I Don’t Want to Miss…
No one likes getting the flu. In addition to the sheer misery of being sick, it seems like you’re always missing something. This post is timely because my 4-year-old is currently at home sick with some sort of fever/cough virus. My kids absolutely HATE getting sick, mainly because it means they can’t play with their friends.
Danny Gokey and The Clorox Company are trying to get the word out about flu prevention with the I Don’t Want to Miss… campaign designed to get teens and their teachers involved in flu prevention. This program invites school musical groups to develop a video performance of a song written by Berklee College of Music student Will Wells on what they don’t want to miss out on if they were home sick and why prevention is important. The winning school will win a music class led by former American Idol finalist Danny Gokey.
For each entry submitted, The Clorox Company will donate $100 (up to $10,000) to the Sophia’s Heart Foundation, a charity founded by Gokey in honor of his late wife, Sophia, and dedicated to helping children achieve academic success via musical training and restoring musical dreams in children. And for the first 100 groups to submit, the teacher will receive a wellness care package from The Clorox Company.
For more information on flu prevention, follow Clorox on facebook.
I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Clorox and received $20 thank-you gift certificate.
Jo-Lynne is a stay at home mother of 3 living in the suburbs of Philadelphia. When she's not dishing on her favorite products here at Reviewsings, she blogs about her daily life at Musings of a Housewife and runs a blog design biz at DCR Design.
Bersica Futurewear
You know how it goes. You sprung for that snazzy new outfit for your little one. She looks so pristine, so pretty. Every hair is in place, and her new outfit is to-die-for. And then she takes one bite of ice cream and drizzles chocolate down the front of her pretty dress. You take it home and spray it with your favorite stain remover, but it’s never the same again.
Enter Bersica Futurewear.
Bersica Futurewear is a new line of high-performance children’s clothing that redefines the meaning of “future” by combining the two things that will give us a better tomorrow—conservation and innovation. Bersica Futurewear is revolutionizing children’s clothing as the first brand of its kind to use textile nanotechnology, creating an entire line of virtually stain-proof, water-proof and eco-friendly activewear.
Did you hear that? Stain-proof clothing, y’all. Be still my heart. The owner of Bersica Futurewear was kind enough to send me a piece of clothing for each of my three children to try, and they were kind enough to model them for me.
The clothes do live up to their claims — they repel water and stains. I poured orange juice on this white shirt to see what it would do. It just sat in a pool on top and didn’t penetrate the fabric in the least.
I took a napkin and wiped it right off. My daughter felt it and said, “Weird! It doesn’t even feel wet!”
The clothes have a rather paper-like texture, which didn’t seem to bother my kids. I find it a little odd, but it’s a small price to pay for stain-proof clothing. Hopefully they will be adding more styles to their clothing line in the near future.
Disclosure: I was given 3 Bersica clothing items to facilitate this review.
Jo-Lynne is a stay at home mother of 3 living in the suburbs of Philadelphia. When she's not dishing on her favorite products here at Reviewsings, she blogs about her daily life at Musings of a Housewife and runs a blog design biz at DCR Design.
OxiClean to the Rescue!
I have long been a fan of OxiClean. In my opinion, NOTHING gets stains out better, with the possible exception of bleach. But of course, bleach is only safely effective on white articles of clothing. OxiClean safely removes stains on colors as well as whites, even after the stains have set in.
So I was thrilled to hear that next month, OxiClean is introducing two new OxiClean products to add to my collection of stain-fighting products — OxiClean Max Force Power Paks and OxiClean Max Force Gel Stick Pre-Treater.
The Power Paks give any load of laundry a boost without the mess of spray or powder. You just throw it in with your laundry, and it goes to work fighting stains and brightening colors. This is great when you have a load of clothes that is pretty dirty, but there aren’t specific stains that need to be treated individually.
The Gel Stick Pre-Treater is intended for the toughest stains, and it even works on ones that have been set-in for days. You just rub the gel into the fabric and let it sit for a few minutes before throwing it into a normal load of laundry. I like this because I don’t feel like I’m wasting the product like I do when I use the spray.
Each of these new products contains OxiClean’s “4-in-1 stain fighting power” that works on grease, oil, blood, or dirt. The products will hit store shelves in February, and I plan to be the first one in line.
I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of OxiClean and received a sample to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.
Jo-Lynne is a stay at home mother of 3 living in the suburbs of Philadelphia. When she's not dishing on her favorite products here at Reviewsings, she blogs about her daily life at Musings of a Housewife and runs a blog design biz at DCR Design.
Beija-Flor Jeans
If you’ve followed my blog for any length of time, you know that I have a deep and abiding love for designer denim. Let me tell you about my newest find — Beija-Flor jeans. Beija-Flor is a cool company because it’s a mother-daughter team committed to designing jeans that work with a woman’s natural shape. You really should take a minute and read their story.
