Earth Mama Angel Baby Review

I was beyond thrilled to receive an invitation to review Earth Mama Angel Baby's Angel Shampoo & Body Wash along with Earth Mama Bottom Balm and New Mama Bottom Spray, late last year. I had been wanting to try the wash out for quite some time seeing as how Earth Mama Angel Baby is one of the VERY few body care companies that has proven a zero toxicity rating in their products. I'm always looking out for the least harmful, but still effective, body care products for my family so Angel Baby Wash sounded like a great possibility.

So, once I got the bottle of Angel Wash into my anxious little hands what did I think?  Well, my first thought was, "mmmmm- orange!" A generous amount of orange extract is used to give the wash a lovely fruity quality, which I instantly loved.  However, (and this may sound a little odd) I realized after using it on Lion Cub that the scent didn't mix well with his natural scents.  He tends to emit a very distinct scent, not bad, just distinct, and when mixed with the orange oils it got funky.  He just didn't smell sweet and like himself anymore.  But with that said, I DO love using the Angel Wash for myself and have had no complaints from the hubs.  So, I guess it's a bit of a love/ hate relationship in the scent department.

The other thing I can't help but point out is the foaming dispenser.  At first I thought I would love this feature, however I quickly felt jipped as my precious bottle of angel goodness began disappearing all too quickly.  To be honest, for the money, I think you should receive a full bottle of concentrate and then could possibly add a pump bottle for an additional buck fifty or something.  I would probably skip the pump all together though, as we use loofas in this house and it is difficult to get a good lather in a loofa with a foaming dispenser.  I should mention that you can just buy the wash in a larger, refill bottle, but it still is not concentrate.

As far as the wash itself went though, in its effectiveness and feel, I loved it.  It rinsed off cleanly and was the closest thing to luxurious that I have encountered in a zero-toxicity product.  There is definitely something to be said for that!

But let's move on, shall we?  I have nothing but good things to say about the Mama's bottom products they sent me- Earth Mama Bottom Balm and New Mama Bottom Spray!  Cause ladies, let's be real here- if you have taken any more than an hour to push a baby out of your bajango, let alone more than one, then you probably have issues "rear" up in this area from time to time.

I found their products to be soothing and downright lovely.  Plus, I would much rather have someone stumble across one of these nicely packaged products in my medicine drawer than a tube of preparation-H!  Ya' feelin' me?!

I can't thank Earth Mama Angel Baby enough for the opportunity to test out their lovely products!  I also want to mention that Earth Mama Angel Baby has a lot of great resources on their website, along with their products, for breastfeeding help (they even have a free "Herbs & Breastfeeding" ebook for download) and pregnancy and infant loss, among other things.  Even if you decide to not purchase anything from them, their website is a must-see/read!  Oh, and did I mention it is also beautiful?! Cause it is!

Thanks again Earth Mama Angel Baby!

I received products free of charge from Earth Mama Angel Baby for honest review.  All opinions are solely my own.

Be sure to visit my sponsor- Marmee's Bread Market- for recipes and everything else you need to easily make fresh baked goods for your family!

Easy Lunchboxes- Pack your Kids' Lunch Fast, Bento-Box Style!

I had been wanting to try out Easy Lunchboxes for so long that by the time they actually arrived on my doorstep I was positively giddy!  Funnier yet, my excitement had rubbed off on my boys and they were almost as excited as me!

So, the verdict- were they really all they cracked up to be?!  Honestly?!  YES!

I never thought I'd be in love with a lunch box!

I am!

We're packing up and whisking away on a love affair to France.

ORRRRR... I'm packing meals in them all the time for trips to our local science center, co-op, park, mall, grandma's house, friends houses, or just plain old sitting at home on a dreary winter day!  We just can't get enough of these things!

I love how easy they are to pack.  I line them all up on the counter and can easily go down the row and plunk all my little selections in each of the compartments with no fuss and no mess, in just minutes. They are easy and simple!

Oh, and did I mention that my boys love eating out of them?!  This is big, especially for Rhythm, since he is such a picky eater and we will try almost whatever tactics and motivators we can to get him to eat!  I will take serving his meals in an Easy Lunchbox over bribing him with dessert ANY day!

My next favorite thing is how three whole containers fit into a cooler bag, or two containers and both boys drinks.  Soooo much easier than keeping track of separate lunch boxes!  Can you say perfect for the homeschool family?!

No really, can you?

:-D

Beyond all that I am also a huge fan of the bento box style of the containers that eliminates the need for any sort of throw away.  No tin foil, no stinky plastic baggies- just neat little BPA free, kid-friendly containers.

