Review and Giveaway: Carmex Hydrating Lotion and Healing Cream

Update: Using www.random.org., comment #1 was chosen as the winner of this giveaway!  Congrats to Jessica!

No matter what season it is, as a mom, I always find that I am washing my hands a lot and reaching for some hand cream or lotion to keep my hands hydrated!

I was sent Carmex's Everyday Healing Cream and Everyday Hydrating Lotion to try out and I was happy to see how they would work on my skin.  Both the lotion and cream go on smoothly and soak into my skin to keep them hydrated and smooth.  I think that they are great in the spring and summer months - they are not too thick, and just "right" when your hands need a little bit of extra moisture!

One reader will receive a full size lotion and cream!

Would you like to give these lotions a try?  You would?  Great!

Giveaway:
One "lucky" reader will win a full size Everyday Hydrating Lotion and Everyday Healing Cream from Carmex! You may enter one time or you may choose to complete each entry below:

1. Entry #1:  Leave a comment on this blog post - tell me what lotion you normally use.

2. Entry #2:  Share this giveaway/blog post on facebook, including the link to this post.  Leave a comment letting me know that you completed this.

3. Entry #3:  Like Carmex on facebook.  Leave a comment letting me know that you completed this.

This Giveaway will be end on Saturday, April 6, 2013 at 10pm EST.  It is open to all US residents!

Disclaimer: Carmex contacted me and provided me with the products to review, plus a Carmex hoodie to enjoy, however all comments/ideas/opinions that I shared are completely my own.

Review and GIVEAWAY: Crest and Oral-B

Update: thank you to all who entered the giveaway!  Using www.random.org, the winning comment was #6!  Congrats to Emily B.!  I will be contacting you soon!

Happy New Year!  Since 2006, the new year always starts off with a "Bang" and lots of cake in our home!  On January 2, 2006, our first son was born!  Two years and 6 days later, our second son was born on January 8th!  I have already made 3 birthday "treats" - a double layered cake for New Years' Day, an Oreo cookie dessert for January 2nd, and cupcakes for my son to share with his classmates today (January 3rd)!  I am glad that there is a little break for the cake making...but there are at least 4 more cakes/desserts that I will be making.  Yes, FOUR!  If you want to know why there are four, here is your answer: one for our January 8th birthday, each son will have a birthday party later in January (so, that is 2 more) and then we will be celebrating the boys' birthdays with one set of grandparents on another day!  That is a LOT of sugar!

When kids are eating SO MUCH SUGAR, you can't help but think about their teeth, and making sure that they brush!  Crest and Oral-B recently sent me some toothbrushes, toothpaste and flossers for my kids to try out.  Let me tell you, my kids are SO excited to get new, cool toothbrushes and I think that it also makes them want to brush their teeth.

Isn't he a cutie!!!

Here are a few tips to help continue to keep your teeth healthy:

1. Brush as quickly as you can after you eat.  If you cannot brush right away, then be sure to rinse/swish your mouth out with water as soon as you are able to.

2. When choosing foods to serve at a party or a snack, fruit and cheese are better options than chips and crackers - which may stay in your teeth longer and lead to tooth decay.

Are you ready for a GIVEAWAY???

Crest and Oral-B would like to give one of my readers the chance to win a toothbrush, toothpaste and flossers that are age appropriate for your child!

GIVEAWAY: You may enter the giveaway by completely one or all of the following:

1. Entry #1 - This Entry is required: Leave a comment telling me what your favorite snack it, how old your child is and gender of child.

2. Entry #2 - Like Crest on facebook.  Leave a separate comment telling me that you did this.

3. Entry #3 - Like Oral- B on facebook. Leave a separate comment telling me that you did this.

4. Entry #4 - Share this giveaway on facebook - be sure that there is a link to this post.  Leave a separate comment telling me that you did this.

This giveaway will be open until Thursday, January 10th at 10pm EST and is open to all residents of the USA.

Note: Crest/Oral-B did supply our family with their products, but all comments and review of the products are completely mine!

A Review: Carmex Lip Conditioner

I was a little skeptical when I first received the tube of Lip Conditioner from Carmex.  It is like a lotion for your lips.  I was wondering:  Would it really condition my lips?  Would it leave behind a residue on the edge of my lips?  Would I like it?  So, I decided to try it out.

I have been using it on my lips for about one week and I would have to say that my lips have been doing well in the cold weather that we have been experiencing - no chapping, peeling, etc.  I wore it by itself and I also tried it under lipstick - it worked well both ways.  The taste and smell of it is also pleasing to my senses - it almost tastes like an orange creamsicle!  YUM!

I will continue to use it so that my lips stay nice and smooth.  I have not tried it on lips that are already chapped, so I cannot really comment on its ability to heal lips...hopefully, I will not have to experience that!  However, if my lips do become chapped, I will be trying this Lip Conditioner on them!


Disclaimer: Carmex contacted me and provided me with the product to review, however all comments/ideas/opinions that I shared are completely mine.

