I’ll admit, I hate cleaning. And ya know, I’m kind of a busy girl (I mean, you saw you wrinkled laundry that sits for days…).  So I was excited to receive this opportunity from Weiman Products to try their Furniture Wipes.  Not only was it a chance to try a great product, but well, it got some much needed cleaning done! These wipes not only cut through dust, grime and smoke residue, but also helps protect your furniture with an UVX-15 and 6 natural oils to prevent drying and discoloring. It also contains NO wax or silicones so it doesn’t leave a build up that dulls the wood.

I’m ashamed to even show the before picture of our coffee table, but I will just to show what a good job the wipes did (I promise it looks better in person). You can imagine how sticky and covered with gunk this table is thanks to Savannah’s tiny hands, and I’m just showing one corner. Oy. Immedietely these wipes cut through the grime of month old juice and crushed up yogurt raisins. Woo hoo! It also left a beautiful shine, like I hadn’t seen our coffee table ever shine.

However, with that shine it left a greasy residue, I’m guessing from the natural oils inside that are meant to protect the wood. So, I was a little disappointed in the final outcome because it just felt, well, oily.  But, those oils serve it’s purpose because soon after cleaning water got spilled onto the table and it immediately beaded up and protected the wood. I think over all it does it’s job well and creates a beautiful glow for furniture so I think I can live with the oiliness.

Good news for you? There is another giveaway coming soon, including these wipes, worth $100! Keep an eye out…

Edit: The Giveaway is up now!  Check out the list of great products you could win. Cleaning Giveaway this way.

This review opportunity provided by The Family Review Network.

As a Mom, or even just being a clumsy human being, I’m always looking for misplaced items and keeping track of what things belong to who.  Who’s sippy cup is that?  Who’s notebook is that?  Is that pencil mine, or yours?  Thankfully, The Family Review Network provided an opportunity to review a label company, Stuck On You, to help make life a little bit easier.

I chose to get labels with Savannah’s name and picked a girly theme to match her girly personality.  We ended up with butterflies, dragonflies, and other cute bugs.  First thing I stuck it on? Sippy cups, that’s the number one item our family has the chance of loosing when we go out.  And, it’s also helps to keep kid’s germs more to them selves at church and play dates.  Even though Savannah can’t read yet, she can identify her special sticker with bugs on it and know it is her’s. Next stop will be to place them in her shoes.

What I love about these labels?  They can go on anything!  These aren’t your typical paper stickers that fall apart when wet, these are made of vinyl so they are made for every day rough wear–even in the dishwasher and microwave!  I also love that there are so many choices in the style, to fit not just the personality of the person, but choices in what you need a label for.  Everything from generic-for-anything-labels, to shoes labels, pencil labels, to clothing and school subjects, they’ve got it all covered.  But not just in sticker form, but also as iron on clothing transfers, bag tags, and security wrist bands (love that idea!).  So many choices for every need, even just for fun things like wall art, party invitations, calling cards, notepads, and charts. Phew. Like I said, they have so many options. Though these labels can’t be another pair of eyes to find a matching shoe, they can help shoes stay together and make it back home with us after a play date.  I can’t say enough good things about this product!

And now…you can win a set of their holiday labels!  Just in time for the holidays to label all those gifts for family and friends.  The pack will include 20 assorted designs of their Christmas Gift Labels. Want to win it? All you have to do is visit Stuck On You and come back here to leave a comment telling me which label would you most like to use? Are you constantly loosing clothes, pens, or -gulp- expensive things like ipods?  What would you label?

Comments will only be open until this Sunday at midnight (November 23rd) so that you can get your labels in time for the holidays.  Winners will be chosen randomly and be announced Monday. Want more chances to win?  Tell others about the giveaway by posting it on your blog and commenting with the link directly to your post. Good luck!

I’ll be the first admit, folks, I hate laundry.  I’d rather change dirty diapers. Yes, seriously. See, diapers have to be changed like, right now, or else that precious baby will 1) Stink up the house 2) Get a nasty rash. So, that prompts me to get things done right away, cause I have to. But laundry?  Oh, it gets washed but it almost never gets put up in a promptly time afterward. It could be days, even weeks before I get to it. It’s horrible! Besides the clutter it leaves around my house, what’s worse is the wrinkles. Which, then I end up rewashing items just to get the horrible deep wrinkles out.

