The Blog

Pure Botanical Care – Klorane Shampoo with Peony

I view the one hour window of time I get to take a shower as a reprieve from life. It is one of the only places in the house I can go where I can be completely at peace and if you are a parent, then you understand. The only thing that takes away from this bit of peace is when my scalp is irritated, it just ruins the ambiance of my personal space. I don’t like using products with a lot of chemicals due to my thyroid issues that already contribute to slight hair loss, so when offered the chance to review Klorane’s new Shampoo with Peony for soothing irritated scalp, I was delighted.

You see, Klorane combines the expertise of botanists, growers, biologists and pharmacists in their laboratory to create products using plant extracts that are already known for their therapeutic benefits. Peonies, for example, are often used as an antioxidant and for skin issues.

Klorane’s Shampoo with Peony helps your scalp regain its natural balance and is silicone, paraben and sodium chloride free. It has a very bubbly lather and doesn’t make your head feel like it is falling asleep. I have been using it for a few weeks now and have noticed a wonderful difference. It is the difference you notice when you realize you don’t notice your scalp, that it isn’t bothering you any longer. It also smells very lovely.

We’ve featured Klorane here multiple times, just recently Katrina had shared the Klorane Shampoo with Citrus Pulp that vitalizes oily hair, as well as a leave in spray. There are many products for different hair types and to find out which one is right for you, you can take a Hair Analysis Quiz that will help you come up with a regime for your personal needs.

The most important thing is to keep your hair healthy, so you can also de-stress and keep yourself healthy. Life is chaotic enough without having to have irritable scalp. Your hair deserves to be beautiful and so does your sanity.

Connect: You can find out more about Klorane on their Facebook Page and/or @Klorane on Twitter.

Purchase: You can purchase Klorane Shampoo with Peony 13.4oz for $18.

Back-to-School Crayon Vase/Pencil Holder Craft

Blog· Crafts

Even though school is still over a month away in NY, I know many other parts of the country are getting ready for back-to-school. ?I was inspired to create this Crayon Vase by crayons being on sale (25 cents at Staples!).

Crayon Vase

Supplies needed:

1 square short container
2 boxes of crayons (24 count)
Glue gun

Lay out the crayons in the order you want them to be glued on the side of the container. ?Once the glue gun is heated, carefully apply glue to one side of the crayon and place it on the container. ?Remember hot glue dries quickly and is VERY hot to the fingers -Keep repeating until the side is completed.

Repeat the step above three more times, until all four sides of the container are completed.

This crayon vase is a wonderful teacher appreciation gift. I like adding flowers to it for the first day of school. ?I also include pencils, pens and marbles/glass pebbles in a separate bag with a note that explains: once the flowers have died, use the marbles/glass pebbles as a filler in the container to hold the pens and pencils.

How simple is this? ?I would love your feedback on this back-to-school “craftastic!”

Donate a “Selfless Selfie” and Do Good

Blog

Giving back is so important and greatly appreciated by the people that your good deed helps. Not only that, but it can be rewarding for you to. I personally feel pretty great after I donate items to a food pantry or my kids’ schools. It gives me a feeling of accomplishment to know that I was able to help someone in need.

You may be thinking “I can’t afford to help or donate to people in need”, and that’s perfectly understandable. Many of us are just scraping by to make ends meet in this tough economy. I totally get that! But I have great news, because you can give back without even spending a single cent out of your pocket!

“The Donate a Photo (DAP) app, which launched in April 2013, allows consumers to make a difference by raising money and awareness for causes that they care about through one simple act ? taking a photo. The DAP app continues to demonstrate the Company’s longstanding commitment to caring, as well as raising money and awareness for causes that need help.”

The Donate a Photo App was brought to us by Johnson & Johnson and allows us all to give back by doing something that many of us do every day – taking a photo! They just launched a “Selfless Selfies” campaign which encourages users to take a “selfie” and donate it through the DAP app. Then share your photo through your social media channels to encourage your friends to do the same!

For each “selfie” uploaded through the DAP app, J&J will donate $1 to one of their non-profit partners. You get to decide which of those causes your donation goes to through a rotating list of the current partners. Three of their current partners include:

PFLAG: One photo helps protect a child from bullying
Girl Up: One photo helps a girl in Liberia go back to school
Safe Kids: One photo helps a child in Mexico get to school safely

Each of the causes has a goal; which once met, another cause takes its place. However, you can still learn about those organizations and check out the photos that helped to meet their goals, because they stay in the app even after reaching their goals.

The best part is that you can donate one photo each day. So if you donate a photo every single day for 10 days, that’s $10 in the bank for one of the partners. Imagine the difference you can make if your friends and family do the same!

The app is available for iOS and Android.

The photo gallery, progress achieved for each partner, information about each cause and more are available through the Donate a Photo website, accessible to everyone. However, each photo donation must be made through the app via a mobile device.