A Giveaway from Clearblue

Update: and the winner is comment #6 - Laura!  Congrats!

Pregnant or not?

If you have been trying to get pregnant or had a "surprise blessing", you know that one way to confirm whether you are pregnant or not is by purchasing a pregnancy test.  Those tests have a high accuracy rate and I know that I have purchased various brands in the past when I needed to find out the answer to my question!

I was recently contacted from Clearblue to host a giveaway on my blog...and with prices rising for everything - this is a great giveaway (well, if you are still in the age bracket to conceive)!  You can find Clearblue on facebook and twitter and follow along with their newest updates.

Looking at the tests that were sent to me, I have found that they are easy to use and the results show up quickly - I also tried one and they really do work great!  If you would like a chance to win a package of Clearblue's Ovulation Test kit and their Clearblue's Pregnancy Test kit, then enter below!

The Giveaway:

What: A Clearblue Ovulation and Pregnancy test kit

How to enter:
1. For one entry: leave a comment about anything that comes to mind in regards to pregnancy

2. For a second entry: "like" Clearblue on facebook.  Be sure to leave a separate comment telling me that you did this.

3. For a third entry: follow Clearblue on Twitter.  Be sure to leave a separate comment telling me that you did this.

4. For a fourth entry, share this blog post on facebook.  Be sure to leave a separate comment telling me that you did this.

This giveaway will be open until Friday, October 26, 2012, and is open to US residents.

Review and Giveaway: Carmex Lip Balm

Edit:  Using random.org to pick the winner....commenter #11 won!  Congrats to Krazy Klingers!!!  :)

I love summer!  The kids are home from school, there is a lot of play time, and we are able to have fun outside in the warm weather (when it isn't raining...and we have had a good bit of rain lately!).  We always put on sunscreen to protect our skin from the harmful rays of the sun...and one area that I don't want to forget to protect is my lips!

It is so important to me to protect my lips from the damage the sun can do to them.  I do not like dry and peeling lips!  Carmex recently contacted me and asked me to review 6 flavors of their lip balm - original, cherry, strawberry, vanilla, lime twist and pomegranate!  My 4 year old was just as excited as I was to try these out!  I really enjoyed the smell, a little bit of a tingly feeling, and taste of these lip balms - because, lets face it, a little bit does get on your tongue when you lick your lips!  They went on smooth and I feel that they really do protect my lips with the SPF 15 that is in them...the pomegranate is even water resistant for up to 80 minutes!  That would be a great flavor to take to the beach...we did not have a chance to try it out their yet!  I don't know if I have a favorite flavor yet - so far, I like them all!

One of my readers will be able to try out the 6 flavors of Carmex lip balm and receive this fun tote too! (the lip balm will be in the little pouch when it arrives...at least mine was!)

One lucky reader will win this tote and 6 lip balms!

The Giveaway:

Here are a few ways that you can choose to enter the giveaway - (do 1 or all 5!):

1. Entry #1 - tell me what your current favorite lip balm is

2. Entry #2 - tell me what Carmex flavor you would like to try first!

3. Entry #3 - "like" Carmex on Facebook (leave a separate comment telling me you did this)

4. Entry #4 - share this blog post with your friends on FB (leave a separate comment telling me you did this)

5. Entry #5 - "follow" my blog (leave a separate comment telling me you did this)

**This contest will close on Sunday, August 19th at 8pm EST.  I will randomly pick a winner at that time.  Good luck!

***Carmex supplied me with free lip balms to try out. however,  all comments and reviews are completely mine.***

Shaklee: My Thoughts and a Giveaway

Update:  Thank you to all who entered the giveaway...and I have news.  Shaklee has extended their offer:  You can join Shaklee as a Member for FREE during the month of May! ($19.95 value), with ANY product purchase (no strings attached!)  


The winner have been chosen, they are:
#5 Nonya
#13 Jessica P
#20 Maura - if you see this Maura, you have 48 hours to provide a way for me to contact you, otherwise, I will be choosing another winner!


Congrats!

Growing up, I had to take vitamins everyday.  They were not just any vitamins.  My parents (well, mom was in charge of the food, etc.) did not want us to take in artificial sweeteners, extra sugar or artificial colors and flavors, so we were given Shaklee children's vitamins...and that is what I am giving to my children today - naturally sweetened, colored with vegetable juice and naturally flavored!  I feel good about feeding those vitamins to my kids, especially since they are getting 19 essential nutrients for healthy development.  It may cost a little more than what you will find in the grocery store, but I believe that it is worth it!

My kids take these vitamins!

Shaklee does not only provide vitamins for your family's health.  You can also purchase cleaners to clean every part of your home that are natural, nontoxic, and they do not have harmful fumes or hazardous chemicals in them - which means that your children can easily help out with cleaning jobs around the house!  One of their cleaners that I love is their Basic H2 Organic Super Cleaning Concentrate.

