Harmony aromatherapy's BRAND NEW Lavender/Peppermint Foot Care Set - Review/Giveaway

I'm so pleased & happy to be the very first one to review this! Thanks Amy! One lucky reader will win a sample size of the brand new Lavender/Peppermint Foot Care Set - sea salt soak, pumice scrub, & renewing cream. The giveaway will end at midnight on January 16, 2012. This is open to residents of the US & Canada.

Before we begin, Amy wanted me to let you know about her New Year Special! For the month of January she will be offering a FREE 1/2 hour phone consultation with the purchase of any oil! 

Plus; she's shared some exciting news with me! Amy will be offering foot care parties!!! If you've ever attended a Pampered Chef or Scentsy party, you'll understand how this will work. She'll send the host a full size set of the Foot Care Set for the guests to use during the party. The host will collect orders & has the opportunity to earn an incentive. Contact Amy for more details - amy@harmonyaromatherapy.net

She also wants me to let you know that she's selling some of her products on eBay at a discounted price. It's a great way to get a bargain! Click here to visit Harmony Aromatherapy on eBay.

About Harmony aromatherapy:

This isn't my first time reviewing a product by Harmony aromatherapy. (See my review/giveaway for essential oil protection.) Amy Lapierre is the owner & licensed aromatherapist behind the business. She uses only pure therapeutic grade essential oils in all of her products. She offers several different essential oils & can even do custom orders! Amy gets her oils from all over the globe, & they're tested through gc/ms for purity. Her oils are classed as therapeutic grade. Harmony aromatherapy is a family owned business that operates out of Utah, & it's growing by the day!

About the Foot Care Set:

The Soak - is formulated with therapeutic grade peppermint & lavender essential oils that are blended into sea salts. "It not only refreshes, but also invigorates your tired feet." 

The Scrub - The scrub is made with fine pumice & is designed to help slough off dry skin to help start the renewing process to help you obtain the softest of feet.

The Renewing Cream - The renewing cream puts nutrients back into your feet. It's Paraben free, & enriched with Sweet Almond & Jojoba Oils, along with therapeutic grade peppermint and lavender essential oils. The essential oils help to heal and soothe tired feet. "Our luxurious renewing foot cream is deep, long-lasting moisture protection that softens even the driest skin."

 My Experience With The Product Line:

The box from Harmony aromatherapy arrived just before Christmas break. It was a cute Christmas-sy design, with snow falling in the lid whenever the box was moved. The mail came just before I had to leave to pick my 13 year old up from school. I brought the box with me, so I could examine the contents while waiting for her. My entire car smelled yummy! As soon as my daughter opened the door to climb in she said "What smells so good?!?" She thought I had peppermint candy in the car.

Look at the cute box!

And the contents packaged with sparkly tissue

I will be the first to admit that I have horribly dry & ugly feet.  That's probably due to the fact that I wear flip flops 90% of the time - year round! (I live in a suburb of New Orleans). My problem areas are my heals & my big toe. I'm almost ashamed to show you my before shot, but this wouldn't be much of a review without one.

*Note* Don't worry; both my daughter & I were wearing shorts for the following pics. LOL

What the Foot Care Set Looks Like. You use the salt soak first (in the middle), the scrub 2nd (on the left), & the renewing cream last (on the right).

My ugly feet before.

 And the dry heal & big toe

My 13 year old daughter & I decided to do a girl's night last night. We have a jacuzzi tub, so I filled the tub with warm water & let the salts dissolve. As soon as the sea salt was put in the warm water a yummy combination of peppermint & lavender filled the bathroom. Not only did it smell good, but it also did wonderful things for our sinuses! We sat on the side of the tub & soaked for a while. It felt so good - a contrast of warm water mixed with the cooling sensation of the peppermint. By the way, if you don't have a jacuzzi or foot bath, don't worry. You can still do this at home! Just use a plastic dish washing container. It works just as well.

Here's a before shot of my daughter's feet

 Me soaking in the sea salts

 

My daughter soaking her tootsies

 

After soaking for about 5 minutes,  we moved on to the pumice scrub. It wasn't like any other scrub I've ever used before. It was gentle & had moisturizers in it. Many scrubs I've tried in the past have left me feeling like I've been scrubbed raw with sand paper. This was super smooth & gentle. It also had that yummy peppermint & lavender scent! In fact, I liked it so much that after doing my feet I massaged it into my hands.

My daughter massaging the pumice scrub on her foot

After massaging our feet thoroughly, we rinsed in the water again.  We used the same water we originally soaked in - the water with the sea salts in it.

Me rinsing the scrub off my feet

Look at the dead skin floating in the tub near my daughter!

