with a little grip and these have it in the Tri-form layers. Hypoallergenic, allergy-tested, dermatologist approved, alcohol free and only $2.39 for a snap-closing 72-count pack. I keep a case in my car for the messes as well... not just for diaper changing, folks! In fact, I probably use more in the car. Ha.

We've also tried their baby wash and their electrolyte drink (dye free!) with thumbs up for both. I actually like the smell of this baby wash over the other brands and the electrolyte drink is about half the price of competitors and just as useful with a sick kiddo... or mama... or papa. We are not above Pediatric drinks to feel better!

Rub-a-dub-dub, two Wilson kiddos in the tub. Using Well Beginnings baby wash from head-to-toe. Soap-free, dye-free and pH-balanced. Tear free, hypoallergenic, dermatology & allergy tested, paraben & phthalate free. And that big bottle sells for under $3. Since you don't need much, it will take a whole lot of rubber duckies in the tub before replacing it.

Thumbs up all around. That fruit prediatric oral electrolyte is quite tasty! I've tried it and so has Benjamin during a sick, sick night last week. It's near identical and half the price of the other brands. I even have 2 more bottles on hand in grape and strawberry. It's dye-free! If you've ever had the red dye kind of kid electrolyte drinks puked up on your white carpet in the dark at 3 a.m. by your toddler and not realize it until over a day later all soaked in and near impossible to clean out, you'd understand why I find the dye-free kind this so. very. important. 

For more about Walgreens Well Beginnings products, see their website for info on the complete line. They also have a Facebook page & Twitter page. Did you know that Walgreens is a 113-year old American company? Yeah, just learned that via their twitter page.

I was given this opportunity as part of {Green} Moms Meet. Moms Meet is an online resource for moms that encourages healthy and green parenting/living. As an added bonus, I sometimes get to share healthy, green products with friends at playdates and report back on our likes/dislikes.

Disclaimer: I received this product free from the sponsor of the Moms Meet Program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product.

Thermostat Love

I follow a bunch of blogs. Some friend blogs. Some babyloss blogs. Some decor blogs. Some deal blogs.

Every one once in awhile one of these blogs has a giveaway. I've been known to enter and also win such giveaways. Hey! It's fun receiving mail, especially when I'm getting cool, new, free stuff!

I saw that one of the bloggers I was following had a giveaway for a thermostat. Ours is as old as our home (older than me!), so I figured I would enter because it would be nice to update the ol' thing. This specific thermostat by Honeywell is Wifi enabled and can be programmed from your phone. That would mean no more nights coming home to a 50-degree house or having to trudge downstairs to turn on the heat in the winter. I can just reach over on my nightstand and grab my iPhone. Well, another one of the bloggers I follow posted a giveaway for the same thermostat. And then another! I entered a handful of these and guess what? I won!

Two.

I didn't need two of course, so I asked the giveaway host if she wouldn't mind sending it to my friend for her to have. I knew she'd love it and would find it valuable since she works in the city and is quite busy.

We both received our thermostats on the same day and were excited to get them installed. I'd say my husband was more eager than me, since I've been totally sleep-deprived lately. He headed downstairs to the basement when the kids went down to bed last week to work on the electrical wiring for the thermostat. And there it was.

HUMMMMMMMM.

The sound of a failed sump pump. With thunderstorms imminent that evening. At this point, it was 9:53 p.m. and hardware stores closed in 7 minutes. We had a backup sump pump waiting to be installed just sitting there. But unfortunately, we were missing about $10 in pipe fittings and could not change it without those pieces. It was either a flooded basement (honestly, I'm so over basements that's I just assume fill it with concrete) or a 24-hr plumber (cha-ching).

The plumber got a phonecall and came over within the hour. We've used him once before and curse his name when he leaves. He's just not very nice. The husband got to work removing the old sump pump and saving us a little extra cash for doing some of the dirty work that would have cost us more. The plumber was here exactly 56 minutes, including the time he tried to sell us a different sump pump from his truck. It was a piece of cake and $390. Plumbers make bank. Not ideal to pay that much for a simple task, but imagine what it would've cost if our basement flooded?

And we have that freebie thermostat to thank for the savings of further damage. Not a drop of water in the basement.

Fits in my hand and clearly smaller than the former beast. Just a wee bit of sanding, filling & painting necessary

*Wasn't paid by Honeywell to write this, but they sent me a free, AMAZING thermostat and the story was good enough to share!

Review: Jamba Juice Smoothies

It's no secret our family loves smoothies. They're refreshing, healthy and delicious. While Benjamin is thankfully back on the food train, we still enjoy smoothies in-between meals as fun snacks and to pack in some extra fruits and veggies when we're on-the-go. Particularly this summer, we've loved them because it's been hot and humid and they're refreshing.

