#BeanChat
Grab a cup of coffee on Thursday morning, 12/31 at 10am ET on Twitter for Gevalia’s #beanchat hosted by me! We’ll be talking about New Year’s Resolutions!!! http://bit.ly/JoinBeanChat
Post from: Mom’s Favorite Stuff
Aflaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaac!
To get yours, head over to Macys.com and type “Aflac” into the search box. But hurry! If the past few years are any indication, this limited-edition toy is going to sell out or be pulled from the shelves very quickly.
The Big Bundle Benefitting Diabetes
From now until December 31, visit http://www.trialpay.com/ada/ to purchase “The Big Bundle”.
This is a great idea where for only $20, you can purchase goods and services totalling over $400 from major retailers around the country. No gimmicks, no catch. Here are some of the things you’ll get:
* 1-800-Flowers.com: $20 Gift Card
* 23andMe: $50 Off the Full Edition
* Collectorz: Movie Collector – Standard Edition
* Corel: Photo Album 7
* CyberLink: MediaShow 5
* Dropbox: 3 Months of Dropbox Pro (50GB)
* Foxit: PDF Creator
* Gap: $20 off $100 purchase at Gap.com* ImTOO/Xilisoft: 3GP Video Converter
* Nordstrom: $20 Rebate with a $100 Purchase
* Picnik: 6 Months of Picnik Premium
* Playfirst: Diner Dash
* Restaurant.com: $25 Gift Certificate
* Shoebuy: $10 Gift Certificate
* Skype: 1 Month Unlimited* US & Canada Calling
* Snapfish: Free 16×20 poster of any Photos
* Trend Micro: AntiVirus plus AntiSpyware 2010
* ZAGAT: 3 Month Subscription to ZAGAT.com
As a bonus, use promotion code ADAPROMO (all caps) to get 50% off, meaning you’ll pay only $10 for all of this. And all of that $10 will go to the American Diabetes Association.
Aflaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaac!
To get yours, head over to Macys.com and type “Aflac” into the search box. But hurry! If the past few years are any indication, this limited-edition toy is going to sell out or be pulled from the shelves very quickly.
Free Christmas E-Cards where $1 goes to support art in schools
Need to send a quick Christmas e-card, and tired of sending and receiving the same free e-card from Hallmark or Blue Mountain for the umpteenth-and-a-half time? Here are some truly unique Christmas e-cards which help a great cause: support for the arts in schools.
It’s no secret that in these tough economic times, often the first casualties within schools are arts programs. Playing an instrument is a wonderful way to teach kids things that can’t be taught in a classroom, things like teamwork and creativity, the value of art, and a feeling of self-esteem and accomplishment.
This is what makes initiatives like Fidelity Futurestage so important. This is a charitable program run by Fidelity which helps bring arts education to underprivileged middle and high school kids. The program funds in-school classes, helps expose the kids to professional artists, theater productions, concert performances, and students’ own performances.
These e-cards are simple holiday cards but what’s neat about them when your recipient opens them, they’ll hear classical music pieces from the Boston Pops, Chicago Symphony, Houston Symphony, LA Philharmonic, or the North Carolina Symphony. Better still, for each card you send, Fidelity will donate $1 to needy schools.
Finding the Right Ingredient to Combat Adult Acne
I haven’t been shy here discussing my battle with adult acne. While I had very few breakouts as a teen, I developed acne in my 20s which only multiplied after I had children. Now, I’m in the difficult situation of trying to fight aging and stop acne – not a fun combination. And, while I’ve tried a variety of products with different active ingredients – over the counter products, prescription products, even oral antibiotics – I never really knew what each ingredient did.
I was sent this chart below, which I absolutely love because it explains things clearly, and was offered the opportunity to talk to California dermatologist Vicki Rapaport, who works with Proactiv. I’ve reviewed Proactiv before and had good success with it, but have always been confused by the variety of ingredients offered in the various products (the chart helps out with that!).
Dr. Rapaport answered some of my questions, and in fact, even inspired me to seek a new dermatologist who would be more aggressive in helping me! Here are just a few things I learned:
- Adult acne is generally triggered by hormones, as the skin receptors are more active and more sensitive to hormones
- A dermatologist can prescribe you a stronger version of OTC medications
- Products that worked when you were a child may not work when you are an adult
- What works for others may not work for you
- Even inactive ingredients may play a role in how one particular product works for you
- Don’t be afraid to try different products until you find one that works, but make sure you give each product enough time (2 months or so) to be effective before giving up on it
Dr. Rapaport also recommending using products right after the shower, when pores are dilated.
To learn more about Proactiv, visit their Web site.
Disclosure: I interviewed Dr. Rapaport for this article – and I tried Proactiv for my review last spring (the products were given to me at no cost).
Post from: Mom’s Favorite Stuff
Finding the Right Ingredient to Combat Adult Acne
It’s all About the Converse
In keeping my growing boys well-shod, it has dawned on me how expensive footwear can really be. For boys that never seem to stay with the same shoe size for longer than a few months, it’s a never-ending proposition of spending money. I know that as they grow older and bigger and begin to play sports that we will only be purchasing more types of shoes more often.
