Storytime Sunday - E Squared

Disclaimer:  I received the book below from Hay House Inc. in exchange for my honest opinions.  All opinions remain my own.

 

E Squared

 

by: Pam Grout

 

  Thanks to Hay House Inc., Mommy in PA got the chance to review E Squared by Pam Grout and here are her thoughts:

 

  So the subtitle of this book is what really caught my attention.  "Nine Do-It-Yourself Energy Experiments That Prove Your Thoughts Create Your Reality"...who can resist the temptation to see if this really works?!?!

 

  We've all heard tales of people who dreamt of winning lottery numbers, folks who just seem to luck into everything that they could ever want, and the folks who can never seem to get a break.  Well this book explains how our thoughts, our own inner energy, can determine what will happen in our everyday lives.  And how we can have control over it.

 

  We've all experienced coincidences.  This book will tell you why a coincidence isn't what it seems but more like a connection of energies between people.  Here are a couple of examples:  Mommy in GA and Mommy in PA regularly realize we had the same thing for dinner even when we never mention anything about it or even what we bought at the store.  And there are always the times, very frequently, that one of us will call the other one and they say "I was just going to call you". 

 

  The book has a series of 9 experiments, which if given the right amount of time per experiment, will take you approximately three weeks to complete.  I myself did most of the experiments and had about a fifty percent success rate. 

 

  E-Squared basically teaches you about using your own inner force to make positive outcomes in your life.  It also explains why some people have trouble succeeding because they don't believe they can.  Basically the second that you start doubting yourself you are already slowing if not completely halting your positive progress.  If you don't believe in yourself...who will?

 

  I really like this book and plan on returning to it often to remind myself about the positive thinking, which by the way, has become my new favorite saying. 

 

 

   For more information about the book and author you can head over to the Hay House Site or purchase your own copy on Amazon. 

 



Washing Wednesday - Earth's Berries

Disclaimer:  We received the product below for free in exchange for our honest opinions.  All opinions remain our own.

Earth's Berries

  Are you looking for an Earth friendly laundry alternative without all the harsh chemicals that are normally found in laundry products?  Then you may want to see what Earth's Berries Soap Nuts has to offer. 

  Earth's Berries Soap Nuts are actually berries harvested from the Soapberry Tree.  These are actually used all around the world for their cleaning properties. 

  Earth's Berries are environmentally friendly, economical (1 kg bag will do 300-400 loads of laundry for only $30), they soften your clothing, protect clothing colors, neutralize odor, are safe for your septic system, and they are simple to use (just place 5 whole or 10 half soap nuts in your bag that is included and soak in hot water for 1-2 minutes and then just toss them in...bag and all). 

  Mommy in GA and Mommy in PA got a chance to try the Earth's Berries Soap Nuts and here are our thoughts:

  Mommy in GA: I used these for a few loads of clothes and I would like to start by saying my 4 year old asked me what the heck that was I was putting in with his clothes!!!  They look a little odd but, do a pretty good job cleaning! Note to self though, do NOT forget a bout the hot water, the cold just doesn't get the results!! 
My kids' have pretty sensitive skin and the hypo-allergenic product that this is did a great job not breaking the kids' out and is all around a pretty good product :)

  Mommy in PA:   The packaging for the product is so cute...and biodegradable.   I was really impressed at the ease of using the product, it didn't take long to soak the berries and then being able to reuse them for multiple loads was awesome.  I was also very impressed at their cleaning ability.  They managed to get all of my clothes looking the same as when I use the laundry soap except for the really dirt embedded socks of my daughter who has a tendency to walk in our yard with no shoes.  Even our regular laundry soap has a tough time getting those clean...lol.  I also love the fact that when you are done using the soap nuts for the recommended 4 loads you can take them out and put them in your compost.  These are also hypo-allergenic so they are great for those of you with sensitive skin.

The great folks at Earth's Berries are offering our readers a chance to win their very own 250g bag of Earth's Berries Soap Nuts (which is enough to do 75 - 100 loads of laundry).  For your chance to win, enter via the rafflecopter form below.

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Spa Time Saturday - Aurorae

disclaimer:  I received the product below for free in exchange for my honest opinions.  All opinions remain my own.

