Friday, October 30, 2009

Kristines Shower Bath and Body review


I recently was able to review some products from Kristines Shower, and I'm so glad I got the opportunity! I suffer from Excema AND Psoriasis, so I am always trying to find products that won't irritate my skin. I love smelling pretty, and these were great on my skin!

I was sent CocoVan Aloe Vera Body Whip, Shea Butter Sorbet Moisturizer, and a bar of 100% soap!


First off, I have to say the scents are AMAZING! When I used the CocoVan Body whip for the first time, my daughter told me all day long how good I smelled : ) The Shea Butter Sorbet goes on smoothly and doesn't leave a greasy feeling, it just absorbs right in to my skin and leaves it feeling soft and moisturized!
The 100% soap has a light, clean scent to it, I love using it in the morning to wake me up. It also leaves a nice smell afterwards.

Kristines Shower offers many other products and has over 25 scents to choose, from Soft and Sensual, Fresh and Clean, Tropical Getaway, Fun and Fruity and Can't Miss Favorites! I'm pretty sure you will be able to find a scent for everyone!
Products available are- Bathbombs, 100% Soap, Shea Sorbet, Body Frosting, Aloe Vera Whips, Yummy Lips and they also offer products for men!
Kristines Shower also offers Gift Sets, whether you are shopping for a Birthday or a Shower Gift, this would make a wonderful surprise to anyones day!



I am almost out of my products, so I will definetly be making a purchase soon from Kristines Shower! The prices are great, the products are wonderful, I can't say enough good things about Kristines Shower : ) Any product that helps my skin AND smells great gets a thumbs up from me!

Thank you to Kristines Shower for giving me the opportunity to review these products!

Karito Kids "Florence Fiasco" Book review




When asked to review the book Florence Fiasco from Karito Kids, I jumped at it! Not only does my daughter LOVE to read, she is 1/4 Italian and I enjoy teaching her as much as I can about her heritage!

My daughter is 6, and she loves to be read to, so this was the perfect book to snuggle up together before bed and read a few chapters every night. We usually pick out a few books, she reads a bit then I read a bit. This book is a chapter book, a bit hard for her to read on her own, but I read to her and when I found words she knew or could sound out, she went for it!

We really enjoyed Florence Fiasco, learning about Gia, who wants to become a fashion designer, but works at her family's Inn in Italy. Each chapter was exciting and brought a ton of questions from my daughter. I think she got so much information, and because it was told thru a childs eyes it made it so much more interesting for her!
My husband is Italian and he can always get the answers to our kids questions about what their heritage is, but reading about it stuck with my daughter. We finished the book a few days ago and she is still asking questions about being Italian, and wanting to read more about Gia! So I hope Karito Kids comes out with more books for my daughter to read as she gets older : )

Karito Kids also has other Heritage books, including-

Mexico Mystery
Shanghai Secret
Sydney Scandal
and
The Manhattan Menace

I like that each book gives so much information and also holds the childs attention. When my daughter actually wants to get ready for bed, it must be a good book!



To find out more about Karito Kids and their products, please head over to their website.
These books, along with their other items would make a great stocking stuffer or a gift itself!

Thank you to Karito Kids for the opportunity to review Florence Fiasco, we enjoyed the book very much and look forward to reading more in the future!

Monday, October 26, 2009

High IntenCity Review AND Giveaway!


I have a 6 year old daughter who LOVES jewerly, necklaces and bracelets being her favorite! The only problem is, after wearing them a few times they either break and get lost, or just break and that's the end of the piece! When I was able to review a piece of jewerly from High IntenCity, I jumped at the chance! They have the most adorable selection of Charms and  Bracelets, Necklaces, Gift Sets and Hair Accesories!
I was able to review the Hello Kitty Fun Gift Set, because lately Hello Kitty is one of my daughters favorites!



When we recieved the set, first thing I liked was the actual box it comes in, rainbow colored and magnetic so it opens and closes easily. I gave it to my daughter and when she saw it was Hello Kitty AND a bracelet for her, she was so excited to wear it! She wore it around the house that night, and I forgot to take it off before bed, but the next morning it was still on her wrist. And, she's a restless sleeper so I figured it may have fallen off, but it stayed!