What it really boils down to is that I would be telling you about these lunch boxes even if they hadn't sent me a set to try, and that I absolutely will be expanding my collection of containers and bags as we expand our family (don't get excited- no news there, just thinkin' ahead).  They really have the best of every feature I was looking for in a lunch box and we couldn't be more thrilled with this ingenius product line.

Even more thrilling is that I now have the opportunity to offer a set of containers and a bag to one of my lucky readers!

Want to enter?  I'm going to make it really simple for you- just one way to enter.  Swing by EasyLunchboxes.com and then come back here and tell me your favorite lunch idea from their gallery!  That's it!

I will draw a winner on Monday February 28, 2011 and post it on my blog & email the winner- so be sure you include a way for me to contact you if you haven't enabled your email address in blogger.

But hey- if you want to keep up with all their sales, news, and cool stuff they offer online (like parenting webinars and the Let's Do Lunch Musical Web Series starring the creator- Kelly Lester- along with celebrity guests!  Yes- I'm serious!) then make sure to follow Easy Lunch Boxes on Twitter and Facebook!

This giveaway is offered to US & Canadian residents only. Please do not enter this giveaway if you have won or received free product from EasyLunchboxes within the past 3 months. 

I received product from Easy Lunchboxes for the purpose of honest review.  All opinions are solely my own.

Be sure to visit my sponsor- Marmee's Bread Market- for recipes and everything else you need to easily make fresh baked goods for your family!

Swagg- Great, last mintue gift!

Hey Ladies!

I just wanted to throw this one out there, in case you are left in a jam with needing a last minute gift! There is a great new app for iPhone and Droid that was just released called Swagg.  Swagg lets you load all your gift and store rewards cards into your handy little app so you don't have to juggle all the cards around anymore, desperately trying to find them at the register.  Isn't that a great idea?!

I'm impressed!

When you get ready to purchase in the store all you have to do is show the cashier the card in your Swagg app and they can get all the information straight from there!  You can easily send or receive Swagg straight through the app as well.  How simple!  I love it!

There are hundreds of stores to choose from including top clothing stores, and even office suppliers and drug stores.  And since you send a general Swagg gift, the recipient is then able to apply it to any store in the Swagg database!  You just really can't go wrong!

I was sent a $20 to try the free app out and am planning to probably attribute it to Borders to purchase a couple of those books I was telling you I wanted the other day on my wish list!

OH- and I should mention that for every downloadof the app between now and the end of Decembe, Swagg will donate $1 towards Stand Up to Cancer!

Thank you to Swagg and Mom Bloggers Club for giving me the opportunity to try out the app!  Writing this post entered me to win a customized Swagg iPad but all opinions are honestly my own.

Be sure to visit my sponsor- Marmee's Bread Market- for recipes and everything else you need to easily make fresh baked goods for your family!

Eco Store Review- No Nasty Chemicals!

You all know how hard it is to find quality body care products that aren't filled with toxic junk, don't you?  I have had the darndest time over the last 4 years since I ditched all my Bath and Body Works goodies in favor of things that didn't have the potential of giving me and my family cancer!  While I have found a few gems in the rough here and there, none have quite lived up to all my expectations- until I found Eco Store!

Can I get a Wuh-Wuh?!  They are AWESOME!!

I mean- seriously!  Want awesome scents?  They've got 'em!

Want lots of suds in your body wash?  They've got 'em!

Want your body wash to be smooth and wash off without residue?  Yes, Mam!

Want your lotion to be dreamily silky and moisturizing?  They wouldn't have it any other way!

Want toxic, artificial chemicals to slather all over your body?  Well. if you answered "yes" I have all sorts of other reasons to worry about you, but, to get to the point, you aren't going to find any of that stuff in any of Eco Store's plant-based goodness!

I was so thrilled to be sent both their Vanilla Coconut Body Wash 

and their Baby Moisturizer 

(which of course, I actually used on yours truly!  Oh, and sometimes on my boys too- when I can catch them!).  Both products were honestly the best I have found in organic body care.  As Eco Store puts is- No Nasty Chemicals!  I love that I can use them on not only myself but my kiddos too, and never have to worry about a thing!

Oh, and did I mention that they recently dropped almost all of their prices by 30%?!?!  HOLY COW!!  That is some serious savings people!  Now they are really affordable!  And if you order is over $25 you get free shipping!  You just can't go wrong here!  I mean, can you say "Christmas Gifts?!" (go ahead, say it- you know you want to!)

Alright- that's all.  Just thought you might want to know.

