Manuka Lane Skin Firming Eye Cream

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

Manuka Lane Skin Firming Eye Cream

  Manuka Lane Skin Firming Eye Cream is for helping to correct wrinkles and reduce the signs of aging from around the eye area.  

  Some of the main ingredients are New Zealand Manuka Honey, Lanolin, Hydroxyproline, Magnesium Aspartate, Euphrasia Officinalis (eye brightener), Coneflower, and Vitamin E.

  Available on Amazon for $35.95

  Mommy in PA:  Well now that I am in my mid-thirties, I have totally begun to panic about my lack of routine skin care over the years.  So when I saw the chance to try a new eye cream I just couldn't resist : )

  A few days in I really didn't notice any difference in the fine lines under my eyes that have really begun to bother me.  I did notice however that I love how this product has a very light floral type scent, which really makes it pleasant to use. 

  A few more days in and I realized that even though the fine lines still appeared to be untouched, there was an absolute improvement in the brightness of my eye area.  It really made me look more awake, can't explain exactly what this stuff did but it did do something.

  Two weeks in I am now beginning to notice a gradual decrease in the sharpness of the fine lines.  I imagine with continued use that these will probably fade more.  But even if they don't my overall eye area does look younger : )

  The only thing I really didn't care for about the product is the amount of product it dispenses per pump...way too much.   And it does take a few minutes to absorb in...I know, I know beauty takes time lol.  It also left my under eye area a little oily but nothing that an oil absorbing sheet couldn't handle.  

  All in all a wonderful product that I will continue to use daily and hope for even better results : ) 

Bed Underpad from Vive Health

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

Bed Underpad from Vive Health

  Vive Health is a company that produces products for health and home.  They sell a wide variety of products including digital scales, thermometers, shoe insoles, body supports, incontinence products, mobility aides, etc.

 Mommy in PA:   I admit that I kinda screwed up when I requested this product.  I thought that this pad was smaller than it is. I saw the low price and just assumed...oopsie, my bad LOL!  Next time I order anything I really need to pay attention to the measurements : )

  Anyway I was wanting this to use on my sofa.  My mother has dementia and has issues with incontinence.  When her issues first started I used a trash bag under a blanket, which worked in a pinch but was not ideal.  Next we were using the disposable chucks like they use in the hospital, those worked great until she decided that she was going to start picking them apart.  This in itself would not be a huge deal but she is at the point right now where she likes putting random stuff in her mouth : (  

  So needless to say I was thrilled when we were offered this chance to review products for Vive Health.  It didn't take long to decide what we could benefit the most from : )  

  So it shows up in the mail...and I am shocked...I really had no idea it was this big.  Great for on beds as they suggest, but not terrible for my sofa, just needed to fold it a bit.  This really was a great solution for my problem.  No more having to worry about mom eating something she shouldn't LOL!

  Oh and washing is super simple, just toss it in the washer and then in the dryer, no special care needed : )

  And what a great price...just $13.49 so it wouldn't take a fortune to purchase a few of these to have on hand (oh and they offer free shipping too!!!). 

The pads are available on their website I have listed above or you can head on over to amazon and purchase them there : )

"The Caregiving Season"

disclaimer:  I received this book for free from Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. in exchange for my honest opinions.  All opinions remain my own.

"The Caregiving Season"

by Jane Daly

foreward by Jim Daly

  Most of us will eventually have to deal with task of being a caregiver to our parents.  With folks living longer and longer thanks to the advancements in medicine, there are more and more children having to step up and take on the responsibility.

  In "The Caregiving Season" Jane takes us through the stages that are common in our aging parents end of life adventure.  

  Acknowledging loss is about what it's like when we see that there is something wrong, this is typically when the children see that their parents aren't as young as they used to be and may now require more care from the children.

  Bargaining with grace is about how to work with your parents and your siblings to get your parent the care they need depending on their situation.  

  Accepting new roles is about how the children go from getting to be the child in the relationship to having to step up to a parenting role.  

  And exiting with grace is about end-of-life decisions.

  Not only does Jane share her own experiences about taking care of her parents she also includes some stories about how other people are caring for theirs.  There is also a ton of great resources mentioned throughout and a section in the back of the book with a page of resources for more information for the caregivers.  

  She also uses scripture to show the many places in the Bible where taking care of our parents is mentioned and explains them.  

  Mommy in PA:  This book would have come in so handy about four to five years ago.   My dad was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer back in July of 2012.  Well prior to his diagnosis we had all been wondering if there was something wrong with my mom.  She had been acting very paranoid, misplacing things like crazy, etc.  Well my dad took her to the doctor and found out she had the early signs of dementia.