 

Aurorae Spa Organics Meditative Mist

 

 

 

It's a busy time of year for everyone with the weather getting warmer and so many things going on all the time (sports, gardening, activities with the kiddos, etc.).  Wouldn't it be nice to just curl up on the couch in the evening with a good book and relax the stress away?!?!  Well Aurorae may have the answer.

 

Aurorae carries a variety of spa related products from apparel to mats and has a nice selection of accessories. 

 

Mommy in PA got a chance to try out Aurorae Spa Organics Meditative Mist in Lavender scent and here is what she thought:

 

 

This product couldn't have showed up at my house at a better time.  The weather was starting to warm up and school was about over which means things around the house get kinda crazy.  There is always something that needs done and it's hard to get a break until after it's dark. 

 

The product comes in a handy spray bottle so it only took a few minutes to have my whole living room smelling of lavender.  As most of you already know, lavender is known to be a very good stress reliever and I think it does a pretty good job.  It was great at making me relax as I missed a good bit of my show some evenings...lol. 

 

I only ended up using the product in the living room but the company mentions some other great ideas too, like using it to moisten your yoga mat so you get better grip, freshening up your exercise/yoga equipment, car interiors (love that one), and linens. 

 

I also like the fact that it is made in the USA and only contains three ingredients essential oil blend, purified water, and castile soap.  The scent itself was originally discovered in a small village south of France but they now recreate it here in the USA. 

 

"Aurorae offers yoga mats in illuminating colors, a focal point icon and extra long in length. Aurorae offers the best reviewed yoga mats, accessories & props online. You can browse their yoga mats, yoga bags, yoga accessories and yoga props here."

 



Washing Wednesday/Thrifty Thursday - SmartKlean

disclaimer:  I received the product below for free in exchange for my honest opinions.  All opinions remain my own.

SmartKlean

  

Mommy in Ga received the SmartKlean ball and natural stain remover block!!  I was super excited about this because as a woman I already hate laundry!! As a woman with 4 kids' (3 of those being growing girls!) I REALLY hate laundry!!  My kids go through several outfits a day, mind you they may not all be dirty but since the only place to put things is the floor, we will never know!

Even keeping the girls' in reign I have to do an average of 3 loads of laundry everyday to keep everything we need clean and if you multiply that by the week and multiply that by the cost of laundry detergent well lets just say that = A LOT of $$$ !!!  So lets move into the good stuff of this review:

Let's start with the SmartKlean Laundry Ball:  You pay the one time fee of $45 and that washes 365 loads of laundry without having to use soaps or laundry detergent, not using fabric softener or dryer sheets!! That averages out to washing your dirty clothes for only 13 cents a load!  I paid 5.99 for a name brand laundry detergent which equals out to be almost 19 cents a load and that was for the 33 load bottle, which I never seem to be able to get all the loads they say because I use too much???

90 percent of the energy used goes to heating your water, the SmartKlean ball effectively washes all of your garments in cold water!!!!

 This works awesome for people with sensitive skin (my sensitive skinned children included!!) because there are no chemicals in the SmartKlean laundry ball

I have not personally tried this approach yet but, it is on my list of things to try, The SmartKlean laundry ball states it does not leave a residue there for you could start your wash load on rinse cycle and save a ton of money on your water bill!!

The ball itself beats dirt off of your clothing during your wash cycle and then inside you have 4 different mineral rock varieties being:
antibiotic: eliminates mold and bacteria
alkali: elevates water ph to similar ph of laundry detergent
chlorine exclusion: eliminates the chloride compound in the water
and
far infrared and negative ions: increasing the molecular motion and decreases surface tension and all of this means that you get sterilized results minus the expensive laundry detergent!!! Oh and I almost forgot to mention the magnets these break down water clusters and help prevent rust which saves you money by not having to replace your rusted out washing machine!!

Those of you worried about fragrance or your whiter whites (I am definitely one that worries about these!!!) there is a how to guide here!