Shaklee H2 Concentrate

Basic H2 is one of the most versatile cleaners that I own.  One 16oz. bottle of concentrate will make 48 gallons of super safe, really powerful all-purpose cleaners, because you only need to add 1/4 tsp. of the concentrate to 16oz. of water!  That is definitely a frugal way to purchase cleaners for your home!  There are two other dilutions that you can make from it:  Add 1-2 drops to 16oz. of water and you have a cleaner for your windows, mirrors or you can use it to clean your fruits and veggies...it is safe and effective!  If you have a really tough job, then add 1 1/2 tsp. of the concentrate to 16oz. of water, and you will instantly have an awesome degreaser.  This cleaner is nontoxic, natural, doubly concentrated, and is safe for the environment.  (If you don't win the giveaway, I would highly suggest you purchase some and try it out for yourself!  It is one purchase that I do not think that you would regret!).  Check this out: Shaklee Videos: Get Clean.  

My sister sells Shaklee and wanted to offer a sample of the Basic H2 for you to try out.  The sample has enough concentrate in it to make one 16oz. container of the All-Purpose cleaner AND one 16oz. container of the Windows/Mirrors/Fruit & Veggie cleaner!  There will be THREE winners for the giveaway!  How exciting is that!  If you are chosen as the winner, you will need to be sure that you have 2 spray bottles that are empty so that you can make your solution! (I bought one at Lowe's for $0.98 - and it works great...just be sure to label it!).

Special Offers for EVERYONE:
1. You can join Shaklee as a Member for FREE during the month of April ($19.95 value), with ANY product purchase (no strings attached!)
2. The lifetime Membership will give you 15% off the SRP - you will always pay the lower price for any Shaklee product
3. You can see some other benefits that my sister listed out here on her blog

**If you want to make a purchase in April, I can send you a special link in an email which will give me a $25 credit towards any purchase that I will make...and you can still get a FREE lifetime membership when you make your purchase!  You don't have to do this, but I figured that I would let you know about this offer for current member, like me!**  Let me know if you would like an email!

The Giveaway:
THREE winners will receive a sample of the Basic H2!  Here is how you can enter:
1. Entry #1: Go to my sister's Shaklee website and leave a comment telling me which cleaning product you would like to try!

2. Entry #2: Like Campbell Wholesome Living on FB and come back and leave a comment telling me that you did it!

3. Entry #3: Follow my sister's blog, "Campbell's Wholesome Living" and come back and leave a comment telling me that you did it!

4. Entry #4: Watch this video: Shaklee Videos: Get Clean  After you watch it, leave a comment that you did and earn an extra entry!

5. Entry #5: Share about this giveaway on FB, which includes a link to this post, and come back and leave a comment telling me that you did it!

**This Giveaway will end on Tuesday, May 1st at 9pm.  I will choose 3 winners using random.org.  The free membership offer ends on April 30th at midnight, so if you have been thinking about joining, this would be a great month to join!  Good luck!**

*I was not compensated in any way for writing this post - I enjoyed doing this for my sis!  All reviews and comments are 100% mine!*

McCormick Spring Giveaway and a Pinterest Contest!

**Update:  Using random.org, the winning comment was #8 - Debi R. you are the winner of this great prize package! Happy Baking!**

I LOVE SPRING!  The warm weather, flowers blooming, going for a walk without a jacket on, spending time outside...the list can go on and on!

I also LOVE when I am contacted by McCormick to host a giveaway on my blog...this time, it is a "Spring Giveaway," and there are SO many goodies that were sent to me...and one of my readers will win this same package of goodies!

Yes, one of you will receive this giveaway!

So, what are you going to do with all of these goodies, you ask?  Why not enter a contest on Pinterest that is being hosted by McCormick - It is called the "Spring Pin-spiration Contest"!  Below is the "low down" of how to enter!  I am so excited to participate in this contest!

Isn't this a great contest to enter...well, that is, if you are on Pinterest!  LOL

McCormick has some great spring recipes for you to take a look at on their "Look Book" on their website.  There are SO many delicious looking recipes to try out...I am wondering how I will only choose 5 to pin on my McCormick board!!!  However, I am going to do it...I think that I am going to have to try out a recipe that involves the use of my new 3 qt. baking dish and my new cupcake liners...maybe even a new cut out cookie recipe so that I can try out the new cookie cutters that were sent to me!  There will be 25 winners from the "Spring Pin-spiration Contest" - I hope that you are one of them!

The Giveaway hosted on this blog (1 winner):

Would you like a chance to win one of the spring baking kits that is pictured above?  Great!  Here are a few ways that you can enter:

1. Entry #1: Leave a comment on my blog and tell me what one of your favorite recipes is.

2. Entry #2: "Like" McCormick on facebook.  Leave a separate comment telling me that you completed this.

3. Entry #3: Share about this giveaway on facebook, be sure that there is a link back to this blog post.  Leave a separate comment telling me that you completed this.

This giveaway will close on Friday, April 20th at 9pm.  A winner will be chosen using random.org.  Good luck and have fun!