That morning she wore it to school to show her classmates, and the nice thing is it is very easy to take off herself. There is a bigger clasp so it's not a problem for her little fingers to get in unclasped. Of couse, all of her friends liked her bracelet and asked her where she got it, and being 6 year old girls, that made me laugh a bit! They are growing up so fast, and to hear them talking about jewerly like they were, was really cute!

I could definetly see myself purchasing the Birthday gift set for a birthday party gift or even for some of my family members, I've got sisters that LOVE Hello Kitty as much as my daughter! But, High IntenCity also offers other selection, such as the Animal set, Friends set and another favorite of mine, the Rockstar Giftset!
You can also make your own Charm Bracelet or Necklace, with over 100 charms to choose from and 15 different selections of bracelets and necklaces! There is a charm for every girl : )

This company isn't only for the girls, High IntenCity also offers Cool Stuff For Boys, with Cord Bracelets and Beaded necklaces. Very cool and very reasonable! I think my son would wear the Skull and Crossbone necklace, it's neat!

Right now High IntenCity has a contest going on, the Design a Charm Contest! If you have a neat or creative idea for a charm, please head over there and enter! Each winner will receive $100 of charms AND if your charm is a winner High IntenCity will donate 10% of proceeds to a cause selected by YOU!


Here's the best part! One lucky reader is going to win a Hello Kitty Fun Gift Set of their own! Just head over to High IntenCity and let me know your favorite item! This entry is mandatory!

Extra entries-

1. Sign up for High IntenCity email promotions ( 1 entry)

2. Follow High IntenCity on Twitter  ( 1 entry)

3. Subscribe to my blog ( 2 entries)

4. Follow my blog  ( 2 entries)

5. Follow me on Twitter and tweet this giveaway ( 1 entry, per day, leave a link!)

6. Blog about this contest ( 3 entries, leave a link!)

7. Grab my button ( 2 entries)

This giveaway will end on Nov. 5th. Winner will be chosen using Random.org and an email will be sent. Winner will have 48 hours to claim their prize! Good luck and thanks for entering!

Thank you to High IntenCity, from my daughter and myself! It's great to know we now have a place to purchase great jewerly that will last a long time!

Name Your Tune CD Review and Giveaway!



Recently, I was asked to review the Personalized CD, "Name Your Tune"! It is a collection of childrens songs, with some songs personalized with your childs name! How cool is that?!
So. when I recieved the CD from Name Your Tune, first thing I did was pop it in my CD player in the car and crank it up when I picked the kids up from school. Immediatly, my 6 year old daughter recognized "If Your Happy and You Know It" and started singing and dancing to it. The next song was the best though, "Little Ashlee Had a Farm", she was so excited about her name being in the song, it made her laugh and sing the whole way home! My 10 year old son even got into a few songs, and I didn't think he would, being he is usually "too cool" for this type of CD!
There are 14 different songs on the CD, here are a few, along with the above-

-Wheels on The Bus
-Down at The Park
-Head and Shoulders
-ABC Medley

A bit about Name Your Tune-
Based in Toronto, Name Your Tune Inc. is founded and managed by Candace Alper. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from McMaster University and a Bachelor of Education degree from OISE/University of Toronto. Candace has been active with children and youth in her community through social programs, summer camps and trips abroad.

This project has been a natural progression bringing together her love of music, arts, children and creativity. As mother to four-year-old Hannah, Candace appreciates the impact and joy of music in her child's every day. It is her motivation, enthusiasm and vision that have driven this project from its conception through to the hands of each child.


Co-Founder Eric Alper, has been active in the Canadian Music Industry for more than 15 years and a music-lover his whole life. As Director of Media Relations and Label Acquisitions for KOCH Entertainment, Eric brings his unique perspective and experience to Name Your Tune. Eric founded Hear Here in 2000 together with his audiologists. The Fun Fest is also a day to raise money for the Hospital for Sick Children in order to help provide hearing aids for hearing impaired children. The fund covers the patient cost of the hearing aids that is not covered by the Assistive Devices Program (ADP). Hear Here is administered through The Hospital For Sick Children. Name Your Tune proudly donates a portion from our CD sales to support Hear Here.

