Found Not Lost

I have three daughters so the sample bottles I received for Sassy Shampoo, Conditioner and Body Wash did not last long. Here is the verdict from my girls… They like it!

Why? Because it doesn’t smell strong, not ‘perfumey’, they said. My oldest daughter also added that her hair didn’t feel ‘heavy’ after shampooing. It didn’t leave residue, just a clean, sleek feel and and a fresh smell. The biggest plus of all, they said the conditioner worked well at keeping their hair tangle free. They have very thick and curly hair and they said that they had no problems combing them out after washing.

Sassy products are targeted for ‘tween’ girls. The Sassy product line is natural and organic which is great but the image they project for girls is also commendable. Their tag line, ‘Be the Boss of Your Own Beauty’ is something that I have been trying to instill in my girls and any product that resonates with the message that beauty is individual, is ok by me.  Not only are Sassy products promoting good self image for girls, are made of organic and natural ingredients, they also use eco-friendly packaging.

Check out their website and the gift packages. With the holidays coming up, these would make great presents or business gifts.

Complimentary samples were provided for this review.

My girls and I bring our lunches to school and work daily. Not only does it save money, we end up eating healthier, home-cooked meals rather than the fatty junk we would probably end up buying. We love bento boxes and cute water bottles and that’s how I first found Your Guide to Green. I subscribed to their newsletter and today while going through emails, I say the announcement for these bamboo utensil sets and I just had to post about it.

This cutlery is made from quickly renewable and natural bamboo. The holder is made from recycled pop bottles. And for a limited time the set is on sale for 8.99.

Oh I know it seems like a lot to pay for a single set of utensils, but think of the long term impact of this expense. For instance, when we bring disposable plastic utensils, we don’t normally re-use them. They get tossed in the trash where they will probably stay in the landfill for a couple of generations. The girls and I are not too crazy about that idea nor are we crazy about the cheap plastic things that I buy because they’re cheaper either.

So, we  all end up bringing silver ware with our lunches. Yes, the same silverware that is part of the set we use at home. Guess what, I’ve had to buy additional forks for our set because we keep losing them! As careful as we try to be, the spoons and mostly forks, get tossed away with the trash or fall out of the bags never to be found again.

So I think these bamboo utensil set will work out well for us.

So throw away the brown bag and plastic bags. Check out the lunch sets and water bottles at YourGuidetoGreen.com and get your stylish lunch on!
 
 
Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this review nor did I receive anything free from Your Guide to Green. I just happen to be a fan of the site and their products.

Remember when my kids were trading Granola Nut Clusters like casino chips? Ever since we got that batch of free samples, they have just been raving about Granola Nuts and haven’t missed a chance to beg for a pack whenever we’re in the grocery store. That’s why I like shopping alone

I you haven’t had a chance to try out these delicious snacks yet, here’s a coupon for $1.60 off on your next purchase. Click on the link below to print the coupon.

Print a Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters electronic coupon.

Today is the first day of school for my girls. Two of them are headed off to high school and the third is starting middle school this year. The one who is starting middle school is a bit apprehensive what with the new school, meeting new friends and all that. She is excited about one thing though, she’s going to get her own locker from now on!

I was going to give her this free 1590D Set-Your-Own Combination Lock that I received to review, but the school issues them their own lock that the school has a master key for. So, my oldest daughter got this new lock instead and she has been playing around with it at home. This morning, of course, it was packed into her book bag, all ready for school. Here is what she wrote about the Master Lock Set your Own Combination Lock. Read more…

Skin Free Skincare products are 100% natural and 100% non-toxic (as per Environmental Working Group evaluation). The Skin Free Extra Moisturizing Soap and Shampoo Bar has recently been awarded the National Eczema Association’s Seal of Acceptance.

Skin Free products were developed by Julie Hilton who is a compounding pharmacist and natural products manufacturer. The Skin Free products line were developed to be free from toxins, irritants, fragrances, colorants, petroleum derivatives and animal products; they are also affordable and effective.

Prior to hearing about Skin Free, I have been testing various over the counter moisturizers. I can’t afford the name brand products so I have been testing drug store lines that were under $30 to find a moisturizer that would agree with my skin and eliminate some of the problems I have. I have combination skin with a very oil T-zone. Add to that black heads, white heads and steadily enlarging pores and you’ve got me, a walking facial disaster at 45. Mind you, I have never been obsessive with my skin care. I was blessed with fairly good skin in my younger years. I didn’t ever have acne or the other problems that plague teens. Then middle age hits and BAM! everything starts falling apart. I noticed my skin started losing its elasticity (that’s a nice way of saying ’sagging’) and started losing its luster. Bottom line, my skin just started looking old.