After rinsing our feet, we simply dried off with a towel & then massaged the renewal cream on. This cream was just as surprising as the scrub!  It's very dense, so I was afraid that it would be super greasy & overpowering, but it wasn't! You only need to use a little bit to get the job done, but it goes on SUPER smooth! I just put dabs on & added as I needed more. I also rubbed it into my hands after doing my feet. It left both my feet & hands super soft, but not greasy! I tend to walk around the house bare foot & I was concerned that I would slip, but I didn't. :o)

My daughter massaging the renewal cream on

My after shot

 And an attempt to show you my heal & big toe (it was cramped in the bathroom with both of us in there!)

My daughter's after pic

My impression of Harmony aromatherapy's Foot Care set:

Pros:

1) The scent! I LOVE it! It smells heavenly, it's super gentle yet effective, & it makes you feel like you're getting pampered in a spa - only you're doing it for yourself at home! 

2) For someone with good feet like my daughter, no extra treatments are necessary. She noticed an immediate improvement! Even someone with challenging feet will notice an immediate improvement - you just might need to do the steps a few more times to see a dramatic improvement of your trouble spots.

3) Both of our feet smelled so good & felt cool after using the set. 

4) And it's gentle & healing for those with sensitive skin! My daughter & I tried another brand a couple of years ago. I don't want to name names, but it came from a very well known chain store that used to do sales parties as well. My daughter complained that her feet felt like they were on fire after using that other brand. After using Harmony aromatherapy's set, she felt nothing other than a pleasant cooling sensation.

Cons:

None, but I want to point out that if you have feet like mine you might need to use the scrub a few times to see a major improvement in the trouble spots. If you're impatient, you might be tempted to use a pumice stone on your rough areas. However, this stuff rocks! I like the fact that it's gentle & moisturizing because I believe it's better for my skin than scraping it raw.

The Giveaway:

One lucky reader will win a sample size of the brand new Lavender/Peppermint Foot Care Set - sea salt soak, pumice scrub, & renewing cream. The giveaway will end at midnight on January 16, 2012. This is open to residents of the US & Canada.

Pad Review/Giveaway by WAHM Pug Love by persifunctant!

One lucky reader will win a pad or pantyliner by Pug Love by persifunctant! The winner can choose a pad in any size in the mermaid OR baby sea turtles print. The Giveaway is open to residents of ALL countries who are 18+! 

Before I go on with the review, let me tell you about a GREAT sale that Pug Love by persifunctant has going on right now for the holidays! You can get 50% off all of her items by entering the code "GET50" at her etsy shop.

About Pug Love by persifunctant: 

Allow me to introduce you to Amanda Lantz. She's a SAHM to a beautiful baby girl, & lives in Canada. Being a SAHM is her "dream come true". She's yet another talented Mom from my Due Date Group! She began her home based business in October of this year, & she specializes in cloth menstrual products, wool dryer balls, & cloth nursing pads. Everything is hand-sewn, eco friendly, & vegan. The cloth menstrual products come in various sizes, & she even has cute little cloth menstrual pad bags! 

Amanda always liked sewing and being crafty and creative. Amanda says "Since there is only so much I can make for myself, I thought I could make and sell some of the pads and stuff as a hobby."  Amanda's been sewing since junior high, and is self taught.

Amanda is multi-talented! She loves sewing, painting, and all things crafty. She's been drawing since she was 2 years old, painting since 7th grade, &  sewing since 7th grade. She think that everybody could use a little dose of glitter in their lives. 

My Experience with Pug Love by persifunctant:

Let me begin by saying that I'm a die hard tampon user. I CAN'T STAND traditional pads! Keep that in mind as you read this review. 

I'd never tried Mama cloth before & was very curious. I figured if my baby deserved to be pampered with soft cloth on her tushy, than maybe I do too. I received my pad at the beginning of November. I chose the mermaid print, so that I could match my baby girl's diaper that was made by Zippy Doo Diapers (see my review). I received a size large pad. For the first time in my life I was eagerly awaiting my period to start! I couldn't wait to try it out. 

I had a lot of questions for Amanda while waiting for AF, & she happily answered them. 

1) I wondered if the pads would leak - Nope; because the pad is made up of two layers of printed cotton, one hidden layer of breathable nylon, and then two layers of cotton fleece. So its slightly waterproof, but not quite the same caliber as pul. Amanda said that she's NEVER had a pad leak through ever - not even during her heaviest flow while sleeping.

2) I wondered about blood staining the pad - She said that I could use something like Shout or Spray And Wash for stains, but since the inside was black it shouldn't (in theory) show stains. She said to wash them with regular clothes, such as with my socks and underwear.