  Well none of us had ever dealt with it before and of course my dad didn't ask for help unless it was absolutely necessary.  I would go and sit with her while he went for his treatments because he knew he couldn't leave her alone at the house or something terrible could happen.  

  Well I won't get into all the details but between my brother and his wife and my husband and I we did what we could to make his last days easier.  

    She went downhill fast the last two weeks he was in the hospital and didn't even know who he was when he came home to pass away.  Well after my dad passed away that left us scrambling to figure out what to do with mom.  My brother and his wife had already told my dad that she could move in with them when the time came and I took the day shift while they were at work.  

  Fast forward three and a half years, she still lives with them and I still watch her while they are at work.  And this works well for us.  But Jane's book would have really come in handy on making it easier to talk to my dad about his wishes, about how to talk to our siblings about what we need from them to make this work, about how to talk to mom and find out what she expected of us.  

  All children need to talk to their parents about these things so that when the inevitable happens we are prepared and know that what we are doing is a combination of our parents wishes and what we can personally handle.  

I could just go on and on about all the good information in this book.  It really has a ton of useful information that would come in handy for anyone with an aging parent : )

  

Bioken Regent Pomade

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

Bioken Regent Pomade

  We all like to try to look our best but sometimes our hair has other ideas.  Well if your hair likes to make it look like you just stepped out of a wind tunnel or just climbed out of bed then Bioken Regent Pomade may be just what you need.

  We've all seen the guys with their hair all slicked back either in real life or the movies.  Well pomade is what made that possible.  Well guess what...pomade isn't just for guys anymore.  Did you happen to go to bed with damp hair and have a section that just won't lay down?  Do you have frizz that needs some taming?  What about those annoying fly-aways?  Well fret no more, Bioken Regent Pomade can help you out.  

  This lightly scented pomade is great for all hair types, offers all-day hold, and rinses out completely without residue.  Just rub a small amount between your palms and apply where needed.  

  Mommy in GA: WE got the Super Hold version of Bioken Regent Pomade I have used pomade before and normally you get that gross sticky residue.... YUCK! With the Bioken we did NOT experience the YUCK factor!!

One when I applied this to my 7 year olds hair it did not leave that super sticky feeling that you tend to expect with these hair products....my fingertips felt just a little slick but I did not feel like I had to run to the nearest sink lol.

Two it is Super easy to wash out ( like I did not have to go in the bathroom and make sure that my 7 year old washed his hair good, he was able to do it and not be checked behind!)

And 3 it holds up pretty well even in the Ga Summer humidity (that is impressive!!!!)

  Mommy in PA:  We received the Gold version of the Bioken Regent Pomade.  I will admit that I doubted that this would work as well as it did.  My son has major bedhead most days due to the fact that he has multiple cowlicks.  We usually take care of this problem by just cutting his hair short but sometimes he likes to let it grow and finding a good product to keep it down seemed impossible.  

  I was a little bit nervous applying this to my son's hair as I have never tried a pomade before.  Well let me tell ya, it was super easy.  Just like they said I took a small amount and rubbed it between my hands and applied it to my son's hair where it was sticking up.  Sure enough the pomade was strong enough to hold it down and the scent was very pleasant as it was light and neutral (no manly/girly smell).  I also thought for sure that it would leave his hair looking greasy but it didn't.  It also washed out easily : )  

  No more worries for picture day at my house : )

ToiletTree Products Professional Skin Care System

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

  ToiletTree Products Professional Skin Care System

  Facial brush systems are a really big hit these days.  All the major skin care companies seem to have their own versions.  With so many to choose from and so many price ranges how do you possibly know which one to choose.  Well thanks to ToiletTree Products we got a chance to try theirs and we are here to let you know what we think.  

  The ToiletTree Professional Skin Care System comes with your choice of system in the following colors (green, blue, purple, pink, grey, or black).  It also comes with a pumice stone, two face brushes (one for cleansing and one for exfoliating), and a body brush.  

  This system also boasts the following features:  

  Interchangeable rotating head - why have a face brush that is just a face brush.  This one has easily switchable heads.  Just pop off one and pop on another.  You can cleanse your face, exfoliate your face, scrub your body, and buff your feet all in a matter of minutes : )  No extra tools necessary.

  Waterproof - Take it right in the shower with you...it also has a nice loop for hanging attached to the handle.  