Enter my new solution: Refresh’n Dryer Towel.  Sure, it doesn’t put laundry away for me, but it does help make my life easier when I’m scrambling to get ready before school with nothing to wear since it’s all wrinkled.  The water added to this towel creates a steam in the dryer to smooth out wrinkles and freshen up the appearance while the fabric helps loosen dirt. So, I just pop this wet towel with my clothes in the dryer and 10-15 minutes later I’m ready to go!  I know, I know, you can do that anyway without this towel, right?  But it does not just get out the wrinkles, but smells and small amounts of dirt as well!  It’s even safe for dry clean only and other delicate clothes.

It’s also a way to cut down on the use of water (did you know ONE load uses 40-50 gallons?!) as you “wear and air” more often and yet your clothes will still maintain a fresh look and smell?  I know that might sounds gross to some, but do our clothes really need to be washed after every use, just after wearing for a only a few hours with no dirt or stains on it?  I try to wear my jeans more than once because 1) they’re a hassle cause they shrink easily 2) I only have 2 pairs 3) It maintains their color better. 4) I hate laundry. The problem though is normally I have to wash often them then really needed because they get stretched out.  So this special towel helps all of the above problems saving me money and time!

The down side: It only can be used with up to 3 items at a time in the dryer. Which, means I can’t throw my whole laundry basket of clothes in there for a quick fixin’ but it’s perfect for a morning rush with one outfit! And, it can be used up to 25 times before it needs to be replaced again.  But, if you consider the cost of electricity and water you are saving, that still is a lot of savings and worth it.

There is so much more information on Refresh’n Dryer Towel’s website, including more directions and what more it can do for you to save money and the enviroment, so I encourage you to check it out.

This review opportunity provided by The Family Review Network.

I’ll be honest. I don’t like cold weather much. In fact, when the fall weather started arriving I was down right mad that it was already here. Why? Not because fall is horrible, nope. Because after fall comes winter, which means months of depressing, bare trees and super cold hands.  I just don’t like it. I’ll stay inside cuddling with a book in my fuzzy blanket, thank you.

But, I’ve found something that has lightened my cold-hearted mood and-gasp-made me excited to get out in the chilly weather: This beautiful Windfall Snow Sport Jacket by Lands’ End. I was lucky enough to be able to receive one curtsy of Lands’ End in the gorgeous deep teal.  Really. It’s a beautiful color.  And the inside? Oh my word, it’s brown! Can I tell you how excited the contrast of brown with a color makes me?  Well, a lot.

I was able to try it out in 42 degree weather today and it kept me quite warm.  Granted, it’s still not that cold out right now , but supposedly it keeps you toasty up to -5 degrees with a light layer added!  In fact, it kept more than just my upper body warm, but also my hands. I didn’t have gloves as a hiked my way around campus today and my hands were cold until I placed them in the fleece lined pockets and wa-la! Warm hands!

I love, love this coat (If you can’t tell).  I do have a heavier parka style coat, which also works well, but this one I like because it is less bulky and fits me better. I am very small, so to find a petite xs was wonderful!  I also like all the pockets they have; 3 outer ones, one cell phone and even a pocket for an mp3 player with a place to pull the headphone cord through. I like that the hood easily tucks away or pulls out if I need to. And have I mentioned the color?  Of course, there are several other awesome colors available as well.

Seriously, if you are looking for a new stylish winter coat for you (or Christmas gift?) as the weather cools down, I highly recommend this one. Me and Lands’ End go way back to when I was just a kid myself and I know they make quality products. Who’s ready for some cold weather? I am!

Remember those awesome Christmas cards I was (and still am) excited about sending out this year?  Well, I found the perfect compliment to bring the joy right on to the envelope as well: Picture It Postage!

I’m all about some matching. I’m the kind of girl that needs things to “go” together, other wise it drives me insane.  Now typically, I would not consider my postage as a huge nuisance in my matching world, but being able to make super cute postage to match anything I can dream of? I love it.  I decided to create a stamp using the same design that is on the Christmas card I chose.

The process is extremely easy: Upload the photo you want. Get the photo placed how you want it by centering, zooming in, change the orientation, etc. using their tools. Pick the color of the background and text color (you can even click on the photo itself and it will match the color for you!). And, ta-da! You’re done and all you have to do is order.

I received mine today and I can tell you the quality is excellent, you get exactly what it looks like on your screen when you order.  I love that they are bigger than regular postage so you can really see the design.

A huge thumbs up from me. I’m so excited and ready to send out my Christmas cards…and it’s not even Halloween yet!