3) I worried that washing the pads with my whites (underwear & socks) would stain the whites - Nope;  the blood usually dries during the wait to be washed, so its no big deal. She said I could also soak or rinse them prior to washing too.

4) I asked about storing the dirty pads while waiting for them to be washed - Amanda said that's what the bags are for. They're like little wetbags for diapers, complete with a PUL inner. The strap even has a snap, so you can hang it from your towel rack!  

As soon as I started spotting I snapped her pad in my panties, & all I can say is OMG was it comfy!!!! I'm so used to those horrible paper pads that I didn't know what to expect. Her pads are super, super, super soft against your lady parts! I only had the opportunity to test the pad twice - once while spotting & again with a normal flow, with one washing in between. It performed beautifully. There were no leaks & most importantly I couldn't even tell that I was wearing a pad. I would say that it felt just like my panties except that my panties aren't this soft! Oh how I wish I'd had these after having my baby, when everything was so sore! (note: I didn't use a tampon either time that I tested these.)

Surprisingly, they actually do stay in place while wearing them! I was afraid that the pad would slide around, but it really doesn't during wear. When you pull your panties down to use the bathroom they do slide out of place, but it's easy to fix - just slide them back into place!

This might not be an attractive picture, but here's the inside of the clean pad snapped to my panties.

 And here's a pic of the print side, showing how the pad remains held in place with the snap.

I'm currently in the process of slowly putting together a stash of these. I just took advantage of Amanda's 50% off Christmas sale at her etsy shop to buy a pad bag & a few different size pads to try out. I'll continue to buy a few a month until I have a full supply. Remember that I said I was a die hard tampon user? Pug Love by persifunctant has converted me.

I'm also going to try to get my 13 year old daughter to give them a try. She'd be mortified if she knew that I was discussing her period online, but she's very irregular since it began. She started her period last year around Thanksgiving & has only had it twice since that time. Because she never knows when to expect it, & because her school doesn't allow them to go to the bathroom during class, & she doesn't want to be embarrassed by a leak, she's been wearing paper pads to school every day for the past year. That can't be comfy or healthy - not to mention unkind to our environment. I think once she tries these & sees how comfy the are she'll be hooked. I've discussed this issue with Amanda, & she recommends getting her the pantyliners for times when she isn't menstruating because they don't have the nylon layer, so are breathable.

Pros:

1) Cheaper! The price of one pad may be more at the outset, but because you reuse them it will save you a ton in the long run - just like with cloth dipes!

2) So comfortable! They really are soft & comfy. I highly recommend these for anyone who hates being chafed by paper products. They would be especially ideal post partum! I don't know about you, but I needed pads for roughly 9 week straight with both of my girls! Sorry, but talk about chapped lips! 

3) Cute...well as cute as a product like this can be. :o) Just like cloth diapers, you can customize to your own personal taste or mood. 

4) Healthier - these are more breathable than traditional paper products (so less likely to encourage the growth of yeast), plus you aren't exposed to all of those chemicals they use to make them. If you're using cloth diapers on your baby because you don't want to expose them to chemicals, than why wouldn't you feel the same way about yourself?

Cons:

None! Except maybe the start up cost, but if you take advantage of Amanda's sales that's not as much of an issue. Plus, this really will save you money in the long run.

The Giveaway:

Amanda has been very generous! She's opening this Giveaway WORLDWIDE to anyone over 18. It will end on Dec 28.

I'm Nuts About Plain Jane Granola from Nuts About Granola! Review/Giveaway

 One lucky winner will a $10 gift certificate to use at their online store!

About Nuts About Granola:

Nuts About Granola was started by a mother & daughter who enjoyed cooking together. Gayle and Sarah’s love for cooking and knowledge about nutrition led to the development of a granola treat to help them refuel during athletic events. Their granola snack was made fresh, using local ingredients from the Pennsylvania farm belt. Sarah decided to package and sell their granola on campus as a team fundraiser. The original flavors (Plain Jane, Lovers Combo, & College Staple) were so popular that Nuts About Granola, llc. was incorporated in the Spring of 2008. Nuts About Granola remains a small mother/daughter owned company dedicated to providing the freshest granola served straight from the oven of their home.

My Experience With Nuts About Granola:

Last week I received a sample of Plain Jane from Nuts About Granola. It was a yummy peanut butter flavor. I LOVE peanut butter, so I literally sat at my desk & inhaled the 2 oz bag. My 13 year old daughter tasted it too & we both agreed that it was the BEST granola that we've ever had! I was so impressed that I had a look at their website, & my mouth has been watering ever since.