We took a bike ride from our house to our local Jamba Juice in a local downtown area this past weekend. We were happy to order some cool beverages after all that heat. We tried two of their fruit and veggie smoothies, which each contain two servings of fruit and one serving of veggies. I tried the Tropical Harvest Smoothie and we ordered the Jamba Kids Berry Beet It! smoothie for Benjamin.

Clearly, it was love at first gulp. Wouldn't take a breath.

Jamba Juice is trying to create awareness about the importance of eating fruits and veggies everyday. According to the Produce for Better Health Foundation, 8% of Americans achieve their daily fruit requirements and only 6% are getting enough veggies. Only 1% of adults and 2% of kids are meeting both requirements daily.

In comes the Jamba Juice Fruit & Veggie Smoothies to save the day!

Tropical Harvest Smoothie: I thought it was surprisingly tasty for a smoothie packed with mangos, peaches, passion mango juice, butternut squash, sweet potatoes and carrot. Gluten free and dairy free as well! It was a tropical mix that made me wish I were on an island somewhere. I really enjoyed the flavors and it was out of my comfort zone of berries. I drank the whole thing and enjoyed it, especially knowing I was packing in some of my daily vitamins and fruits/veggies.

Jamba Kids Berry Beet It! Smoothie: There appears to be an adult version of the same smoothie, but this size is 9.5 ounces and comes in a cute kid's cup. It's blended up with strawberries, mangos, bananas, mixed berry juice, carrots, beets, broccoli, spinach, kale, and lettuce. Also dairy and gluten free and packed with vitamins. As soon as Benjamin placed his lips on that straw, it was an immediate love connection. Ray and I tasted it as well and could see why kids love it. It had a sweet berry flavor and Benjamin clearly enjoyed it.

Nutrition facts in a book at our local Jamba Juice.

We noticed there was a kid combo menu as well, or kid smoothies can be purchased separately at under $3.

For more information about Jamba Juice, see their website for complete nutritional information and locations. Or check out their Facebook page for even more.

I was given this opportunity as part of {Green} Moms Meet. Moms Meet is an online resource for moms that encourages healthy and green parenting/living. As an added bonus, I sometimes get to share healthy, green products with friends at playdates and report back on our likes/dislikes.

Disclaimer: I received this product free from the sponsor of the Moms Meet Program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product.

Review: Freshfoods Cook-n-Blend Baby Food Maker

I talked about my woes recently with my perfect eater turning the tables on us. Our 13-month old is disinterested in eating table food and is quite fine drinking his dinner every night. I know that as long as he's getting the nutrients, I shouldn't bother with how they are being consumed, so we've resorted to a more pureed and liquid diet for the last week. I even bought some reusable squeeze packs so I can puree up my own foods for him to eat.

Problem is, I had no purees left in the freezer. I guess it was perfect timing, because I was given the opportunity to test out a fun baby food maker that works for kids right in Benjamin's age range. The Freshfoods Cook-n-Blend Baby Food Maker suits kids from 6m-36m+ and can even be used by the whole family using the smoothie blade, for homemade applesauce, or even to make fruit fillers for popsicles. I think this will come in handy if we ever have another kiddo in our home, as I doubt I'll have nearly the amount of time I have with Benjamin to devote to making healthy foods. This machine will make that possible.

I was excited that I could both steam and blend all in the same device, which is something my regular blender doesn't have the capacity to do, and I end up using a lot of dishes. I'll list up the pros and cons of using this cute little baby food makin' machine after some pictures. I've used it twice now; once for making steamed carrots and the other for steaming/pureeing up some fruits and veggies for his reusable squeeze pouches (aka, the only thing my picky eater will ingest right now besides crackers).

The carrots were steamed up perfectly. Not too mushy where they fall apart, but perfect for little fingers. It takes 17 minutes to steam and the Freshfoods maker turns off with two beeps when finished. No overboiling on the stovetop with a busy toddler rummaging through the house.

For the puree, I cut up one regular sweet potato and one small apple. I placed them in the steamer basket, added the 7 oz. of water for steaming, and pressed the on button. 17 minutes later, I opened the container and poured it all into the nutrient-rich water and pureed until smooth.

While I could've stopped there, I also wanted to add some avocado to the mix. I threw it into the orange mixture and pureed until it was incorporated and smooth. Then I filled up four 6-oz. reusable squeeze packs for the kiddo. He happily consumed one for lunch yesterday.

Pros:
- Both steams and purees in the same container... saves dishes...which saves time...and water!
- Quick and easy to fill
- Self-timer for steaming is so helpful for a busy mom
- Saves money
- Cooks, blends, reheats, and defrosts
- Don't lose out on the nutrient-rich water by incorporating that into your puree.
- Comes with two steamer baskets to separate foods
- Attractive and compact design that won't take up much space in the kitchen.
- Combinations of foods are endless
- Comes with smoothie blade, spatula, and recipe book.