Also, Picture It Postage is holding a photo contest starting October 31st looking for the best of the worst family photos. Meaning, all those not-so-great pictures that get taken when trying to get that perfect family picture and something terribly funny and inconvenient happens? A baby spits up, or grandpa starts yelling to at the camera to get it over with. Yea, those. We’ve all got them!
How To Enter:
Beginning October 31, simply visit PictureItPostage.com, click on the “Get Real” contest button and upload the best of your worst photos

How To Vote:
Beginning November 21, all visitors to the “Get Real” contest website will have a chance to vote for their favorite photos.

What’s The Prize:
Winners will be announced December 8.
1)Two Grand Prizewinners will each receive a new Canon Digital SLR Camera and five PictureItPostage coupon codes good for 100 customized photo stamps.
2) Ten First Prizewinners will each receive one PictureItPostage coupon code good for one pack of customized postage stamps.

This review opportunity provided by The Family Review Network.

I’ve never been a soap bar user, I’m a shower gel kinda girl. Even way back when I was a kid, I was using yummy smelling shower gel. So when I heard about Bethesda’s Sunscreen Soap, my first thought was, “Nope. It’s a bar soap, I’m not interested.”  But then, I started reading about it.  About how it gently applies sunscreen right in the shower, protecting and lasting all day long. About how it’s all natural, and contains vitamins and healing properties for your skin.

There is no need for greasy sunscreen lotions applied for daily use, and honestly?  Unless it’s summer or you live in a hot tropic climate all year round, who remembers to put on sunscreen every day?  This is the way to go for daily protection, it makes it so easy to protect your skin!  Of course, to go spend hours at the beach or gardening outside you would need a higher spf that is found in lotions, since the soap offers a spf of 10.

When I started reading other people’s testimonies, I really couldn’t wait to try it.  I found that people were using it not just as a body wash, but all over! As shampoo and facewash. I decided to test this myself. I mean, a bar of soap…as shampoo? Really?  Really. I’ve use it several times and it actually helps my hair obey and style better while still keeping it’s shine. It feels a bit different compared to bottled shampoo at first, it feels drier like a soap bar tends to feel, but I just use conditioner like normal and it does a great job!  It seems to combat my ultra greasy hair well, too. I also have been using it as a face wash, and that (along with the oil cleansing method at night) has kept my acne at bay. It just seems logical to use it on my face, when that is the part of my body that sees the most sun right now.

Draw backs: It’s a bar soap. Not my favorite, but it’s worth it.  Also, when I received my package it was a very strong “herbally” smell and I was concerned about smelling like that all the time or that it would be too strong for my sensitive nose.  But, as I have taken it out of the package and used it, the scent has seemed to change to a much more pleasant one.  And, my husband has not complained about it smelling bad as he has done with other natural products I have used.  Lastly, it seems to be a bit drying to my skin, but a little moisturizer takes care of that easily (you need to moisturize anyway!)

Really, there isn’t much that I don’t like about it now that I’ve experienced it. Plus, at $8 it’s not crazy expensive like other products AND one little bar has so many uses! How great would it be to only have to take one bar of soap to travel with and it covers it all?  I know my suitcase (or rather, my husband who carries my suitcase ;-)) will be happy with that. And my skin will, too.

This review opportunity provided by The Family Review Network.

I’ve always loved to read books, especially during the summer when the days are lazy and too hot to do anything else.  This past summer? I lost count of how many I read, but since school has started back I haven’t had much time to read just for the pleasure (Big Honkin’ British Lit book is about the extent of my reading lately. No, thank you!).  So I was thrilled to do a review on up and coming Mia King’s latest book, “Sweet Life.”

The women’s fiction novel is based on a woman who’s life who is uprooted from the New York life and placed in what should be paradise…Hawaii!  When her husbands job is transferred, she expects the change will also be a chance to reconnect with her husband and her daughter after years of focusing on a career.  Instead, what should be a relaxing and simple life becomes burdened with a husband who wants time to himself, a daughter who wants to be home schooled, and redefining who she is again.

In short: I couldn’t put this book down. I had it done within 24 hours after ripping open the amazon box while drinking my morning coffee. I found it so interesting to be emerged into the New York mind set, and then shifting to the culture of Hawaii. I have not been to either place, so it was neat to experience pieces of places through the characters.  I loved how she developed the characters and the twists the plot I never would have guessed.  It was very entertaining!

Also, one aspect that I think Mia is genius at: her recipes.  I mean, sure people create and publish recipes all the time, but Mia does it in such a unique way. Throughout the novel she weaves them in with the characters.  For example, one character is pregnant and feeling the stormy seas of morning sickness and so she is offered Ginger Tea by a room mate.  The food and drinks are so much a part of the story that you don’t think about it until you flip to the end of the novel (or online) and find the recipe for it and think, “Oh yea! I remember that, it sounds good!”  It’s a brilliant concept. I also love how the food gives us yet another “taste” of Hawaiian culture and how we can recreate a bit of it ourselves, no matter where we live.