Name Your Tune also offers other products, such as Books, Lunchboxes and Placemats! Stop over and check out all the cool gifts they offer!

In my opinion, this CD would be a wonderful gift for a child for the holidays, probably  more towards the ages anywhere from 1-8 years. However, these are songs that EVERYONE knows, so the entire family can sing along together for a awhile, or passing the time driving along, with 14 songs, it's a great gift!

If you would like to purchase a CD, please use the code Iheartshopping for $5 off your order! Pretty nice!



And now, 1 lucky reader is going to win their own Personalized "Name Your Tune" CD, just head over to Name Your Tune and let me know which song would be your or your childs favorite! This is the mandatory 1st entry!

Extra Entries-

1. Subscribe via Email ( 2 entries)

2. Follow my blog  ( 2 entries)

3. Follow me on Twitter ( 1 entry)

4. Tweet this giveaway ( 1 entry, per day! Leave a link!)

5. Grab my button ( 2 entries)

6. Blog about this giveaway ( 3 entries, leave a link!)

This giveaway will end on Nov. 5, winner will be chosen using Random.org. Winner will be emailed and have 48 hours to claim their prize!

Good luck to everyone, hope you have fun browsing around Name Your Tune!

And thank you to Name Your Tune, your CD has made my daughter and myself very happy driving around! I really enjoyed reviewing this CD!

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Halloween Blog or Treat!

Recently I was able to participate in the Halloween Blog or Treat, hosted by Shannon from http://www.themommy-files.com/! I love Halloween, and I love to buy gifts, so this was so much fun!
I recieved my Treat and it was awesome! Thank you Smart Cents Mom! I recieved an adorable Halloween Frankenstein bath towel which my kids LOVE, a Pumkin Pie scented candle, yum!, Halloween napkins to use after we eat all the sweets we recieved! My favorite being the Mocha Premium M&M's! She also sent my kids little pumpkin baskets with candy, so cute, they said Thank You!



I had such a blast participating in the Halloween Blog or Treat, and now I can't wait till the sign up starts for the Christmas Swap!
Thank you Smart Cents Mom, you made us one happy family kicking off Halloween week!

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Enter to win a Kajeet phone! Great giveaway!

My son has been begging for a cell phone for a few years, and I think the Kajeet would be a great first phone!
Moms Focus On Cyberworld blog is having a giveaway to win a Kajeet cell phone, valued at $79.99! Head over soon to enter,giveaway ends Oct. 25th!
Enter here-

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MomsFocusOnline/~3/yD78KFVVArc/kajeet-new-cell-phone-for-kids-review-and-giveaway.html

Monday, October 19, 2009

Halloween Snack Ideas and Suggestions!

My kids are in 1st and 5th grade, and because I cannot actually go to their parties, I volunteered to send in some Halloween themed snacks!
Well, now I'm drawing a blank.. the snacks need to be more healthy than anything,and I said I'd do a fruit and/or veggie, so I figured I would go the easy route, carrots and dip and mabye some black olives to get the Black and Orange colors.
Then I thought I could do Black grapes and orange slices or cantaloupe, but I'm not sure the kids would like the Cantaloupe, my kids don't!
So, I'm looking for any ideas, I will take them all! Thanks for any ideas : )

Now I wish I would have just signed up to supply the paper goods, lol!

It's time for some winners!!!

Hi everyone! Thank you to everyone who entered the latest contests, I've had the most responses on these so far : )

The  winner of The Charm Factory Bracelet giveaway is-

#5- Anne J- Congrats! I will be sending an email shortly, and you will have 48 hours to claim your prize!


The 3 winners of The Cream Perfume Company giveaway are-

#2- lmurley2000

#26- Deb K

#89- Shooting Star

Congrats to all of you! I will be sending an email shortly, and you will have 48 hours to claim your prize!
Congrats to all of you!

And thank you to everyone that entered, I appreciate you coming and reading my blog!

A special thanks to The Charm Factory and The Cream Perfume Company, I enjoyed these products very much and will continue to use them in the future!

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Heres a great giveaway to enter for the holidays!