Eco Store provided me with their products for honest review in this post.  Thank you to Eco Store for their generosity and manufacturing of an excellent line of products!

Be sure to visit my sponsor- Marmee's Bread Market- for recipes and everything else you need to easily make fresh baked goods for your family!

My recent guest post!

Hey everybody!  I forgot to mention that I recently did a guest review over at Heart of the Matter for an awesome preschool curriculum!  You can read it here!

Be sure to visit my sponsor- Marmee's Bread Market- for recipes and everything else you need to easily make fresh baked goods for your family!

Beautiful Christmas Cards with little work for you!

Every year I love figuring out my Christmas cards, and most years I design them myself.  However, this year, since I seem to have my hands so full with the boys and I am in the middle of writing a novel, I thought it might be nice to have someone else do all the work.

I have always had my hesitancy about pre-made card templates, though, because they typically all look the same and don't have any place to add a little annual update letter, which I always like to include.  With all of that in mind, I was very pleasantly surprised by Shutterfly's Folded Christmas Photo Cards!  They actually have a plethora of unique designs with lots of space to write, which is just perfect for our little family!  I am so over joyed to take out so much of the work!

My favorite design is this one.  Or wait- maybe it's this one.  Scratch that- this one is the coolest!  Or... I don't know!  There are so many choices!

While I am over there I just might pick up a couple of their desk calendars as gifts for the grandparents.  These calendars are sweet and, once again, unlike others I've seen, and of course Nana and Grandma would adore them!

We were hoping to be moved by the holidays and through a big winter bash at our new place in the woods, but since that doesn't look like it is happening quite as soon as we thought we might still be able to have our party come January.  If that is the case, I would love to send out some of these cute invitations!

What are you planning for your Christmas Cards this year?

Be sure to visit my sponsor- Marmee's Bread Market- for recipes and everything else you need to easily make fresh baked goods for your family!

Gotta Love CSN!

It is so fun to be one of CSN's preferred bloggers!  I have another review coming up with them and now that we may possibly be moving, the options seriously seem endless for what I could review!  I mean, I could get some lovely nesting tables or I could get a nice stand for our TV!  I have no idea how I am going to narrow it down between all the thousands of products offered at CSN's more than 200 stores!

What would you get?

Be sure to visit my sponsor- Marmee's Bread Market- for recipes and everything else you need to easily make fresh baked goods for your family!

A CSN review is on it's way!!!

I'm completely jazzed to announce that i have been chosen to be a Preferred Blogger (doesn't it sound so official?!) for CSN Stores!  And with my new status I have been offered a review (sweet!).

For those of you not familiar with CSN, they are an online network of more than 200 stores offering a huge variety of products!  Seriously everything from great toys and homeschool supplies, to furniture and cookware, and just about everything in between!

It is such an enormous task to narrow it down to what I really want to review since there are so many choices! I mean, I could go for a bedroom vanity or cool games and toys for homeschool this year.  What I really think it is going to come down to though, is either a bunk bed for the boys or a Bosch Mixer.  Whatever I do eventually decide on you can be sure that you will be the first ones to know!

A Review is Coming!

I am so excited to announce that soon I will be hosting a review- one that has really got me jazzed!  It is for a company that boasts a plethora of online shopping options.  I mean, you can buy everything from a sleeper sofa to cookware from these guys! 

Have you guessed who I'm talking about yet?  Yup- CSN stores!  If you haven't heard about them you have to check them out!  They have over 200 online stores, (including CSNsofas.com and cookware.com- just to name a couple!) selling everything from educational toys to furniture, and everything in between!

I am currently pouring through their stores trying to make the huge decision of what to get!  I have a few ideas but there is just sooooo much to choose from!  What would you review from them if you could?

Simply Charlotte Mason- All Day CM review

Okay- I promised this review to you guys a while ago, so I figured that I should probably get around to finally posting it! 

About a month ago I bought a few homeschooling resources with a bit of our tax return and the All Day Charlotte Mason Seminar on DVD from SimplyCharlotteMason.com was one of them.  I purchased the set that had four DVDs for the seminar, including Laying Down the Rails (which is all about establishing habits), along with the Laying Down the Rails book and the guided seminar notebook to take down my own notes in.  I plan to review the Laying Down the Rails portion at a later date, once I have finished the book (it is rather large!).

I thought that this seminar and accompanying notebook were extremely well prepared and thought out.  The seminar is long (hence the three DVDs) but is extremely thorough in covering how Charlotte Mason suggests you teach each subject for a full education- everything from the core subjects to extra-curriculars. 