Here is some more about them:
The secret behind Beija-Flor, which is Portuguese for hummingbird, is rather simple: the jeans are designed to work with rather than against a woman’s natural curves. Every pair is made with a lightweight 4-season Brazilian stretch denim that does not stretch out- no matter how many times you were them! Every style features a vertical illusion wash with darker shades on the outsides and lighter towards the mid-thigh for a slimming effect. The jeans are not the traditional low-riding styles of Brazil, but rather come with a contoured waist that dips in the front and sits higher on the backside- also helping to alleviate any gaping in the rear.
When my jeans came in the mail, I was eager to try them on. I requested the Jennifer Skinny Jean in a dark, even wash because I’ve been wanting to find a skinny jean with a higher rise that I can wear when I want a dressier look for a night on the town.
The denim is incredibly lightweight and comfortable, and even though they are “skinny jeans,” they are not skin-tight, as I had feared. (These are my first skinny jeans. The ones I usually wear tucked into boots are a straight leg jean.) And I love the higher rise (9 inches) and how they shape my rear view. (I can use all the help I can get back there.) My only complaint is that they are rather tight in the waist, but as I told my contact at the company, it’s not the jean. It’s me. (Or, more accurately, it’s the three pregnancies that wrecked havoc on my midsection.)
Last week I wore my new jeans out to dinner tucked into my favorite boots, and I felt like a million bucks! I wish I’d snapped a picture. Oh well, maybe next time. (I’m sure I’ll be sporting them at Blissdom next month!)
Jo-Lynne is a stay at home mother of 3 living in the suburbs of Philadelphia. When she's not dishing on her favorite products here at Reviewsings, she blogs about her daily life at Musings of a Housewife and runs a blog design biz at DCR Design.
COAST Winyah Polo for Kids
It’s hard to imagine, with sub-freezing temperatures outside, that spring is just around the corner. But if you’ve been to the mall recently, you will find the stores packed full with their new spring 2010 lines of clothing. It’s no different online. Clothing retailers have spring fever, and you will too when you get a glimpse of these gorgeous polo shirts from COAST.
When I was contacted to try out their new line for kids, I clicked over to their site and discovered that COAST Apparel is located in Pawleys Island, SC. My sister-in-law grew up vacationing in Pawleys Island, and I spent a week there at the time of her wedding to my brother. I’ve always loved South Carolina, and that trip clinched it.
These shirts capture the essence of the coast of South Carolina with their soft hand-picked Peruvian cotton and serene beachy colors. They sent me a shirt in clearwater (doesn’t that just say it all?) for my son to try.
My son is a typical 10-year-old, and he’s not one to get excited about clothes, especially another polo shirt. But when I showed him the shirt, he was actually enthusiastic about the color. I guess he’s as sick of navy and forest green as I am. This shirt will be a great staple for his spring and summer wardrobe. I may have to order one in every color!
Jo-Lynne is a stay at home mother of 3 living in the suburbs of Philadelphia. When she's not dishing on her favorite products here at Reviewsings, she blogs about her daily life at Musings of a Housewife and runs a blog design biz at DCR Design.
Bugsby by VTech
The toy section is full of educational toys, so how do you know which ones are best? In my opinion, the best toys are those that inspire creativity and those that help children learn their basic skills such as reading and math concepts.
The Bugsby™ Reading System by VTech allows kids (ages 3-7 years) to engage in interactive and entertaining stories while learning important reading and language arts skills.
My girls love their Bugsby. My older daughter (age 7) who is just learning to read can read along in the book and then when she gets stumped by a word, she just taps it with the Bugsby pen and it tells her the word.
My younger daughter (age 4) isn’t reading yet, so she relies on Bugsby to read her the stories.
Of course, Bugsby shouldn’t replace mom and dad reading to the kids, but when I’m busy and they are looking for something to do, I’d rather them read with Bugsby than watch TV or whine and complain that they’re bored.
The main drawback to the system is that you have to keep purchasing books so it can become a rather expensive set.
Disclaimer: I was sent the Bugsby Reading System- Pen and Starter Book Bundle for review purposes.
Jo-Lynne is a stay at home mother of 3 living in the suburbs of Philadelphia. When she's not dishing on her favorite products here at Reviewsings, she blogs about her daily life at Musings of a Housewife and runs a blog design biz at DCR Design.
Nature’s Peak Frozen Fruit
UPDATE: The winners of the coupons are mannequin and Christine. Congrats, ladies! And enjoy!
Of course you know that I’m a huge proponent of eating fresh, whole foods that are grown as close to home as possible. Unfortunately, there is not a huge variety of fresh, local produce available in Pennsylvania during the winter months, and this is where frozen fruits and veggies can be a life saver, such as the Nature’s Peak frozen fruit that I was given to try. Nature’s Peak is a line of premium frozen fruit that is just as nutritious as fresh fruit with no sugar added.
The nice thing about frozen fruits and veggies is that they can be picked at the peak of ripeness and frozen immediately so they retain all of their nutrients. Frozen fruit is great for smoothies and muffins, as a topping for ice cream, or to mix into your yogurt.