I think this granola is great straight out of the bag, but I'd also like to try baking with it, putting it in yogurt, & eating it as cereal. I inhaled it so enthusiastically that I forgot to take pictures! That should give you an idea of just how good it is. If you follow my blog, you know that I always take plenty of pictures!

Here are the flavors they offer:

4 Pack - One 12oz. bag of their four original flavors

Plain Jane - peanut butter

Lover's Combo - Peanut Butter & Chocolate Granola

College Staple - Peanut Butter & Jelly Granola

Off Road Edition -Trail Mix Granola (Vegan)

Warrior Crunch - Nuts About Granola® and Cancer Warrior have teamed up to launch Warrior Crunch™ in an effort to raise money for cancer research.

E-Town Carrot Cake - A portion of the proceeds fund the Nuts About Granola Innovation Scholarship. (Low Fat)

Mexican Hot Chocolate - Mexican Hot Chocolate Granola- dark chocolate infused with cinnamon & a touch of cayenne pepper for a surprise kick at the end. (Vegan)

Johnny Appleseed - Apple Cinnamon Granola (Low Fat & Vegan)

Gluten Free Plain Jane - Gluten Free Original Granola.

Seeing as the holidays are upon us, I feel like I should mention that they have a Gift Section! Please check it out. They have some wonderful things - gift jars & boxes, sampler sets, & gift certificate.

The Giveaway:

It's open to residents of the US who are 18 & older. It will end at midnight on December 23.

November is National Prematurity Awareness month

As a Medela Mom Maven, I felt this was very important to pass along! 

This November, in recognition of National Prematurity Awareness Month and to help raise awareness of the value of human milk, Medela is hosting a Virtual Milk Collection Campaign. For every person that registers, one milliliter of virtual human milk is collected. When you register you can vote for your NICU to win $5,000 in Medela product to support the use of human milk.

Go to www.MedelaPreemieAwareness.com for more details and to place a vote for your hospital to win! Let's see how much virtual human milk we can collect!

Essential Protection Oil Review/Giveaway for Harmony Aromatherapy

Winner: Maggie Keefe.

I'm happy to do this review/giveaway, & not just because the woman who owns & operates Harmony Aromatherapy is a long time good friend of mine. Amy Lapierre has helped me with health issues through the use of Aromatherapy in the past - long before I had this blog. I contacted Amy as soon as I started doing reviews because she made a believer of me! I want to make other people aware of the benefits of Aromatherapy as well.

About the Giveaway:

Today I'll be reviewing Harmony Aromatherapy's Essential Protection synergistic blend. One lucky reader will also win a 15 ML bottle of it! The giveaway will end on Oct 18 at 12:01 am EST & is open to residents of the US & Canada.

I was just approved to use the beta version of Rafflecopter (Yay!), so this is my first time using it. I believe it will make the entire process easier for both of us. However, it's throwing my usual start & end times off a bit. Details will be at the bottom of the review.

Some of the uses of this oil include:

• Wound Healing
• Pain relief
• Fights against airborne germs - cold & flu
• Use for household cleaning
• Combat mold issues
• Repel insects
• Eczema treatment
• Lung congestion
• Air Freshener
• Asthma & Brochitis
• Arthritis
• Cramps
• Fatigue
• Gout
• Hair
• Heart
• Hypertension
• Memory

Are you interested in learning more now????

About Harmony Aromatherapy:

Allow me to introduce you to Amy. Amy Lapierre is a Holistic Aromatherapist, with a certificate in Aroma 101 from the East-West School for Herbal & Aromatic studies. She's currently enrolled and completing the Master program. She wears many hats - Doula, Aromatherapist, & she's currently studying to become a massage therapist as well.

Amy first became interested in Aromatherapy while she worked as a doula (holistic child birthing coach) and childbirth educator. One of her clients was an aromatherapist. This client used her remedies during her pregnancy & post partum. As Amy saw the effects that Aromatherapy had on her client, she was amazed at what a difference Aromatherapy made for prenatal and postnatal care. The client didn't have one single stretch mark, and was eased greatly during her labor. This aroused Amy’s interest in Aromatherapy and its healing benefits.

In 2007 Amy decided to start the education process to be come a certified Aromatherapist. Today she is working as a Holistic Aromatherapist and continues to research and find many new things that Aromatherapy is beneficial for. Amy has worked with migraine suffers all the way to chronic pain clients. She has been very successful in her work and therapies. She facilitates the healing process, & works with you to identify the current problem you are facing. She believes that our bodies have their own natural healing abilities, and she will help you learn to utilize essential oils to aid that process.
Harmony Aromatherapy is family owned & operated. It's been in business since 2008.

Amy offers private consultations with custom designed oil blends to meet your own personal needs.