Sonya Shaffer (the speaker and creator of the workshop) is engaging to listen to and uses many direct quotes from Charlotte's works.  She uses Charlotte's methods throughout the workshop to teach the listeners in order to give an even better understanding of the how-tos of the Charlotte Mason process, which I found to be inventive and helpful.  I thought her teaching style was very effective and I came away from (watching) the seminar feeling as though I had actually been there, and now have a much better understanding of Charlotte Mason and the realities of using this method.

The package was a bit on the spendy side but a resource I am sure I will return to over and over again through our homeschooling years, and am confident that it was a wise purchase and helpful addition to my teaching library.  I plan to use a mixture of Charlotte Mason and Unit Studies and this DVD definitely helped me get a better grasp on where we are headed and what it will look eventually like.  I recommend this set to all moms using or planning on using this approach in their homeschool, and if you are a local friend you are more than welcome to borrow it!

Please note that this post was not sponsored by or affiliated with SimplyCharlotteMason.com in any way.  All materials were purchased at my expense and my honest opinions were given.

BOBA!!

So for those of you who haven't heard, on October 1 the makers of Sleepy Wrap released a brand new carrier for kiddos 15-45lbs and 1-4 years old called Boba (stands for Boulder Baby).  The Boba is a soft, structured carrier that can be worn on either front or back and has ingenious foot straps for toddler's feet to rest in, keeping their legs aligned at the proper 90 degree angle for maximum support.

We were generously sent a Boba to review and were so excited to try it since I had recently been looking into getting a more structured carrier.  Although Lion Cub is only 4 months old, he is already 16lbs and has very good head and back control, so carrier tailored more to a bigger child seemed to be becoming necessary if I was going to be able to keep wearing him.

So, what do I think?  Well, I first tried the carrier on with R-Man who is 3 1/2 and about 28 lbs.  I was thinking, "This is probably going to be really uncomfortable!" But I was pleasantly surprised to find that the carrier dispersed his weight across my back and shoulders very evenly, making me think that if I needed to, I really could carry him in the Boba.  Plus he LOVED it!  I believe his exact words were, "This is so cool mom!"

The next test was with Lion Cub!  I have primarily worn him on the front, since at this stage of the game that is the easiest, and I really can say that I like the Boba a lot!  We have worn it just about everywhere- the apple orchard, the store, breastfeeding group- you name it, we use it!  The straps are really well padded and pretty easy to adjust.  The bottom belt offers a generous amount of support to my back, which is especially important to me having scoliosis (it tends to get worse with the more children you lug around!).  The buckles are both very secure and the length of the back support for the child is nice and long to accommodate a long child (which Lion Cub is!).

What don't I like?  Well, sometimes the buckles seem a little too secure- the large, bottom buckle has a double latching system that can be a little tricky to unclasp when it is on your back.  Also, when wearing the baby on the front, the top clasp (that you hook behind your shoulder blades) can be a little hard to reach.  With that said, however, it hasn't detoured me from using it.

In fact, especially as Lion cub gets bigger and older and I am able to wear him on my back more, I am quite sure that Boba will be our go-to carrier!  It is so well designed with both baby and mama in mind that I think it is pretty hard to beat.  It is rare to find a company who puts as much research and development into making an all around wonderful product such as this, and the fact that it is 100% Organic and made in the US is just the icing on the cake!  Oh, and did I mention that it can easily be adjusted for moms, dads, grandmas and grandpas to all get in on the babywearing action?!  Gotta love that!

I can say with confidence that if I were looking into buying a carrier right now, Boba is the one I would get.  I think I would go so far as to challenge families to try it and not like, because once you use it you can't help but fall in love!  And hey, who doesn't like getting stopped in public and complimented on their beautiful carrier (as has happened to me!)?  The Boba just attracts that kind of attention!  :-)

So, have I convinced you?  Want to try one too?  Head on over to BobaCarrier.com and use the code mamakenz for a 10% discount through November 11- you won't regret it!!

Hmmmm... what could it be?

 Want to find out what is inthis box that I am so excited about?

Come back the week of October 12 to find out!

Knickernappies Review

As part of The Summer of Baby Love blog party I was sent a Knickernappies diaper by the manufacturer for a review. To be totally honest, I have mixed feeling about this diaper, but I am really not sure if it could just be due to user error or the shape of my particular baby.


I thought that the diaper was very trim, which was a definite pro in my book (in the picture below Lion Cub was only 4 weeks old, so it was still a bit big for him). The diaper fit nicely under clothes and comes in cute colors. Another BIG pro for me was the loopydoo insert! It is sewn as, well, a loop, so that the fabric can get cleaner and dry faster- a very nice feature! I also like that it side snaps, giving a clean look and preventing wing-droop.