While I don’t know that my boys are destined to play basketball, it’s great to see that Converse is now offering a more affordable basketball sneaker. Available in adult and kid sizes, the EB2 is from the Elton Brand Signature Shoe collection. Elton Brand, in his second season with the Philadelphia 76ers, will be sporting the shoe this season. The EB2 provides a ton of support without the bulky weight of some basketball shoes. They’re sporty and have the classic Converse Star Chevron logo emblazoned on the side. You’ll find the EB2 in two combinations of black, white and red or one combo of white and black.
You can read all about the EB2 here or purchase them exclusively at JCPenney or online at www.jcp.com and www.converse.com.
*We received a pair of the EB2 in kids to check out for this review*
Post from: Mom’s Favorite Stuff
Last minute Christmas Gifts that Help Toys for Tots
So you’ve done it again. You got presents for everyone on your list, but lo and behold you get something from someone you’d totally forgotten about.
You could do the scramble to the local Starbucks and pick up that last gift card, the gift that says “I thought about you AND I have a Starbucks near me that was open on Christmas”. Or, you could choose a professionally designed flower arrangement, poinsettia, or centerpiece delivered to their door, even if you order today (I would recommend placing your order for arrival on 12/24; anything past that may not get delivered before Christmas because florist shops may be closing).
When you buy a gift from the Toys for Tots collection at 1-800-Flowers and use promotion code TOYS, 10% of proceeds will go to help Toys for Tots. So when you’re remembering not to forget whom you forgot, you sould also remember not to forget the forgotten.
Ho ho ho! 
Secret Santa: TJ Maxx Style!
This holiday season, I was invited by TJ Maxx and Marshalls to participate in a 100 blog Secret Santa project. I was given a $25 gift card to purchase a gift for another blogger, and $25 for myself (which I used on holiday gifts). I’m lucky to have both a TJ Maxx and Marshalls within a few miles of my house, so it didn’t really matter which store I received a card to.
When my cards arrived for TJ Maxx, my daughter and I headed out to shop! We first picked up gifts for my Secret Santa recipient – a beauty blogger (don’t want to give anything beyond that away!). I was so pleased to find two great gifts within my price range … Nars body glow (if you haven’t tried this stuff – it smells great, gives your body a nice glow, and is pretty expensive if you purchase at full price), and Rescue Beauty Lounge body wash.
With my second gift card, well, let’s just say I spent several times that amount on my shopping trip…. My daughter and I put together several baskets for family members that are hard to buy for, and included small kitchen supplies, like kitchen scissors, cutting boards, mixing bowls, and spices. For my grandmother (who hopefully doesn’t read this blog…) we bought some spa socks and body lotions for a small basket. And, we were able to get the baskets there too, so we didn’t have to go anywhere else.
For those of you that don’t know, both of my kids were hit with the H1N1 virus this past week (both are better now) so the ability to get our remaining shopping done in one place was absolutely priceless.
Disclosure: TJ Maxx/Marshalls supplied us with two $25 gift cards for this review.
Post from: Mom’s Favorite Stuff
Remove it with REMOVEEZ
When REMOVEEZ sent me a wonderful package to try out their product, I was interested but not exactly excited. I mean, my boys get stuff, sticky and goopy, all over them on a daily basis. I’ve almost gotten used to seeing marker and paint under their nails and embedded into their fingerprints. It really hadn’t occurred to me until after we were recently admitted and then later released from the hospital (Thankfully, my son is recuperating well from his bout with RSV.) how wonderful REMOVEEZ is.
Let’s start with the sticky and dirty goop left behind by bandages and medical tape. I truly hate the dirty look of these and they can stick around for ages unless you spend a ton of time scraping them off. Of course, that’s the very last thing you want to do when it’s your child’s skin. REMOVEEZ made it so much easier to erase the lingering marks from our hospital trip.
Since holiday celebrations and pictures were quickly coming, it really got me thinking about all of those ‘mishaps’ that REMOVEEZ can smooth over. Have a toddler that got a little too artistic with a permanent market on their sibling? REMOVEEZ will come to the rescue. Have a preschooler that loves temporary tattoos or playing doctor with band-aids but school pictures are in the near future? REMOVEEZ will remove the proof.
The best feature of REMOVEEZ is that it is not made from harsh chemicals and doesn’t smell rank. Made from a mix of natural ingredients like citrus oils and plant and flower extracts, REMOVEEZ is offered in four scents (lavender/orange, eucalyptus/orange, coconut/orange, and clove/orange). REMOVEEZ is dermatologist tested, cruelty free and does not include parabens, phthalates, or PPGS. Of course, adults can also use REMOVEEZ on things like ink stains, tar, and sap that find their way on to skin.
You can learn more about REMOVEEZ here or you can purchase a bottle of your own here.
Disclosure: We received Removeez at no cost for review.
Post from: Mom’s Favorite Stuff