The only thing I didn’t like was the little bit of cussing involved.  I just don’t like cussing, but thankfully Mia used it sparingly and not as harshly as it could be.

If you browse Mia’s web site and read through her blog posts and answers to questions, you get the sense that she is very much a laid back person who just loves what she does all around. I think it’s her personality and sense that she is just like us, her readers, that ultimately shines through her work that makes this book such a pleasure to read.

I know I will certainly be reading more of her books!

Review opportunity provided by the Family Review Network.

I have been looking forward to seeing this movie since July when The Family Review Network offered the chance to free tickets, courtesy of Dove. I was supposed to see it right after it opened in theaters as part of my birthday celebration, but that plan didn’t turn out.  So, yesterday I finally had the chance to catch up with a friend and enjoy this movie together while eating gummy bears.

In short? I liked it.  It is definitely a chick flick, as there are no male actors seen in the film, except the baby born at the end.  Not one, not even the people walking around New York City! Every person, every where was a woman.  Which, I think it s neat concept but it made me realize the impact and ways that men and woman complete each other and how their presence can be needed in some places.

I loved all the little puns and jokes throughout this movie.  We were chuckling the whole time (well, except when there were teary-eyed emotional moments!) and it was generally light-hearted despite the heavy topic.  But, what I really loved the most about this film was the message that I walked out with:

Be who you are and find what you want in life.

As a Mom, I know it it difficult to balance pleasing your family, friends, work, others and still taking time for yourself.  Life’s demands pull women in so many directions that it often leave them stretched thin, with nothing left to give.  Luckily, I’ve always had a Mom encouraging me to practice this idea; to find what I love in life, take a few hours to be creative, to buy something every so often just to pamper myself, or to take a well deserved vacation.  She’s taught me that refueling myself helps me be the best Mom, wife, student and all the other roles I am.  So, it was really neat to watch that concept throughout this movie and see what a difference it makes when we are true to our selves.

I loved watching the characters figure out who they really were. One evolving from a uptight personality who thought she was better than everyone else into a more laid back person who learns how to give to others instead of being selfish. And the other learns to do things for herself rather than trying to please everyone else and take pride in herself. It was beautiful to see the end result and end relationships. To see confident women just being who they are and shedding their fake layers. I totally see why Dove picked up this movie to sponsor! Real woman, Real beauty. Obviously, friendship is also an important factor in this movie and about how it helps you through tough times.

The thing I did not like about the movie was the cursing, sexual language, and drug use.  Personally, I just do not understand why people feel the need to put these in a movie. Over all this film has a great message, but the negative aspects of this movie make me feel like I cannot let my daughter watch this movie until she is well into adulthood.  I think all girls aged teens and up could benefit from the positive “be who you are” message of this movie but the surrounding content it’s shown in disappoints me.  This film is rated PG-13, but I certainly would not let my 13 year old (ya know, if Savannah was that age) watch this as it had many things a girl does not need to know just yet.

Overall, I did like this movie, I just recommend not taking your daughter with you to see it. The cast was fantastic, the humor was great (but for adults), and I left the theater reflecting on my own life.

I really suggest grabbing a girl friend and taking a ladies night out to see this movie.  The break and laughter together will be worth it

When The Family Review Network offered me the opportunity to review a product from Unique Skins, I was pretty excited. See, I’ve never been one to ‘deck out’ my cell phone but this gave me an easy and cool way to finally do it! My phone was getting kind of old and ratty looking anyway, so it came at the perfect time.

What is Unique Skins, you ask? Well, it’s skins that are unique. Just kidding (but not really). It’s a website that you get to design a vinyl sticker to place on top of an electronic device you already own. From cell phones, to lap tops, to Xbox 360’s they have many options you might be looking for. It’s a cheap and easy way to personalize your products with even your own photos. Have a cute kid? Stick him or her on your phone for the ultimate mommy bragging! Sounds like a great idea, right? It is. I decided to use my favorite tulip photo I took last Mother’s Day, along with some other graphics that expresses who I am.

The first step was to find my phone in their lists of products, which was super easy to do since they have it divided up into many categories and brands. Then, the fun of designing began! Over all, the design program on their website was easy to use. There were a ton of “help bubbles” that directed you to the various features you can use, or hide them if you don’t need them. They also have a great FAQ and tutorial section for the non-technology inclined. It was very quick and easy to upload pictures, however I do suggest that if you have a HUGE picture or graphic you want to use, resize it first in an outside program for it to upload correctly.