Boy, all of that being said I STILL have more to talk about!!! I would like to tell y'all about the SmartKlean non-toxic Stain Remover stick!
It is handcrafted, hypoallergenic, is 100 % Biodegradable and contains all natural ingredients!
Very easy to use, moisten the stain (berry juice, blood, chocolate, dirt, grass, grease, ink, oil, red wine, ring around the collar, tomato sauce and armpit stains and so much more! By the way I am offended I was not invited to this shin dig!!!) apply your stain stick and launder with your SmartKlean Laundry ball as directed!!!

If you are looking for employment opportunities they have 2 options available if interested click here!

We Have Winners!

  Congratulations to our most recent winners...

 

Vinyl Disorder

 

Lisa G.

 

Pop Art

 

Alison J.

 

  Winners have 48 hours to reply to the email we sent or forfeit their prize. 

Free Schick Disposable Razor!

Women's are out of stock but they still have men's samples!

 

Click here to get your free sample Schick Disposable razor from walmart.com.

We Have Winners...

Congrats to our most recent winners...

 

Bare Fruit

 

Sandra (announced on FB)

 

SkinJoy

 

Dorothy D.

 

HBL

 

Deb Y.

 

  All winners have 48 hours to reply to the email that we sent them or risk forfeiting their prize.

Free Can of Sheba Cat Food!

 

  Click here and then scroll down til you find the above image and click on the "get a free sample" text. 

 

Tasty Tuesday - Pop Art

disclaimer:  We received the product(s) below for free in exchange for our honest opinons.  All opinions remain our own.

Pop Art Gourmet Popcorn

Are you tired of the same old popcorn flavors?  Do you want to take your taste buds on an exotic adventure?  If so then Pop Art is the brand for you.  They make their popcorn a "taste of art". 

They start with organic corn, GMO free oils, and natural herbs and spices to come up with flavors that will take your popcorn experience to a whole new level.  They are also a gluten free facility.

Their current line has the following flavors:  White Pepper Parmesan, Rosemary Truffle, Thai Coconut Curry, and White Cheddar Jalapeno.  They will also soon be offering a line of sweet varieties (we can't wait). 

Mommy in GA and Mommy in PA were lucky enough to receive some of the Pop Art Gourmet Popcorn to do a review and here are our thoughts:

Mommy in GA says:
Everyone in the Ga household LOVES popcorn of all kinds!!!  We love to eat it while watching a movie or as a bedtime snack and when it is just me and my 4 year old at home, sometimes we like to enjoy a salty treat :)
We were so excited when we got the Pop Art package in the mail!!!  I want to start by saying that the quality of the popcorn pop art uses is fantastic, I opened the popcorn about a month ago and there wasn't much left but, just as a test to see how well it held up I tasted it , I know kinda gross, but don't tell anyone ;) , and it was actually still pretty fresh!!! I will tell you I would not eat a potato chip or something if they had only been preserved by a reseal on the pouch!
Okay onto the flavors because we are a flavorful bunch but try not to be too corny about it!
We are going to go from least favorite and save the best for last:

Rosemary Truffle: This was not a favorite, I am not sure if we are just not sophisticated enough or what but truffles to me are like caviar and es-cargo  I just don't know about it!!! Although if you are a truffle and rosemary kinda gal, or guy! PLEASE give this a try and comment below the post!

Thai Coconut Curry: This is not too bad but, I think I would like it better if I ate more Thai type foods.  The flavor has a nice punch to it and I could eat it but read further for the ones I will buy and hide from the kids!

White Parmesan Cheddar: We are getting so close to my favorite but we have to stop here for a minute because this was fantastic!! It starts out with a nice mellow cheese flavor and then, POP you are tasting the pepper in your mouth I love the way the flavors mingle and leave you wanting more.

White Cheddar jalapeno:  We are here!! My favorite that I want to purchase and hide from everybody!!!  This one is also a delicious cheese flavor and pops into the jalapeno  at first your like that isn't bad I don't even, uh-oh there it is the jalapeno !! It is spicy but I could not stop eating it!! My only advice is be prepared to eat a lot and keep your drink CLOSE!!!!

Mommy in PA says:  My son and I LOVE popcorn and were thrilled to have a chance to try some flavors that we were not familiar with and here is what we thought:

White Pepper Parmesan:  Yummy!  This one was liked by all.  The first thing you notice is the parmesan flavor quickly followed by the pepper and it is delicious! 