About Essential Protection synergistic blend:

The very first thing I wanted to know was the definition of synergistic. Amy informed me that it's the blending of oils that work well together.

This is Amy's brand new oil. It's specially formulated to help combat germs & bacteria. It protects your family with an all natural earth friendly formula. It's diluted with water & used in a spray bottle for cleaning around the house. You use it in place of any commercial cleaner, such as 409 or spray bleach. It also has many holistic uses, as listed above.

Germs & bacteria are getting stronger & harder to combat. Amy chose oils that are super charged for germ fighting & supportive of a stronger immune system.. She uses 100% pure essential oils. Sometimes the oils you buy in organic food stores aren't pure.

It can also be mixed with coconut or olive oil for use on the skin.

How To Use Essential Protection Oil:
Here are just a few examples of how to use it.

For household cleaning:
Add 15 drops to 6 ounces of distilled water (or 20 drops to 1 cup of water) in a mister bottle to help against mold issues.

To help repel insects:
Add 10 drops to 6 ounces of distilled water.

To clean and battle germs on just about any hard surface:
Add 20 drops to a ½ gallon of water.
 
Amy was aware of my eczema issue, so informed me that it could be used on both my eczema as well as my baby's (with my baby's concentration being much weaker than mine obviously)!!! I wish that I could've tested this out, but neither of us have had a flare up recently. However, Amy has 2 clients who use the Essential Protection Oil to treat eczema. One of them says that her eczema has completely gone away. If using the oil for that purpose Amy will start you off at the lowest concentration, confer with you every 3 days to see how it's working, & make adjustments accordingly.

My 1st use - insect repellant

I live in a suburb of New Orleans. Unfortunately, all of the water we have seems to make for a roach problem. Ever since we moved over a year ago we've had issues with small roaches! I noticed the benefits of Essential Protection Oil as I mixed the oil with water in a spray bottle at my bathroom sink. As soon as  opened the bottle of oil & began dropping it in the water I watched the few nearby roaches scurry away. YAY! They did not like it one bit!

I've only been doing this for a week, so it's not 100% tried & true yet. However, I do have a good idea of how this works. They can't stand the way it smells! As soon as I mix it up they start to run away. Spraying it at them when I see them is fun! They run. If I manage to hit one of them it seems to stun them. I have been seeing fewer of them during the day.

My 2nd use - household cleaning

I added 20 drops to 1 cup of water in a spray bottle. My first test was in the kitchen. My teenage daughter spilled iced coffee on my counter & left it there. It was dry when I tested Essential Protection Oil , & as soon as the mixture of oil & water hit it I could see it breaking up. All I had to do was wipe it up with a sponge. Very easy! It leaves behind a nice clean smell - not the smell of bleach. I also tested it in my bathroom (sink, counter, toilet seat). It worked well wherever I tested it.

Mixed up in spray bottle:

Before Pic (Coffee Spill):

After Pic (Coffee Spill):

More

There are so many things that I could continue to test this on! My teenage daughter has a bad knee with some knee pain, my husband has asthma, I'd like to test this on mosquitoes, & Amy even mentioned that she applies it to the bottom of her 2 youngest sons feet in the morning to give them protection against cold/flu. If I tested all of this out the review would be so long that you wouldn't read it.

My impression of Essential Protection Oil

I think this stuff is awesome! It has so many uses that it's invaluable to have around the house. Because it's a concentrated oil that requires mixing, it lasts a super long time! How could you go wrong with it? It's the ideal thing for a Mom to have on hand.

My experience with Amy

I mentioned earlier that Amy has helped me with other health issues over the years. She's always been extremely caring & concerned & checks in regularly to see how/if it's working. She's helped me bring on & intensify contractions during labor, helped me stay calm during labor, helped me with insomnia, helped my skin heal from nasty cat scratches & bites, & when suffering with post partum depression! There are other more personal health issues that she's helped me with as well.

The Giveaway

One reader will win one 15 ML bottle of it! The giveaway will end on Oct 18 at 12:01 am EST & is open to residents of the US & Canada.

Simply enter with the Rafflecopter instructions. You may have to hit the "more" button to see it. It should be MUCH easier than my previous giveaways.

FREE Pertussis vacine for parents!

I'm sure you've all seen the commercial on TV, a Mother is holding her coughing baby near a window, sort of pacing back & forth with a worried expression on her face. The baby has the telltale whoop associated with "whooping cough". Maybe you even had whooping cough as a child - I know I did, & I remember it well! However, did you know that Pertussis or "whooping cough" is life threatening to babies under a year old. The scary thing about that is that it's children under 4 who catch it most frequently. Check out the Sounds Of Pertussis website for more information. This is a wonderful website that's full of info!