If you would like to receive a coupon for a free package of Nature’s Peak frozen fruit to try, leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite use for frozen fruit. I will randomly select two winners on Friday, January 22nd.
Please be advised, at this time Nature’s Peak is only available in the following areas:
Florida (All Regions)
New England (All Regions)
New Jersey (All Regions)
Maryland (All Regions)
Virginia (All Regions)
Washington (Seattle Area)
Oregon (Portland Area)
California (Los Angeles, San Jose Areas)
Arizona (Phoenix Area)
North Carolina (South West Area)
South Carolina (North West Area)
Georgia (South East and North East Areas)
Missouri (Northern Area)
Louisiana (New Orleans Area)
Arkansas (Little Rock Area)
I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Nature’s Peak and received a sample to facilitate my candid review as well as two coupons to giveaway. In addition, Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.
Jo-Lynne is a stay at home mother of 3 living in the suburbs of Philadelphia. When she's not dishing on her favorite products here at Reviewsings, she blogs about her daily life at Musings of a Housewife and runs a blog design biz at DCR Design.
FedEx for Your Holiday Shipping Needs
I don’t know about you, but when I go to ship a package, I usually just run out to the post office. I’ve always thought of FedEx and other companies like it as services for business use, and frankly, I always assumed it was pricey.
Well. FedEx is partnering with Mom Central this holiday season to get the word out that FedEx is for everyone. And FedEx is even offering ways to save time and money with discounts that make FedEx one of the cheapest options this December. For example, when you sign-up on FedEx.com, you can save up to 16% on FedEx Express services and 8% on FedEx Ground and Home Delivery. And, when you visit a FedEx Office location, shipping with FedEx Ground actually costs about 10% less than with UPS.
Plus, FedEx professionals will pack and ship your holiday packages for you or give you tips on how to minimize the size and weight of a package, to help save you time and money.
The new FedEx Office Print & Ship Centers even offer customized calendars, cards, and stationery. That definitely sounds worth checking out.
And it gets better! To help spread a little bit o’ holiday cheer, FedEx is giving away 5 iPod Touches. All you have go do is sign up for a free account on FedEx.com and record your name and confirmation number here. Now that’s worth taking a few minutes, dontcha think? I recently got an iPod Touch, and I’m absolutely loving it.
I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of FedEx and received a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.
Jo-Lynne is a stay at home mother of 3 living in the suburbs of Philadelphia. When she's not dishing on her favorite products here at Reviewsings, she blogs about her daily life at Musings of a Housewife and runs a blog design biz at DCR Design.
Minted.com for Holiday Photo Cards
When the folks at Minted asked me if I wanted to sample some of their holiday photo cards in exchange for a review, I jumped at the offer. I had about 150 Christmas photo cards I needed to order, and every little bit helps. Plus, I’m always happy to discover new sources for pretty stationery. I wasn’t familiar with Minted before this experience, but I have to tell you. These cards are GORGEOUS. Take a look at some of their Christmas photo card designs. After much debate, I chose the Sweet Star design.
My cards took about a week to come in the mail, but they were worth the wait. The cardstock is incredibly thick and stiff, but what I found particularly impressive was the quality of the envelopes. I know that most people probably don’t pay attention to envelopes, but it’s one of those features that says a lot about a company’s attention to detail and quality. The print quality was good; it was comparable to the other cards that I’ve seen.
If you really want to go all out, Minted has a couple of unique formats that are really cool. The Yearline card creates a timeline that showcases photos and highlights from the year, and the Minibook card features four pages bound by grommets into a tabbed book.
If you’re still in the market for holiday cards (or cards for ANY occasion), I highly recommend checking out Minted.com. And right now they have an offer running where they are upgrading all orders to 2-day shipping. ENJOY!
Disclosure: Minted provided me with 25 flat holiday cards for review purposes.
Jo-Lynne is a stay at home mother of 3 living in the suburbs of Philadelphia. When she's not dishing on her favorite products here at Reviewsings, she blogs about her daily life at Musings of a Housewife and runs a blog design biz at DCR Design.
Kuru Footwear
It is my firm conviction that sneakers belong in the gym and no where else. The ONLY time I wear traditional sneakers is when I’m exercising. The rest of the time, I believe there are more stylish options that can be just as practical as a sneaker.
Take for example, Kuru footwear. Kuru is much cuter than an old gym sneaker, and it claims to be the world’s most anatomical active footwear. They actually have an orthotic molded into the insole, and it molds to your foot for the best possible fit and support. I was invited to try a pair of the slip-on models, and I chose the Draft.
I only wish I’d received them before my Disney trip; they would have been perfect for all the walking we did. The uppers are made of a light-weight, breathable nylon that wicks moisture away and keeps your feet dry, and the molded insole is super comfy. It’s like wearing a show that is custom designed for your foot. AND they’re cute too!
Jo-Lynne is a stay at home mother of 3 living in the suburbs of Philadelphia. When she's not dishing on her favorite products here at Reviewsings, she blogs about her daily life at Musings of a Housewife and runs a blog design biz at DCR Design.
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