Rosemary Truffle:  This one was a little too exotic for us.  I had everyone try it, including the boy I babysit and it came back a big negative for everyone.  I can't even explain what it really tasted like I just know my taste buds didn't care for it.

Thai Coconut Curry:  This was more of a 50/50 for us.  Me and the boy I babysit both thought this one was ok but my son and daughter both didn't like it at all. 

White Cheddar Jalapeno:  DELICIOUS!  This one was our overall favorite.  Everyone liked it and was taking handfuls instead of just a piece or two. 

I love how the packaging is resealable, this comes in very handy for keeping the popcorn fresh. 

For more information about Pop Art and to purchase just visit their site, "like" them on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter.

Now thanks to Pop Art one of our lucky readers will win their very own Pop Art Gourmet Popcorn.  Enter below for your chance to win.

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Maybe Monday (a little late) - Vinyl Disorder

disclaimer:  I received the item below for free in exchange for my honest opinions.  All opinions are my own.

 

Vinyl Disorder

 

 

Are your walls a little on the boring side?  Do you have a business that you need to advertise?  Do you want custom graphics for your vehicle without the huge price tag?  If so then Vinyl Disorder has what you need.

 

 

Vinyl Disorder carries pretty much anything you can think of as far as vinyl graphics go.  They have a ton of categories to choose from including Glow in the Dark, Family Kits (the ones everyone has on their car windows these days), Wall Quotes, animals, growth charts, wall murals, etc.  There are just too many categories to mention.  And they can even customize your graphic for you.  They also carry custom t-shirts and sweatshirts.

 

Mommy in PA recently got a chance to order a decal for review and here is what she thought:

 

This is a before picture of my son's bedroom wall...not very boyish huh?! LOL



 

My 8 year old son picked out a graphic for his wall since he doesn't really have much as far as decorations go.  It took a really long time to choose which one he wanted because there were just so many to pick from (If you can't find something you like on their site then you are just way too picky...lol).  Once we chose the pattern he wanted then we got to choose the size and the color.  We went with the black because it can go on pretty much anything.  This site would not be good for someone who has a hard time making decisions : ) 

 

We ordered our graphic and waited for it to arrive.  We were really excited to open it and I was very impressed at the packaging.  They use a thick cardboard tube mailer so that your graphic doesn't get folded and then they package the squeegee inside the rolled up graphic and it fit perfectly to keep the graphic in place during shipment. 

 

Application of the graphic went very smoothly, the only problem I did encounter was the step where it tells you to tape it to the wall first and then peel off the paper.  My tape kept coming unstuck because of my sons glossy paint I believe, so I ended up just peeling the paper off and applying the graphic that way.  About a minute or two of smoothing the graphic with the squeegee and about 5 minutes peeling off the transfer tape and we were quite impressed.  This is something I typically would have made my husband do but my son and I were able to do it with hardly any trouble.  We did have one incident where the graphic stuck to the transfer paper but we just pushed it back down and used the squeegee again for a few seconds and it stuck great. 

 

 

 

Now that's better...bucks fighting, can't get much more boyish than that...LOL!

 

We are very happy with how it turned out and I must say that their prices are great.  They make the graphics in a lot of different sizes so size determines price.  We were also quite impressed at how the graphics look like they are painted on there. 

 

For more information about Vinyl Disorder you can "like" them on Facebook, Follow them on Twitter, or view them on Wordpress.

 

Vinyl Disorder was kind enough to offer our readers a chance to win their very own Vinyl Disorder decal (up to 23"), if you want a chance to win just enter using the Rafflecopter form below. 

 





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Our Top 12 - SKINJOY

disclaimer:  I received the product(s) below for free in exchange for my honest opinions.  All opinions remain my own.

 

SKINJOY

Mommy in GA says:  Skinjoy is a new product line through enjoy hair care and hbl!!  I am super excited to be working with these products again, I LOVED my enjoy hair care as most of you probably remember from the previous post on the product!!  