My baby is now 6 months old. On a recent visit to the pediatrician I learned that it's recommended that all adults having direct contact with an infant should get the Tdap vaccine. My pediatrician said that most babies catch Pertussis from their parents or another close family member. He asked when we last received our vaccine, & I really wasn't sure. My husband, myself, & my oldest daughter received a tetanus shot upon returning to N.O. after evacuating for Hurricane Katrina, but the pediatrician was unclear on if the tetanus portion of the vaccine was separate from the pertussis portion, & recommended getting it again to be on the safe side. Apparently, babies aren't considered protected from Pertussis until they have 3 shots. So far, my sweet girl has only had 1. The Dr told me about a wonderful program in our area aimed at ensuring that adults protect their babies from whooping cough.

If you're the parent of a baby less than 1 year of age, & live in the Metro New Orleans area, you can receive a free Tdap vaccine from GNO Shots For Kids. After doing a quick search online, I found that many states have similar programs, so please do your baby a favor & do a quick search online for "Free Pertussis vaccine for parents" & add in your local area. Failing that, you can of course get it from your regular DR or the Health Department.

Sand Gone Review/Giveaway! Ends Aug 22!

Congrats to quiet ct! I think you'll be happy with this. It smells so yummy! Please watch for my email.

Are you planning a trip to the beach soon? Do you live near a beach, or do you frequently visit one? If so, you're probably sick of that irritating feeling of sand plastered all over your body. Sand Gone generously sent me a 12 oz Family Sized container of their all natural powder to test out, & is offering one lucky reader a 12 oz Family Size as well! The giveaway ends on August 22, 2011 at 12 Noon CST. As usual, the Giveaway details will be at the bottom of the Review.

Don't forget to enter to win an itti bitti d'lish SIO Diaper! There's still time. The giveaway ends Aug 11, 2011 at 12 Noon CST.

About The Product:

Tiffany Smith is a Mom of 2, who spent a lot of time at the beach with her children. She grew tired of using water to wash the sand off her kids, so formulated a powder that became known as Sand Gone.

Sand Gone is made from all natural products. It contains vegetable starch, plant starches, & fragrance.

Sand Gone is available for purchase on their website. You can pay securely with Paypal. You can purchase an 8 oz Family Size for $12.95 plus shipping. She also sells a Sand Gone Beach Bag, with all kinds of goodies in it: an 8 oz Family Size, a 2 oz individual size, Almond Coconut Soap, & display bag. The Beach bag currently sells for $26.00 plus shipping.

My family finally made it to the beach this past week! I love the beach & Summer just isn't complete without it. Nothing says Summer like the smell of the ocean, the feel of sand between your toes, & the sound of waves & seagulls. However, as much as I love the beach I do not enjoy the feel of sand stuck to my body on the drive home. It seems like no matter how much you rinse off with water, towel it off, or try to brush it off with your hands it just lingers in the most uncomfortable way!

About a week ago I received a sample of Sand Gone. It's said to be perfect for beach goers. It claimed to remove sand with a dry body powder, leaving your skin clean & soft. I thought it sounded too good to be true, but couldn't wait to test it! I'll admit to being skeptical.

I live in a suburb of New Orleans, & have grown up going to the beach every Summer - Grand Isle (pre BP Oil Spill), Biloxi, Ship Island, Florida, & now Alabama. All are within driving distance to me.

I'd always heard how clean & beautiful AL beaches were, & that they rivalled FL beaches. Since I have a 5 month old baby that I'm nursing every 2 hrs, I wanted to keep the car drive reasonable, but I also wanted to go to a clean beach that was as far away from last year's oil spill as possible. Let me just give a shout out to Cotton Bayou Beach in Orange Beach AL. It was BEAUTIFUL, & well worth the 4 hr drive to get there!

My Experience:

We spent several hours on the beach & in the water, but before we knew it the time had flown by. It was time to hit the road. We had to walk about 25 yards across the beach to get to the pier that led to the parking lot, flip flops sending sand up the back of our wet legs. We had a pretty decent amount of sand on us by the time we reached the parking lot. My 13 year old daughter used the outdoor public shower to attempt to wash her sand off. I used the Sand Gone. My husband multi tasked by holding the baby while shooting video of me using the Sand Gone. Later he used the towel to try to remove his sand. Out of the 3 of us, I definitely fared the best. Unfortunately, they were too shy to let me take pictures or shoot video of them! However, I can tell you that when we arrived home at 9:00 that night, they both couldn't wait to jump in the shower to wash the sand off! On the other hand, I was too tired & waited until the morning to shower - that's how well this product worked!