A Nut in a Nut Shell is hosting a great giveaway! Check out Cookware.com for your favorite brands like Hamilton Beach, Emile Henry, Rachael Ray Cookware and more! Giveaway ends 10/26!
Head over soon, and get your entries in! I'm off because I'd love to win a new SlowCooker, mine is shot!

http://www.anutinanutshell.com/2009/10/csn-cookwarecom-giveaway.html

Sunday, October 11, 2009

And the Winners are....

The winner of the Lauren Nicole Monogrammed Purse Hanger is-

# 28- Clallen! Congrats!

And the winner of the Anytime Costumes Giveaway is-

# 33 Hello Kitty KT- Congrats!

I will be sending out emails shortly, please respond within 48 hours to claim your prize!
Thanks to everyone who entered!

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Can anybody help me? My feeds are not posting on Google reader!

A fellow blogger let me know that my posts had not been posting for the past few months, the last one that went up was in August! I hadn't paid any attention to it, and I also haven't made any changes to it, so I don't know why this is happening!
If there's anyone that has had this problem, or just knows how to fix it, I'd appreciate any info! I'm really dumb when it comes to computers, so I'm thankful for anyones suggestions!

Friday, October 9, 2009

The Charm Factory Review AND Giveaway!



When I got the chance to review a charm bracelet from The Charm Factory, I was very excited! I love charm bracelets, but I haven't had once since high school! And when I was younger, I LOVED collecting the plastic charms and bracelets. So I've always had a love for them, and what made it even more fun, I got to choose the charms myself, my mom had made my last one.

So, 1st off, choosing the 8 charms was pretty hard, they have such a HUGE selection of charms to choose from! I decided to go with a Mom/Shopping theme, 2 of my favorite things! I chose

1. Birthstone ring for son

2. Birthstone ring for daughter


 3. Love to shop/shopping bag


4. Flip flop w/ swarovski crystals ( I could LIVE in flip flops, if the weather would let me : )

5. November heart charm (My birthstone)

6. Live, Laugh, Love charm

7. Mom charm

8. Good luck horse shoe charm ( Because I'm looking for some good luck to come my way!)

It honestly took me a good hour to pick, I had changed my order at least 3-4 times before I made up my mind! It was so much fun, and the result was so so cute! My 6 year old daughter asked for one the second she saw it, so there's a nice gift from Santa taken care of!
What I really like about The Charm Factory is that these can be made for anyone! From shopping to sports, you can make a bracelet for anyone! Pets, Hobbies, Messages and NOW, Twilight inspired charms!, it's all there for you to choose from, and they are very well made! I seem to get stuck on almost everything that comes my way, and the bracelet has gotten caught a few times, but nothing happened, it's still in one piece and going strong : )


If you are looking for that hard to buy for person, stop over to The Charm Factory and see if you can make up a bracelet for them, I bet you can! The prices are VERY reasonable, most charms are between $3-$5, so you won't break the bank making this cool, original gift!

Here's the best part, one lucky reader is going to win a bracelet of their own! The winner will get to choose 8 charms of their own and have a bracelet put together for themselves! All you have to do is head over to The Charm Factory and let me know a few charms you love! (Mandatory entry)

Extra entries-

1. Follow The Charm Factory on Twitter ( 1 entry)

2. Follow me on Twitter and tweet giveaway ( 1 entry, per day, leave link)

3. Follow my blog ( 2 entries)

4. Become a subscriber (Current subscribers count!) ( 2 entries)

5. Grab my button ( 2 entries, leave link)

6. Blog this giveaway, and let me know where to find it! ( 3 entries)

This giveaway will end on October 18th. Winner will be notified by email and have 48 hours to claim their prize! Good luck and thanks to all who enter!

And a special thanks to The Charm Factory for making such a beautiful bracelet, I now have my own personalized bracelet that I feel is made just to fit me! Thank you!

The Cream Perfume Company- Review and Giveaway!!