The Donate a Photo app was introduced by Johnson & Johnson against the backdrop of the quarterly Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies HEALTHY ESSENTIALS? promotion in April 2013. HEALTHY ESSENTIALS? is a coupon program that helps you save money while stocking up on essentials that your family needs!

Giveaway Winner: Entry #145Robin W.

*Johnson & Johnson has curated a list of trusted causes, and you can donate a photo to one cause, once a day. Each cause will appear in the app until it reaches its goal, or the donation period ends. If the goal isn’t reached, the cause will still get a minimum donation.

New Fashion Diapers Designed by Heidi Klum, Exclusively at BabiesRUs

Blog· Review

Fashion Diapers Designed by Heidi Klum

Exclusively at Babies “R” Us

I will admit that I use cloth diapers a lot. Like 80 percent of the time. I also go to the gym a lot and use the grandparents to babysit so I can get out once and a while and when those times come up disposables are the only way to go. When it comes to a disposable I need it to do what it is intended to do…keep messes in the diaper. These new fashion diapers designed by Heidi Klum not only work great as a diaper but they are so stinkin adorable!!!!

Monsters are for girls too!!

They are very thin which had me originally concerned about absorbancy. They surprised me and held in a lot of pee and no leaks. They fit great around my daughter’s skinny legs too.

Lil Sis is about 23.5 pounds and this diaper is a size 4. It fits her great.

The child care worker’s at my gym’s daycare loved her diaper and they said they had never seen them before. These cute diapers really do their job!

Buy It! You can purchase these Fashion Diapers in size 4 – 60 count exclusively at Babies “R” Us for $16.99.

I received a sample product for this review. All opinions are my own and/or my family’s, take it or leave it. Click here to view my whole disclosure policy.

Ninja Mega Kitchen System Review Plus Strawberry Watermelon Smoothie

Blog· Review

Ninja? is one of several housecare brands developed by Euro-Pro Operating LLC, a pioneer in innovative cleaning solutions and small household appliances with the goal of giving today’s busy consumer better and more efficient products that fit their lifestyle.

Whether you are a student, a parent, or just someone (like me) who is trying to live a healthier lifestyle and is looking for healthy alternatives to those fattening snacks or to replace meals such as breakfast with smoothies, the Ninja Mega Kitchen System is the tool you need to add to your kitchen. It’s not only a new appliance, it is a lifestyle changer!

For the last 4 years, our family has gone without a blender (there may or may not have been a small explosion with our old blender). For years, I have dreamed of a new blender, I have asked for them for my birthday and Christmas and yet…..I never received one.

Since I became pregnant with baby #5, I have been doing my best to control my weight. The last thing I want is to gain a lot when I already have so much I need to lose. It is my goal to lose at least 100lbs in the next year (once I get the go ahead from the doctor after baby arrives). In order to get myself to a healthy size once again I need to lose at least 200lbs, so I figured 100 in 1 year is a good place to start.

During my pregnancy I have been reading the different benefits of juicing and drinking smoothies and I figured now was as good a time as any to start introducing my body to new flavors and foods.

Thanks to the Ninja Mega Kitchen System, our family will be making some HUGE changes and we will be enjoying A LOT of smoothies together!

Tonight we busted out our new Ninja and put it to use for the first time and whipped up some Strawberry Watermelon Smoothies that were DELICIOUS and super easy to make! All we did was take the XL Blender Pitcher and threw in 2 cups of frozen strawberries, 2 cups of cut up watermelon, 8 oz of apple juice, 2 handfuls of ice and 3 tablespoons of Truvia and blended it up.

It was real easy to make and it blended together smoothly in a matter of seconds! My teenage son could not believe how fast the whole process went or how easy it was. He was also thrilled that clean-up was nice and easy as well!

Overall, the smoothies were an absolute hit with the kids. Ellie (19 months) demanded more after she finished off her first cup full and was very upset when there wasn’t any left after her second cup.

The Ninja Mega Kitchen System has everything you need to inspire healthy living for the entire family. With the Mega Kitchen System you get:

1500 watts/2 horsepower motor
Extra large
72 oz. pitcher with blade assembly
Extra large 64 oz. processor bowl with
blade assembly
Dough blade attachment
2 Single-Serve blending cups with blade
& to-go lids
The Healthy Living Guide
5-year VIP Warranty
It’s dishwasher-safe and crafted of 100% BPA-free plastic.

The Ninja is great for blending whole fruits and vegetables into nutritious drinks, mixing batches of dougn (up to 2 lbs in 30 seconds), creating creamy smoothies with fruit and ice in second and for processing food. It’s really 4 appliances in one!

I am looking forward to getting to know my Ninja better and having it become part of our daily lifestyle and am also looking forward to the changes that will be made in our home to ensure we are all healthy!

Connect:

You can connect with Ninja Kitchen on Facebook, Pinterest and/or @NinjaKitchen on Twitter!

Buy It!

You can buy the Ninja Mega Kitchen System for $199.

I received a sample product for this review. All opinions are my own and/or my family’s, take it or leave it. Click here to view my whole disclosure policy.

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