Maybe if I took better care of my skin when I was younger I wouldn’t be having this problem now. But it’s too late for regrets now, isn’t it? All there is left to do is take care of what’s here and now. And in the ‘now’ my experiments with moisturizers were just not very successful. The last one I tried left a sticky, icky film on my face that felt like my face was a dust magnet. I couldn’t wait to get home at the end of the day and wash my face.

So when I got a chance to try out Skin Free, I chose to try out the Lite Moisture Cream Daily Use and the Nutritional and Anti-Oxidant Synergy for Face.

The Skin Free Daytime Light Moisture Cream is formulated to be beneficial for skin of all ages. It is a very light cream blended from organic extra virgin olive oil and macadamia nut oil to replenish facial moisture balance. I have been using it everyday and it’s perfect especially now that it’s hot. Even when I’m sweaty my face doesn’t get overly greasy. It feels light and I don’t feel like I have a mask on. This is exactly what I have been looking for!

Luckily, all Skin Free products can be purchased from CVS drugstores and Walgreens.

I also have the Nutritional and Anti-Oxidant Synergy for Face. Powerful essences are combined in this formulation to increase circulation, soothe sun damage and aging, and help reduce the appearance of wrinkles. It contains organic essences derived from oat seeds, sea buckthorn and red raspberry seeds which are all known for their soothing, healing and anti-aging abilities; suspended in organic macadamia nut oil and virgin olive oil.

I have been using the anti-oxidant once a week, on weekends when I do a thorough cleansing. It’s supposed to give your skin a more radiant and more youthful glow. I’ve only been using this product for a month, about three or four applications worth. I’m not looking like twenty something, but I can tell a difference when I do my weekend facial spa. I have syringoma on my face, right under my eyes. They are non-cancerous bumps like little benigncell towers that have sprouted up as I got older. There is no treatment for this other than to have them physically removed. Since I started using the Skin Free moisturizers, I’ve noticed that the bumps appear to be smaller soon after application. They eventually plump up as the day wears on, but this is still a better result than what I have been getting with other products. One product that I had to stop using immediately turned them red and raging! So overall, I am really happy with how Skin Free has affected my skin. I can’t wait to try out their other product.

Next time you’re at the drug store, check out the Skin Free line of products. They also carry soaps, scrubs, body lotion and other facial products. You can also check their blog at www.skinfreeskincare.blogspot.com for additional information.

Back to school shopping is officially underway. Along with crayons and notebooks and other school supplies, and aside from laptops, musical instruments is going to be one of the bigger expenses for most parents.

The following is a post from Jade, 16 years old and high school junior.

Musical instruments, and the ability to play them are great things to have. They are the gifts that keep on giving. People who play musical instruments are considered to maintain and possess a greatly valuable and admirable talent.

I learned to play the clarinet in sixth grade and after a year of playing it I changed to the bass clarinet. I loved the bass clarinet and continued playing it through my freshman year of high school. After which I quit. I don’t regret quitting though I miss it a lot.

The following summer, my aunt bought me a $50 acoustic guitar when I expressed interest in playing it. I attempted to teach myself since I couldn’t afford lessons. Let’s just say the guitar is very dusty and I know one song on the guitar. The acoustic is nice, and I love the sound but my guitar is not the best quality, the neck is a bit too wide and hard for me to play. Sometimes I wish I had gone with an electric or visted an electric guitar store to shop around. A few of my friends have electric guitars and I love them! Maybe one day, when I can afford my own lessons I will revisit the guitar and reawaken my musical talents.

If you or your child are considering picking up a musical instrument there are a few ways to go about it.

Renting is one option, when I first started playing my parents went this route. Music stores rent good quality instruments by the month and if you choose, with an option to buy. However, renting can be impractical if you are going into a year or more of playing. With what you pay for one or two months, you could easily purchase your own instrument, especially if it is something like a clarinet or flute, which can be bought at rather reasonable prices.

Buy your own. Ebay opens many doors when it comes to hobbies, clothing or sports you may be pursuing. We bought my first clarinet on eBay for about a hundred dollars (equivalent two month’s worth of rental fees), it was brand new and came in a nice case with a soft outer carrying case as well. It was a great buy and something that served its purpose and may now be sold or handed down.

Another back to school expense that can be purchased from ebay or similar online stores is sports equipment. When I took up field hockey as a sophomore in high school, I needed basic equipment. Most basic of all I needed a stick. While many people were dropping up to $80 or $100 on sticks, I found an okay-quality stick in my size for $20, plus shipping, it even came with a free practice ball. Buying online has many perks, you are able to trade things like books free of charge, buy things new or used and sell things you no longer need. The main key is to start shopping early and compare. So far, we’ve had good results shopping online.