I love perfumes, I love many types of scents, from sweet and fruity, to warm and musky, I really love a good scent! When I got the chance to review products from The Cream Perfume Company, I have to say, I was in heaven! I was able to try Mango, Apricot, Ylang Ylang, Organic Rasberry, Melon and Mimosa Bouquet ( my personal favorite!)! They come in really cute little wooden "nuts", like an acorn : )


There are 10 scents to choose from, including Lavender, Forest, Rose and Vanilla! There definetly is a nice selection for everyone. One of my sisters liked the Mimosa, and another loved the Melon. I got many compliments while wearing the Mango, it is a soft, sweet fruity scent, not overpowering!
The first thing I noticed and really enjoyed about the scents is that they last a LONG time! I put some on before I headed out in the AM, and 5 hours later, I could still smell it on me. Which also means, these will last a long time! I have psoriasis, so I'm always on the lookout for products that won't irritate my skin, and these perfumes did not irritate it at all! In fact, it seemed to make my bumpy skin go down a bit, no lie!

I was also able to try a few Body Moisturizers, Lavender, Rose and Coconut Vanilla(my favorite!). These moisturizers are great right after a shower, they soaked right into my skin and did not leave a slimy feeling at all. I loved all of the light scents, but wearing the Coconut Vanilla made me feel like I was getting ready to go to the beach! And living in Chicago, I wish I was heading to the beach : ) When wearing the lotion, I didn't even have to put perfume on, the scent is a good strong one that lasts! Again though, not overpowering, just right!


A bit about the company-
It is believed Egyptians were the first people to incorporate perfumes (primarily natural incense and ointments) into their culture around 3000bc. The methods of extracting natural scents, although primitive by comparison, were technically not much different than they are today. Perfumes were often mixtures of oil and crushed petals or herbs until the Arabs later learned to extract oils from flowers through the process of distillation.

We work exclusively with internationally renowned perfumers and the local artisans of Grasse to develop premium nature identical oil blends, ECOCERT certified organic essentials, absolutes and pure plant and fruit extracts. Our perfumes are all phthalate free and contain no sulfates, petro-chemicals, synthetic dyes, triclosan, GMO, PPG, MEA, DEA, TEA or formaldehyde donors. Our products are cruelty free

Additionally, our perfumed body moisturizers are 100% vegan, wheat and gluten free, contain no glycol, parabens, sulfates, phthalates, silicones, synthetic additives or synthetic fragrances.

You can purchase any of these wonderful items online, they would make great holiday gifts or stocking stuffers! At $12, for the perfume or lotion, you're getting a great deal that will last a LONG time!

And thanks to The Cream Perfume Company, 3 readers will get to pick ANY ITEM from their store!
To enter, head on over to The Cream Perfume Company and let me know what you'd choose! (Mandatory entry!)

Extra entries-

1. Follow my blog ( 2 entries)

2. Become a subscriber ( 2 entries)

3. Follow me and tweet this giveaway ( 1 entry, per day, leave link!)

4. Grab my button ( 2 entries, leave a link!)

5. Blog about this giveaway, and let me know where to find it ( 3 entries)

Giveaway will end on Oct. 18th. Winners will be picked using Random.org, and will be notified by email.
Thank you for entering and good luck to all!

Thank you to The Cream Perfume Company for giving me the opportunity to review these products, I've found a great product for gift giving, and myself!

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Purple Pig Shirts Review!



Recently I was able to review a Yoga shirt from Purple Pig Shirts! If I could, I would wear a comy tshirt and jeans every single day. But, sometimes finding the comfy shirt is a problem for me, with my weird shape!
I picked the Peace Splash shirt, for a few reasons...
1. I love the color
2. It's a bit longer than most tshirts, which I REALLY like about it!
3. It is made from Super soft fabric, so I had to think it would be a comfy tshirt : )




I wore the shirt with a pair of jeans during the day, and I could lean over without worrying about showing stuff I didn't need to show, and it was soooo comfy! Then at night, I threw on my exercise pants to work out, and again, it covered up parts that don't need to poke out. This is a great shirt for exercising, because of the long length. Bending, stretching, jumping around, there's no worry about the shirt sliding up, exposing body parts! And again, it is so comfortable, I would most likely make it my workout shirt every time I exercise!

What is nice about the Purple Pig Shirts is that it's a great shirt to exercise in, but you can also wear it out and be fashionable! The designs on the shirts are  Yoga inspired, and are really cute! I'd definetly wear these shirts out and about, not just for exercising!