It's hard to see the sugar white sand on my feet & legs, but I did my best to show you.

When I opened the container of Sand Gone, the very first thing I noticed was the lovely tropical scent of coconuts! It smelled so good! There was a powder puff inside to apply the Sand Gone to the sandy areas with a brushing/sweeping motion. I used it in the exact same way that I would normally use my hand or towel to attempt to brush the sand off with, dipping the powder puff into the coconut scented powder often. I started off using the powder sparingly, but quickly learned not to be shy about really digging into the powder. I could see the sand flying off of my skin with each sweep. I didn't feel like I was rubbing my skin raw with sand paper, which is how I usually feel when trying to brush off sand with a towel or my hand. Instead, the Sand Gone went on smoothly & gently. All I felt was the powder & powder puff. As stated earlier, I did use the powder very generously because I found that worked best.

Here are the after pics. The white that you see near my toes in the bottom pic is the Sand Gone powder.

My hubby attempted to video me using the product. I apologize in advance for not resembling anything near a swimsuit model! The most important thing is to watch the sand flying off of me! You'll see it as little sparkly flecks. You will hear my know it all 13 year old in the background doubting that it works (gotta love teens!). However, you will literally see the sand flying off of me - especially on the 2nd leg.

Video of me testing Sand Gone

I think the video speaks volumes! However, if you're still skeptical, you can check out the videos on Sand Gone's website.

This will be a permanent part of my beach bag from now on!

Pros:

1) Smells delicious! I would use this powder any time - not just at the beach! I've been tempted to use it after baths except that the powder now has sand in it (as you would expect it to).

2) It works! I found that it removed much more sand than any other method.

3) It leaves your skin feeling so soft, & leaves a lovely tropical scent of coconuts.

4) Is a pleasant & relaxing way to remove sand. You feel like you're pampering yourself.

Cons:

1) This isn't really a con, but something I want to mention to my readers to make using the product easier for you. I think some people might try to put it on sparingly. I was guilty of that myself at first, but quickly learned that it was more effective to really dig into the powder with the powder puff.

2) I suppose some people might find ordering it online to be a con, though this doesn't bother me in the least! I tend to do most of my shopping online, but some people are a little afraid of making payments online (mostly people in a more advanced age group). Paypal is a very secure way to make payments!!!!!

3) It does take some time to rub yourself down with the powder puff, but honestly so does any other method of sand removal. I don't think there's a quick fix to getting rid of sand. :o) Besides, I found it to be pleasant & relaxing. It was so soft & smelled so good!

There you have it! I don't think there are really any cons to Sand Gone at all! If you're planning a trip to the beach, or frequently visit beaches, I highly recommend this product!

The Giveaway:

This is open to both new & existing readers. However, if you're already following me you still need to comment to let me know. This is for residents of the USA who are 18 & older only. Please play fair & enter with only one email addy. You have the opportunity to enter 6 times by completing the tasks & commenting with your name & email addy. However, the 1st task is mandatory for all entries! I will be checking to make sure that all tasks have been completed, & if they haven't the comment will be deleted. The drawing will be on August 22, 2011 at 12 Noon CST. I will use random.org to select the winner.

Mandatory Task

1) Follow me publicly with GFC. Comment with your name & email addy letting me know that you've done so. This applies to those who are already following me as well. :o)

Extra Entries

2) Subscribe via email & comment with your name & email addy.

3) Follow me on Twitter (@heartnbutterfly) & comment with your Twitter ID, name, & email addy.

4) Tweet about this Giveaway. Include the link to your Tweet, name, & email addy in your comment.

5) Follow @SANDGONE on Twitter. Comment with your Twitter ID, name, & email addy after doing so.

6) Like Sand Gone on Facebook. Post a thank you for the Giveaway on their wall & tell them that my blog sent you. Please comment with your Facebook name & email addy letting me know that you've done so.

Good luck!

Boogie Wipes Review & Giveaway! Ends July 28!

Congrats to kygirl! random.org selected you as my winner! Please respond to my email within 48 hrs to claim your prize.

Boogie Wipes has been kind enough to offer me the opportunity to review their wipes & do a giveaway! The giveaway is open to the US, Canada, & Australia! I have to say that I'm excited to do this review because it's such a unique product that every Mom can love & appreciate.

I learned about Boogie Wipes online a little over a month ago. It was great timing that this product review & giveaway came about when it did. My oldest daughter (who is 13) had a nasty cold that she caught from her best friend over Memorial Day weekend. It was stubborn, & just didn't want to go away. There was lots of coughing, but also a runny nose, stuffed nose, & very sore nose from constant blowing. We started out with ordinary Kleenex, moved on to Puffs Plus, & then our Boogie Wipes samples arrived in the mail! Whew; PERFECT timing! We were sent a package of 30 "Great Grape Scent", as well as a few each of "Fresh Scent", "Menthol", & "Unscented" to try out. Shortly after that, my baby caught the cold as well. There's nothing more miserable than a baby with a stuffy nose - except maybe a breastfeeding baby who can't breath.