Though it was easy to use, I did have a lot of technical issues using the program. The first time I tried to go into the designing part it did not fully open and froze. Freezing was a reoccurring issue for me, which was quite frustrating. There is a “save for later” button, but I found that it did not always save it correctly or completely. At least once I had to start all over, despite saving it. I also some times had a problem with resizing, as it would only grow and grow rather than shrinking when I told it. Another small frustration I had was that there are very limited font options.

Finally, after a few hours working on the design, I ordered it. The website says they print and ship within 24-48 hours, but apparently they had issues with mine because I used some digi-scrapbooking supplies that had a transparent background. A week and a half later and the skins finally arrived!

However, after opening my little package, I was a little disappointed. I was expecting a higher quality photo than what was printed and it came out somewhat “pixely.” There are also random white spots in my design that I know I did not put in there, probably from the printing process. One piece I did not even put on my phone because you couldn’t read the writing I had put.

But, I can say the application is easy. The skins come on several sticker sheets that you peel off and place on your phone. It does fit exactly as it should for my model of phone, and if I messed up or got a bubble under the skin, it was very easy to correct. And, it still does spruce up my phone, even if it is a tiny bit pixely in places. Also, I can say that it is true that when you take it off, it does not leave any stick residue or harm the device in any way (I took off the inside cover).

Honestly, I’d say that I love the idea of this website and the unique products they offer, but I think both the website and physical results need a bit more work to make it even better. The process turned out more frustrating than a fun purchase for me, but I really do hope this company keeps at it to maximize their potential. It really is a great concept!

See what other Moms are saying about Unique Skins over at The Family Review Network and see their beautiful creatations!

As a young wife, mom, and student, you can image that funds get tight for the O house. Therefore, things such as diapers, textbooks, and food become more important purchases than say, house ware. We survive on the basics and we’re okay with that. So needless to say, I was absolutely floored when BlogHer invited me to spend $500 in gifted money (yes, you read that right) and write a review on JCPenney’s new house ware line, called Linden Street.

From the moment I saw what Linden Street offered, I was even more excited. Everything was exactly our style and what I’ve envisioned for our one day dream home: simple sleek lines, beautiful rich colors, and soft fabrics. After surveying what the line carried, I decided we would redo our bathroom since 1) It needed our own touch to it. 2) It’s something we could take down easily when we move. 3) You can never have enough towels!

We did most of our shopping in store at JCPenney. I quickly fell in love with the unbelievably soft fabrics and how easy they make it to find coordinating colors and accessories. We decide to use Mark’s favorite color: Orange! I chose the Waffle Strip Fabric Shower Curtain in “Foxtial Orange” and Toffee Shower Curtain Rings to compliment it. We bought bath towels both in “Foxtail Orange” and “Soft Cream,” along with matching cream Reversible rugs. To bring the orange over to the other side of the room, we purchased the Toffee hand towel that has a beautiful cream embroidery on it.

We also bought five lamps. Yes, five. You can’t have enough lights, right? We bought two Wood Column Adjustable Table Lamps in stores that we placed in our bedroom, along with the matching floor lamp that we put in our living room. The Birdcage Table Lamps are still being shipped, but eventually they will go in our living room as well.

I only have a few draw backs that I’ve found. Firstly, my shopping experience was a bit frustrating as some things were not in my local store (the furniture for example, or different shower curtain options), or what was in store wasn’t always online to purchase (which is why I cannot link you to every purchase I made).

Secondly, the bath towels, though I love how large and soft they are, do not absorb well. We’ve noticed that we have to keep going over our skin after a shower to feel dry, and yet it never really gets the job done. I’m hoping that once they get washed a few times and the ultra softness goes down, it will be better in the absorbency factor.

Lastly, the bath room rugs that I love tend to slide around. I’m constantly having to readjust them to their places throughout the day. While I understand the cool thing of being reversible, I think having one side a sticky backing would be much more practical (and safer).

But despite those small issues, I cannot tell you what a joy it is to walk into our bathroom now and it look “put together.” My husband even made the comment that it “feels like a hotel,” and that’s really what I love about this line is the sophisticated luxury feel you would find in a nice hotel. But what’s even better? The price. We got everything 40-50% in stores, and I believe many of the items are still discounted online and perhaps in the stores as well. Over all, I’m very satisfied with Linden Street and I’ve learned that even little things like a splash of color from a towel or an extra lamp can make a big difference (and can be so quick and easy!)

To view all the pictures, including the items that could not be linked to JC Penny’s website, head on over to the my Linden Street album.