A bit about Purple Pig Shirts-
Purple pig was created based on our desire to share our commitment to health and wellness in a fun way. Find time in your day to sweat, laugh and just hang out in some of the softest tees around.


Our fabrics have been carefully chosen for quality, softness and comfort. Our unique designs each hand drawn. The shirt colors and ink are individually selected and coordinated.

Purple Pig Shirts is a sister company of CrazyDog Tshirts, so I can vouch that they have EXCELLENT customer service!

Purple Pig Shirts also has a  Mens line AND will soon be coming out with a Childrens line! Now the entire family can be comfy and stylish while exercising!
Coming soon will be Long Sleeved shirts and Sweatshirts, great for the fall weather coming up, I know walking in a bulky coat just isnt for me! I love to throw on a sweatshirt and go!

If you would like to order your own Purple Pig Shirt, visit them at http://www.purplepigshirts.com/, or add them on Facebook or Twitter!

Thank you to Purple Pig Shirts for the opportunity to review your shirts, I'm so happy with the product and will definetly keep purchasing from the company!

Monday, October 5, 2009

Anytimecostumes.com, another chance to win!

AnytimeCostumes.com was so happy with the results from all of the comments from their giveaways, that theyve decided to do a giveaway of their own !
This time, you can win ANY costume from their site, with a value up to $75! That is awesome! I have seen a ton of great costumes on AnytimeCostumes, and $75 will get you something spectacular!
There are many chances to enter, and there will be 20 winners, so head over and check it out!

Saturday, October 3, 2009

2nd set of giveaway winners...

Congrats to...

# 35- Barbara.Montyj- Winner of the WAT-AAH giveaway!

# 13- Aggie- Winner of the Spread Heads giveaway!

I will be sending emails shortly! Please contact me within 48 hours to claim your prizes!

Thank you to all who entered!!!

Friday, October 2, 2009

And the 1st set of winners are....

Conrats to....

 # 42 Throughthehaze- Winner of the Crazy Dog Tshirt!

# 27 Tracy Fritz- Winner of the Nacho Mama Tee giveaway!

I will be emailing you shortly! Please respond within 48 hours to claim your prize!

Thank you to everyone who entered, and come back soon to check out some more great giveaways!

I'm in the hospital, and I want to go home!

So, Wednesday morning I had a tummy ache, that got worse and worse, so I took a stool softner, (mabye TMI for some!). Well, an hour later, I started cramping and becoming very itchy, and breaking out in hives! Then the shortness of breath came, which I had to call the husband, because I had a feeling I was having an allergic reaction. He's 15 minutes away, trying to get home, and I need Benydryl, yet there is none, because someone in my house took the last of it and didn't tell me. Really, I need that stuff to survive these attacks, that may be an important thing to let me know!
So hubby gets there, rushes me to the hospital, thank god were only 3 minutes away! Thats when the fun began, vomitting, more intense cramping, and it took them an hour to get me any type of medication to ease the pain! After 4 hours of the ER, the decide to admit me, and I go for a CT Scan, which shows my colon is inflammed. They think it could be colitis, but just to be sure, they plan on doing a Colonoscopy, whooo hooo! I'm panicking, because I had a Great grandma that died of colon cancer, and 4 other family members that have problems with their colon. I'm only 30, so I'm freaking out!
Well, yesterday AM they confirm the Colonoscopy, which then I have ALL day to think about it, and panic some more! I had my Hubby, Mom and Gma here, which helped, but still, I had to ask for something to calm me down I was so bad!
Anyways, finally 5pm comes and they take me down, I was actually ok going down and waiting, and then they gave me that wonderful cocktail, and I woke up not feeling a thing! I actually think I woke up and saw my insides on the screen at one point, but I'm not 100% on that : )
Well, they didn't find anything, so right now they are ruling it as Colitis, and I've had 2 1/2 days of IV Antibiotics to get it under control. Thankfully, it's nothing too serious, and I can go home tomorrow if I keep solid food down, I haven't eaten in almost 3 days, I'm starving!!!

So, I will most likely have my Giveaway winners up sometime this weekend, I will mostl likely take a day or so to get back to normal, since sleep here is impossible! Every time I fall asleep, the darn machines start beeping, waking me out of a deep sleep! I'm hungry, tired, and ready to go home!!!