 

We have the opportunity to work with them again as they were in our top 12 favorite companies form our first year of blogging!!!  Okay now that we re-acquainted the products and names PLEASE continue reading my review so you can get to the MOST exciting part of the post............................. You got it, We are doing another GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!!!  YAY we love these as much as yall do!!!!

 

 

Skinjoy is a great new product and it is a professional skincare line! You start with your foaming scrub which to me is.the best part! It leaves me feeling super refreshed and clean feeling,it gives you a nice lather to work with also :) "gently cleans and removes dead skin cells without irritation or drying. This unique exfoliator is excellent for all skin types and sulfate free." This worked great on my combination of oily to normal skin and most products only help on one or the other for me. I used this once a week and saw great results, I want to apologize for not being smart enough to do before and after pics but,maybe I can remember to insert some this week! 

 

 

Next you use the moisturizing spray, also for all skin types, for best results use after your foaming scrub, I used these in this order and aside from when I got sun burnt I saw great results and the nice thing is that it is not super greasy unlike some lotions and you can spray so it isn't all over everything! 

 

 

The third step in the line is your rejuvenating cream which gave my face a healthier glow and a better feel than just a moisturizer. 

 

 

Last but not least you have your face finisher which helps with a youthful glow.

 

After using all of these products together for a few weeks my skin feels and looks so much better! Like I mentioned I have combination skin and have a hard time finding products that work well but, that is no longer a problem! I love the new line and will continue to use it, this is one of the reasons we love the hbl, enjoy haircare and now the skinjoy professional skin care line :) if you continue down the page you can enter for your chance to win your own professional skin care line!!!!!!

 

For more information about SKINJOY you can visit their site, follow them on facebook, or twitter. 

 

 

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Our Top 12 - HBL

Disclaimer:  I received the product(s) below for free in exchange for my honest opinions.  All opinions remain my own.

 

HBL Hair Care

 

  Mommy in PA chose to receive the HBL Straightening & Styling Hair Care System.  The set includes HBL Hydrating Shampoo, HBL Hydrating Conditioner, and HBL Straight & Style.  Here are my thoughts on each of the products...

Step 1:  Hydrating Shampoo

  This is my very favorite product from all of the ones I've tried so far from HBL.  It feels just like any other shampoo until you begin to lather it up then it feels almost like marshmallow fluff, I've never had a shampoo that felt so rich.  The best part is that it rinses out easily even with such a thick lather. 

 

Step 2:  Hydrating Conditioner

  This is also great.  It is really thick and a little goes a long way.  This works great at unknotting and smoothing my hair even after a statically charged round of bouncing on the trampoline with the kiddos : )

Step 3:  Straight & Style

  This was more my daughter's type products.  She has really frizzy hair unless she uses her straightener so I told her to give this a try.  She said she didn't really think it made much of a difference (she is still addicted to the HBL Spray Mousse from last time).  I on the other hand thought it was great.  Possibly better results for me because my hair is fine and thin where as hers is a lot thicker than mine.  I think she would get better results if she applied more of the product. 

 

  Summary:

  My daughter and I both love the scent of the HBL line and even comment about it on a regular basis "You used the HBL, didn't you?"  The packaging is beautiful and we love the inspirational words.  And a little goes a long way.

 

  To find out more about HBL's full line of hair care products you can head over to their site, follow them on facebook, or on twitter.  For a chance to win your very own HBL Straightening & Styling Hair Care System just enter via the Rafflecopter form below.  Good Luck!

 

 

 

 

 

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Our Top 12 - Enjoy/HBL Hair Care

  So it's that time of the month again...time to announce another of our Top Twelve favorite products of our first year.  This month we are celebrating with Enjoy and HBL Hair Care products.  For those of you who haven't seen them yet or need a refresher you can view our previous reviews here and here. 

 

  Now why did we choose Enjoy and HBL Hair Care Products as one of our Top 12 favorites of our first year...well that is really simple,  they are great products that performed above our expectations and we just can't stop talking about them (there were practically tears shed over finishing the bottles in Mommy in PA's house).

 

 

  Now that we've told you who they are and why they made our Top 12...we are happy to announce another round of reviews and giveaways to celebrate!  Check back here later today for all the goodies...