The con for us was the leaks- Lion Cub tended to shoot pee straight out the legs. But once again, I have to emphasize that I am not sure if this is due to user error or just that this particular diaper wasn't a good fit for my particular baby. One thing I have definitely found in cloth diapering is that no one diaper fits every baby the same, and what works for one may not work for another! So, just because we had some leaking issues I wouldn't not recommend this diaper- it has so many good qualities. I think it probably would fit babies with chubbier thighs best, possibly, though.

If you would like to try out a Knickernappies dipe for yourself, you can purchase one from Cloth Diaper Outlet or No Pins 4 Baby. Give 'em a try and let me know what you think!

Check out Ecostore and my 1st Giveaway!!!

Well, as many of you know I am going to be hosting a party on my blog this summer for some awesome natural & attachment parenting products:


...but I thought I would kick things off this month with a little teaser giveaway- just a preview of other wonderful things to come!


Recently Ecostore USA contacted me about reviewing a few of their products. I was thrilled, to say the least, to get the chance to not only check out these products for myself but also be able to offer one of them to my readers in a fun little giveaway!

Now, I must admit, I came into this review already being a stickler for the kinds of bath, body and household cleaning products I allow in our home. Any product that I don't make myself or have intimate knowledge of is, by nature, prone to a large amount of skepticism and investigation. So, imagine how thrilled I was when after some reading I discovered that Ecostore's products not only met my expectations but exceeded them!

Ecostore is a little company that had it's start up in New Zealand and is now broadening it's horizons to a more international scope (lucky us!)! They're highly comprehensive website is impressive to say the least- not only do they sell their products, but they help us, as the consumer, to become more informed about our chemical choices so that we can make the best decisions for our families. Check out what they have to say about what it really means to be green in their article Your Family, Your Chioce, or how about some of the videos they have produced to help us stay up on making conscious consumer chemical choices. Best of all, they have a page completely devoted to the full disclosure of every ingredient in their products (something I always look for- I like to know that they have nothing to hide!).

So, after doing my research I gave a few of their products a trial run! The first thing I tried was their Toilet Cleaner. Made from mostly plant-based ingredients, this tough little cleaner will not only leave your toilet shiny and new, but will also do no harm to our waterways, and let's you walk away from a satisfying cleaning experience without feeling light-headed from inhaling any nasty fumes! After using this product for two weeks in both our bathrooms I am happy to report sparkling, eco-friendly results and would highly recommend this product to any of my readers!

Next stop on my trial list was Ecostore's Wool Wash. Now, with a new babe on the way and a toddler still using cloth dipes at night, I had a quite a few wool covers to wash and prep. Once again, Ecostore's simple, plant-based solution worked wonders and left our garments smelling fresh and looking great. I am happy to report that the longies I knit for the new babe are clean and ready for wearing just as soon as he or she arrives, and I have no worries of any harsh chemicals being left over that could leach from the pants onto his or her skin- very comforting for a mama! I also thought that Ecostore offers their Wool Wash at a very reasonable price in comparison with other wool washes on the market, especially for it's quality.

Lastly, and drum roll please (this one is the giveaway!), I tried out Ecostore's Baby Shampoo on my toddler's thick head of hair (it may be short, but it is thick and coarse!). The soothing scent and natural and plant-based ingredients (of coarse), made this shampoo the perfect selection for Roman's night-time bathing experience and left his hair silky smooth! He enjoyed the cute picture on the bottle and I enjoy knowing that he is not getting exposed to anything that could potentially harm him- the best of both worlds!

So, would you like to get in on some of the action and try out this wonderful Baby Shampoo too? Well, here's your chance!

How to Enter the Ecostore Baby Shampoo Giveaway:
- Visit the Ecostore site and then return here and leave a comment about your favorite product! It's that simple!

Want extra entries (and you know you do!)? Leave an extra comment for any of the following:
1. Post about the giveaway on your blog (leave the link in your comment).
2. Post my Mama Kenz Studio or Summer of Baby Love buttons on your blog (find in left sidebar).
3. Subscribe to Mama Kenz Studio by e-mail (Feedburner in left sidebar).
4. Become a follower of Mama Kenz Studio (on the right!).
5. Follow me on Twitter and tweet about the giveaway (leave your Twitter screenname & what time you tweeted).

Winner will be chosen Monday April 13, 2009- so make sure you leave your entries before then! Also be sure you either leave your e-mail address or have it on your blog so I can contact you if you are the winner! Good Luck!