  Batteries - It runs off of 4 AA batteries, which ARE included.  

  Used daily, this system can help polish away dead skin and exfoliate away impurities, that normal cleansing can't reach.  It can help stimulate skin renewal, improve clarity and appearance of your skin, remove dead skin cells to reveal the healthier-looking skin below, energize the skin, cleans deep to help remove makeup residue, and helps enhance the absorption of your skin care products.  

  All that and this product sells for $34.95 and replacement heads (which will need replaced every two to three months on average sell for $9.95-$29.95).  

  To find out more about this product you can head over here.  Also be sure to check out ToiletTree Products on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.  

  Mommy in GA: I am going to start by saying I was SUPER excited about the facial brush!!!  I have seen them but being the frugal mama of 5 (yes yall it is 5 now!!! Sorry that is why I have been mia for what seems like FOREVER, SORRY!!!) I never invested in one ( WELL let me just tell yall this frugal mama would spend the 35$ on this product!!!!)

This product is so great I have no idea where to start?!?!?!  Let's just start with two easily interchangeable heads for your face....cleanse and exfoliate with one simple step between (popping the cleansing head off and popping the exfoliate brush on) Now your face feels amazing!!!


Next  pop your face brush off and pop the body brush on (easy breezy!!)(weather you had a baby or not.....) Imagine using the body brush to make your whole body so nice and smooth (you feel more relaxed right??).

now the best part!!! pop that body brush off and pop on your pumice stone (this is AMAZING....whether you were on your feet at work all day, chased the kids' all over the world OR both!!) This is a treat to make your feet feel amazing as well.

You change out the heads in seconds and feel like you just left the spa when you step out of your shower all for a whopping 39.95!!!

OK I told you all the good now to tell you about my clumsy side...... I was in the shower feeling refreshed from head to ankle......was about to switch out and put the pumice brush on and OMG I dropped it :0 NOOOOOOOOOOOO It broke as did my heart! Moral of the story... just be a little bit careful!!! and you will feel refreshed from head to toe!!!!

  Mommy in PA:  Well this is my very first facial brush and I must say that I am impressed.  I always thought they were just another gimmick to get folks to spend more money.  Boy was I wrong.  

Not only does this brush make my face feel amazing...so much smoother, but it also has dramatically reduced the amount of oil on my face.  Now that the weather is warmer my face has become quite oily.  I use those little oil absorbing sheets on my face once a day to help with the shine and I noticed one huge difference after using the brush system.  I went from using almost the entire oil absorbing sheet to using less than half.  That is a huge difference.

Holding the brush properly does take a couple of minutes to adjust to but you'll be scrubbing like a pro in no time.  I also want to mention to not get too much cleanser on at once or you will have suds flying everywhere, in your eyes, up your nose, on the wall...well you get the idea : )

Another thing I noticed is that I don't have any blackheads now and that makes me pretty darn happy as I really don't like using the pore strips that often cause quite frankly they can hurt and leave my skin somewhat red and irritated.  This is a much better alternative to me : )

"Rise & Shine"

disclaimer:  I received the following book for free from MP Newsroom in exchange for my honest opinions.  All opinions remain my own.

"Rise & Shine :  A Contemporary Fairy Tale"

by Sandra D. Bricker

  Shannon loved fairy tales as a child but nobody could have guessed that she would end up in a real-life fairy tale.

  Losing ten years of your life in a coma is enough to deal with, but then realizing that you've also lost your husband, how could Shannon even begin to make sense of all that has happened since the accident.

  This Dr. Petros seems nice enough but how does he know her husband, Edmund so well?  And what is up with Edmund's sister, why does she seem so desperate to take away everything that Edmund has left for Shannon?  You will just have to read and find out : )

  Mommy in PA:  I admit that I was not that interested in this story at first.  It seemed like it was going to be a little of the same old patient/doctor romance.  Boy was I wrong.  

  The author did a great job of making each one of the characters likable in their own special way.  You really get a feeling for the love they each have for Shannon and how each one of them is able to help her in her journey to finding out who she is now after that long ten year hiatus.  

  I love how the author brings Shannon up to date on all the newest technology, don't forget she's been out of it for a long time so she missed out on a lot of gadgets that not even all of us who haven't been asleep have yet to master.

  I also love how the author makes Sharron interested in new endeavors of all kinds and doesn't just stick her back into the job she left, I would think that people do change over time even if they are in a coma, so this makes it more believable.  

  Thanks for a great read Sandra, I really wish this story would continue cause you really left us hanging at the end : )