For those of you who are as unfamiliar with Boogie Wipes as I was, let me tell you a little bit about it. They were created by 2 friends, who were also Moms. Julie Pickens & Mindee Doney were tired of their kid's sore, red, runny noses,  & after talking to other Moms they decided to do something about it. They invented the very first wipe that is intended to be used for the nose. They're made with gentle saline, & come in Grape, Fresh Scent, Menthol, or unscented. They dissolve mucous, & provide a soothing alternative to a dry tissue.

I handed the variety sample packets to my oldest daughter & told her to enjoy. :o) She said that they felt very good on her sore nose, & worked very well at removing "the crusties". Her favorite was the menthol scent while she was sick, because she said it helped her to breath somewhat. However, once her nose was unstuffed she reported that she liked the smell of the fresh scent & grape also. No sooner was my oldest daughter better, when my youngest started to get sick...

My baby has allergies & eczema. I have to be very careful about what I expose her to because she breaks out in a rash. I was a little concerned about using the Boogie Wipes on my baby's eczema prone skin, but all was fine. That surprised me since her eczema flares up with the use of products aimed at babies, such as Johnson's Baby Wash & shampoo. I was suctioning her nose out regularly to help her breath, but the constant running had little boogie crusties all around her nose. The wipes definitely helped remove them easily & gently, & they smelled nice too. In fact, I'm ashamed to admit that the grape scent actually smelled so good that I was tempted to taste it (I said tempted!).

Please check out the Save The Sleeve campaign! It's a fun & interactive way to teach kids not to wipe their noses on their sleeves (YEUCK!).

Are you a teacher or do you know one? I was a substitute teacher before I had my baby, so the Does Your Class Boogie? teacher's kit caught my eye. It's a great aid for teachers who are trying to teach their students about the spread of germs. It contains a poster with pledge guidelines, 50 boogie wipe samples, coupons, & 2 classroom canisters of Boogie Wipes.

Normally my reviews contain pros & cons, but I honestly can't say one bad thing about this product. In fact, it will be a part of my home's cold & flu stash for all (including adults) to use. I will also include this in my 13 year old's school supplies rather than the plain wipes I normally send her to school with. I recommend this product for anyone of any age!

The Giveaway

Boogie Wipes is kindly sponsoring this giveaway for 2 packs of a 30 count of fresh, grape, menthol, or unscented wipes - the combination will vary. The giveaway is open to the US, Canada, & Australia! The giveaway ends at 12 noon CT on July 28, 2011. I'm using Random.org's List Randomizer to select my winner after checking that all tasks have been completed. The winner will have 2 days to respond to my email notifying them that they've won. If they don't respond within 2 days, a new winner will be selected.

You MUST complete the 1st task to be entered, but if you'd like to be entered 7 more times please complete the other tasks as well for a total of 8 entries. Please be fair & only enter with one email address. I will check all comments personally to make sure that you've completed the tasks, & those that haven't will be deleted & disqualified. No multiple entries please.

1) Follow me publicly with Google Friend Connect, & comment to this post with your name & email addy telling me you've done so. If you were following me publicly before, that counts. Please let me know.

2) Subscribe to my blog via email, & comment to this post with your name & email addy telling me you've done so. If you were subscribed before, that counts. Please let me know.

3) Vote for my blog on "We're On The Fence" by clicking on the button to the right, & then comment to this post with your name & email addy telling me you've done so.

4) Follow me on Twitter (@heartnbutterfly), & comment with your Twitter ID, as well as name, & email addy.

5) Tweet about this giveaway, & comment with a link to your Tweet, as well as your name, & email addy.

6) Follow Boogie Wipes on Facebook & then comment to this post with your name & email addy telling me you've done so.

7) Follow The Boogie Wipe Moms on Twitter & then comment to this post with your name & email addy telling me you've done so.


8) Join The Boogie Bunch for coupons, updates, & to get free samples! Comment to this post with your name & email addy telling me you've done so.

*NOTE* You must supply your name & email address in each comment, & you must comment for each step to be entered. I have no way of notifying you if you win otherwise. This giveaway ends on July 28, 2011 at 12:00 pm Central. You will be contacted by email telling you if you've won, & you will have 48 hrs from the time I send the winning notification via email to respond. If you don't respond within 48 hrs, I will select a new winner.