Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Protect and respect (your skin)

There’s this supa cool moisturizing lotion out on the market now. And its like none other. Have you heard of Skin MD? If not, listen up.

Skin MD is a shielding lotion. A "shielding lotion is a lotion that forms a protective barrier on the skin and keeps out irritants and chemicals. It also allows the natural oils and moisture to remain in the skin so it can heal better. It is a big advantage that shielding lotions are light and go on without a greasy mess, " says Dr. Brian Zogg, a dermatologist in Albert Lea, MN. featured on the Skin MD Natural's website.

"The artificial moisturizers in conventional creams and lotions can send a signal to the moisture producing parts of your skin that enough moisture is present. Your skin then makes less of the natural moisture needed to resolve a dry skin problem. With a shielding lotion you protect your own natural oils and moisture in the skin, so it heals faster," says Dr. Zogg

The product is milky white, feels very light, and is quickly absorbed by the skin. And the first time I put this stuff on my hands, I was amazed. My hands felt softer and smoother after just one use. It quickly replaced the bottle of lotion I use every night before bed.

But the product is not just for hands. It’s a great facial moisturizer – especially for those people with oily or normal skin (especially since there's no slimey residue left). And it is not just for hands and faces -- Skin MD can be applied to any skin part.

And if you have eczema or psoriasis? You may want to take note. As this may be an answer to your prayers.

The team at Skin MD Natural was kind enough to give me some extra product so I could "share the wealth." Here's what Carrie, a mom of four said... “We have used this lotion quite a bit. We’ve been to the pool a lot this summer. I found it is great for those light pink sunburns. I even packed it with us when we went on our summer vacation."

And for those people with sensitive skin, like my friend Kathy? Have no fears -- the product is very mild. Kathy said, "There are alot of products out there that I can't use. My skin gets very red, itchy and hot. When I found out about this product, I thought I'd only apply it to a small part of my face. Since I didn't have any problems, I applied it to another area. I ended up putting it all over my face. I was amazed. I didn't have any inflammation or stinging. In fact, my skin felt much, much better.

The 4 ounce bottles are $25. And alittle goes a long way -- as this little bottle can last up to two months. To order this product go here. To find out where Skin MD Natural is sold, click here.

Oh and another thing. Skin MD Natural is not testing on animals. Yeay!

Win FREE Kids' DVD's!

The folks at Disney were kind enough to send me some dvd’s recently. I could review or give them away. So I reviewed one and am giving away the other two!

Seth gave a rousing thumbs up to the “Mickey’s Treat”, a new dvd that’s part of the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse series. The whole Mikey Mouse cartoon gang make an appearance throughout the three tales that focus on caring, sharing and working together toward a common goal. At the end of the dvd, there’s a special bonus story about the Little Enstein’s Halloween adventure. Plus? There’s a Spooky Clubhouse Cookbook and Creepy Clubhouse Character Stencils which were deemed “cool” by “the boy.

And honestly? Seth happily watched the whole dvd and enjoyed playing along. (So did my mother-in-law who’s staying with us for a few days.) It is a lively dvd (and I like how they “sneak in” some problem solving and counting). Oh and did I mention that it was just released yesterday? So its likely in the movie department of a favorite retail store near you!

The movies up for grabs are the ones pictured. (Princess Enchanted Tales and Little Einsteins Rocket’s Firebird Rescue.) All you have to do to enter for your chance to WIN a FREE DVD is to list your name in the comments and an e-mail address where I can reach you (if you don’t have a blog). Let me know which movie you want (or if you want both). The drawing will be held Friday night!

The Disney folks also sent a few links our way. So check them out!
Extended Clip: http://www.totaleclips.com/player/Splash.aspx?custid=502&clipid=e33756&playerid=2&affiliateid=-1
Trailer: http://www.totaleclips.com/player/Splash.aspx?custid=502&clipid=e33819&playerid=2&affiliateid=-1
Woods: http://www.totaleclips.com/player/Splash.aspx?custid=502&clipid=e33760&playerid=2&affiliateid=-1
Oh and don’t forget this link to some fun activities too! http://disney.go.com/disneyvideos/mickeymouseclubhouse/home.html

Monday, August 20, 2007

KINeSYS has you and your children "covered" this summer

A certain little boy at our house LOVES summer and everything that comes with it – hanging out at the pool, riding his bike, running through the sprinklers and riding his scooter. But he’s a very fair complexioned lad. And I don’t want him to end up like his mama in 25 years -- having a dermatologist say, “Its not an ‘if you get skin cancer’, due to your years of sun damage, its more like a ‘when’." Gah!

I despise applying lotions to my little wiggle worm. And while in Florida, I tried Coppertone's Kid's Spray. Thanks to Coppertone, he got a splotchy sunburn (his first ever sunburn). So when The Parent Bloggers Network was looking for people to review KINeSYS, I was all ovah dat.

KINeSYS is a leader in performance sunscreens. You want to run a marathon or spend most of your day in the sun? KINeSYS has you covered. (Bad pun intended.) And when parents asked for a sunscreen for kids, the company whipped up an orange-bottled somethin' they like to call FUNSCREEN™ that's targeted at children under 12 years of age.

In short? Me likey. My boy likey. And when Seth went to the pool with his best bud Josh, I sent the sample size along for Josh's mom to try. And they likey too!

The spray is super easy to apply to antsy children. There's no rubbing so you can "spray and go". And while it can feel a bit greasy going on, it dries fairly quickly. Once the product dries, there's no residue feeling. And for kids who are very sensitive to the feel of fabrics and lotion on their skin, (like Seth) this is a big deal.

The KINeSYS folks were kind enough to include a bottle of the performance sunscreen (which I loved. Mango smell. Yummy!) as well as a sunscreen stick. Both products were very effective and also easy to apply.

My only beef is that I wish I had found out about KINeSYS earlier. This would have been a wonderful product to take with us last year when we went to Mexico or even two months ago when we went to Florida and a few theme parks. But at least we've got it now. We've got some more pool parties to attend and a ski trip is planned for the winter. We plan on taking our little bottle of KINeSYS to all of these events.

To find a retailer that sells KINeSYS click here. Or to buy it online click here.

This review was written for The Parent Bloggers Network. If you have a product you'd like PBN to review, click on this link for more info.

Thursday, August 2, 2007

Del Monte's PR company leaves a bad taste in my mouth

You know you need to eat your fruits and veggies right? Well, Del Monte's got a little something to help you snack healthy. And that little something is called Fruit Naturals.

What did I think of this product? I don't know. Del Monte's communications company sent me ONE measly fruit cup. (It looked like someone bought a fruit cup at a convenience store, shoved it in a box, and shipped it to me. The outside of the fruit cup was even sticky.) My son (who loves fruit cups in general) woofed it down before I could spear one chunk of peach.

When the PR company asked me if I got the sample, I told them that I didn't get to try the ONE sample because my son ate it. The person then mentioned that the PR company was out of samples and the campaign was wrapping up. Uh. Ok. This PR company has probably spent quite a bit of money wooing Del Monte. They can't spent another $2-4 in order to garner some positive publicity for their client? That tells me what they think of bloggers. And Del Monte.

So note to Del Monte... You may want to hire another communications company. This one made you look stingy. I doubt that's the image you were going for.