Cons:
- No measurements on the processor container itself, making it hard to judge how much food is being made.
- Water must be measured in a separate device before pouring it in. The fill line makes it hard to judge.
- Small capacity allowed barely 1 regular sweet potato and one small apple for steaming.
- To puree, you must hold down the lever. It would be nice to have a timer or easy-push button for that.
- No easy-pour spout. I had to use a spoon to scoop out the puree. They wouldn't pour easily from the sides.

Overall, I really liked the machine and I'll continue using it to fill those reusable pouches. I've even considered making applesauce in there for my husband's lunches as well, and I can't wait for the weather to warm up so I can test out making popsicles with fresh berries.

There are a series of accessories to complement the baby food maker as well:
Freshfoods Mash & Serve Bowl: Home or on-the-go mashing of already steamed veggies/fruits
Freshfoods Food Mill: Simple mill that grinds up hard-to-digest skins on veggies/fruits
Freshfoods Freezer Tray: 9-portion silicone covered tray for easy and quick storage
Freshfoods Stackable Cubes: Easy to use little cubes to hold baby food
Freshfoods Fill & Freeze Pops: For your homemade popsicles!

For more information about the NUK/Freshfoods brand, see their website or facebook page. They also have a $20 off coupon for the Freshfoods Cook-n-Blend Baby Food Maker, and a coupon for $1 off any accessory I mentioned above by clicking here. I'd love to have those freezer pops myself!

I was given this opportunity as part of {Green} Moms Meet. Moms Meet is an online resource for moms that encourages healthy and green parenting/living. As an added bonus, I sometimes get to share healthy, green products with friends at playdates and report back on our likes/dislikes.

Disclaimer: I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms Meet program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinions on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product.

We Time to Me Time

On any given day, I have the little mister attached to me, often literally, for hours and hours. While I wouldn't want anything more than to be his mama and care for and nurture him, I need some me time. Here's how the story goes:

7:30 a.m. B cries & is ready to be fed. Pull him into bed with me. Feed. At the same time, Ray leaves for work.

8:00 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Duties of a mom ensue. I hold my little babe, feed him and get peed on and slobbered on repeatedly. Sometimes I even manage to eat lunch one-handed. It's a wild job, this mom business. Nothing I take for granted... but when Ray gets home... I'm t-i-r-e-d.

6:30 p.m. usually means I get some sort of break from holding B and move into the kitchen for dinner creation if that hadn't already been in the works while holding a certain baby boy in one arm and navigating through the kitchen with the other.

8:30 p.m. is me time. I hop in the shower and get to enjoy time all to myself. It's lovely. And in this time, I like to really enjoy myself. Being a stay-at-home-mom definitely has its perks, but it's not the job that really gives you a feeling of beauty like I felt when getting up, applying makeup and setting out in my nice clothes to teach my eager fourth graders. I know it's all a choice, but most days I'm relaxed and live in whatever is comfortable for breastfeeding and going for walks with B. But this time of night... this is my time to relax and  really feel beautiful in my own skin.

Lucky for me, BlogHer has given me the opportunity to try out a new product that I actually love. And it does just that-- it makes me feel lovely. We've always been a huge fan of Dove products in our home, and this one is no exception. It could account for the higher water bill we've been experiencing however.

Dove Visible Care Body Wash is new to me and I can tell you that my 8:30 me time has been one joyous occasion. It's feminine and silky and makes my skin feel oh-so-lovely and soft. It reminds me a little of my favorite spa in Hermosa Beach where I used to visit back in California. Every time I'd go, I'd use a plumeria-scented body scrub and just revel in all it's delicious glory until well into the next day. This body wash has a similar amazing scent that I absolutely adore. It's island-like. This is Dove's premium line.

Body wash + loofah = heaven

Dove's Visible Care Body Wash is made with their NutriumMoisture technology... simply translating to mean that you can skip out on having to moisturize post-shower, which is a big plus for me. I usually apply lotion or body oil, especially in the summer, but I've found that I didn't need to after using this product... and I can say that after about a week of its use, my skin feels considerably softer.

This new line has 3 options to choose from in case you're hitting up the grocery store and need to make yourself all beautiful and spit-up free, too:
- Dove VisibleCare Toning Creme Body Wash
- Renewing Body Wash
- Softening Body Wash (that'd be the one I have)

Visit Dove^® VisibleCare^® to get a coupon for $1 off! 

I got to try out a new body wash and encourage y'all to enter to win a spa day. I think that sounds amazing, personally. Follow the link below to enter the sweepstakes for a chance at one of two $500 spa gift cards! Which of the new Dove body washes would you like to try?

Enter to win one of two $500 Spafinder gift certificates!

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY
COMMENTS TO THIS POST ARE NOT SWEEPSTAKES ENTRIES. PLEASE SEE BELOW FOR ENTRY METHODS FOR THIS SWEEPSTAKES.

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This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. Winners will have 72 hours to claim the prize, or an alternative winner will be selected.
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This sweepstakes runs from 7/18/2012 - 8/22/2012
Be sure to visit the Dove^® VisibleCare™ Crème Body Wash brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!