Month: August 2017

MamatheFox’s 2017 Back to School Giveaway

Welcome to the 2nd annual MamatheFox’s Back to School Giveaway

hosted by MamatheFox

Sponsors include: Wean Green, Momobaby, Gina’s Soft Cloth, I See Me! and Teach My

This years giveaway will have (1) winner, who will take home: (1) pair of MomoBaby Shoes (up to $54 value), (1) Kitchen Set from WeanGreen ($55 value), (2) Teach My Yoga Mat Sets ($50 value), I See Me My U.S.A. Road Trip Gift Set with Map ($50 value) and a set of reusable lunchbox napkins from Gina’s Soft Cloth!

This years prize is valued at over $200!

 

MamatheFox and all participating blogs are not held responsible for sponsors who fail to fulfill their prize obligations. 

OXO Mealtime Essentials Giveaway

Welcome to the OXO tot Giveaway

Hosted by: MamatheFox

For this exciting giveaway you have the chance to win the OXO tot Mealtime Essentials Set.

Including the Mash Maker Baby Food Masher, two silicone Feeding Spoons, a Baby Food Freezer Tray, and a Roll-Up Bib.

MamatheFox and all participating blogs are not held responsible for sponsors who fail to fulfill their prize obligations. 

Multiforce Giveaway

Have you wondered about what balancing your pH can do for you and your body? Multiforce helps you achieve optimal well being and all around good health. This daily supplement is easy to drink taste great and helps you on your journey to a better, healthier you. By Helping to neutralize the effects of harmful acidity cause by everyday lifestyles and diet, Multiforce helps you live life balanced.

Read more about Multiforce and to learn why you want to balance your pH

Sponsored by: Multiforce

Hosted by: MamatheFox.com

Enter for your chance to win (3) bottles of Multiforce valued at $90

(1 bottle of mango flavor, 1 bottle of unflavored and 1 bottle or lemon flavor)

Open to US only

Runs 8/16-8/31 – Winner pulled on 9/1

 

 

MamatheFox and all participating blogs are not held responsible for sponsor who fail to fulfill their prize obligation. 

The Clean Beauty Revolution – Au Naturale Cosmetics

Have you heard about the Clean Beauty Revolution? Au Naturale is changing the way makeup is made, and it’s all for the better.

Ashley Prange, nuclear analyst, wanted to go au natural, but didn’t want to go without makeup. She kept having reactions and breakouts from makeup, but didn’t want to stop using it. So, she set out to create her own makeup.

“Her mission was to use exclusively healthy, natural & ethically sourced ingredients in order to develop a replacement for each and every product in her former beauty routine” – Au Naturale Website

Their Mission: The #CleanBeautyRevolution.

The Clean Beauty Revolution is what makes Au Naturale unlike many other natural cosmetics brands, that being said there are some really great natural cosmetics available such as Waterlilies And Company. From day one, each ingredient has been scrutinized before being included into a formulation, only those who are ethically sound, factually healthy & naturally sourced making the final cut. And from day one, the company has been determined to provide consumers with much more than a line of healthy products.

What I love about Au Naturale is their huge variety of products and color options they provide. As of 2017 they offer:

Foundations/Concealers

Blushes/Highlighters/Bronzers

Eye Shadows/Eye Pencils

Lip Stains/Lip Glosses/Lipsticks Lip Pencils

Brushes

vegan, cruelty-free, paraben free, gluten free, sustainably made & ethically sourced.

hand made in their own lab in Green Bay, WI.

FREE domestic shipping on orders over $50

I tried 2 Au Naturale products, their Stain Matte Lip Stain and their Pure Powder Highlighter.

I loved how sleek the packaging and containers are for the makeup. I have seen and used several other ‘free’ makeups but nothing with such high quality materials and such beautiful design. I love knowing that these products are toxic free. Nothing unsavory is on my skin or absorbing into my body. I try to take care of my body, inside and out, so knowing that I am not harming myself is a huge sigh of relief. Keeping the skin youthful-looking and rejuvenated is the mission of women all over the world and, thankfully, there are many things on the market that can help them do this such as these beverly hills md products available online to try out for yourself to improve your overall skin health.

Au Naturale Lip Stain comes in 10 shades, giving all skin tones something to lean towards. I love pinks but also love purples. I have caucasian skin, but tan easily and get several shades darker for the summer and fall months. My lips seem to really fade to the background when I put on any shades that are too close to my natural skin and lip color. This is frustrating to me and causes me to have a hard time finding lipsticks that I can wear that boost my natural look. Even with a lip lift surgery to tighten the skin of the lips, Au Naturale Lip Stain adds that extra pop over color to heighten my look.  Using Au Naturale Lip Stain has been such a joy for me. I love how it stays on, gives my lips a natural looking color boost without being too overpowered. The Lip Stain does not fade into my lips making it look like I am not wearing anything but rather showcasing them in a fun and safe way.

The color I am using is “Purple Reign”

I have never used a highlighter before 2017. I tried one out a few months ago when I was trying out new makeup with my cousin and fell in love with the concept. A highlighter is typically used after your makeup is on and complete; it is the final step. It sets your work, adds a radiant illumination and a soft focus finish to your face and décolletage. Au Naturale has 3 Pure Powder Highlighter shades: begonia (pinky), Moondust (silverish) and Halcyon (goldish). I am using the Begonia.

This product sprays out in powdered form. You can spray directly on your face where you want to work it in, or you can spray onto your hand and collect with your application brush. Either way works. It is a very fine and delicate power, making it easy to apply and not ‘over do’ your face. Often times products like a highlighter can go on too heavy and make you look like you dumped the product on your face. Au Naturale’s Highlighter is so

Next time you want to try out some new beauty products head over to Au Naturale and dive into the Clean Beauty Revolution!

Connect with Au Naturale

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Mama on the Move with OXO

Ok Mamas sit down to relax with a nice hot cup of coffee while you read this post.

Or maybe not.

Lets be real, it will probably take you a few good hours to read this blog from start to finish. In between sentences you’ll probably feed a baby, or kiss an ouchy, or stop a few hundred dangerous decisions your toddler is trying to make.

I get it. Mamas are always on the move inside and out of the home.

Since week one of my son’s birth I was on the move. Visiting family, going to special events, and eventually returning to our home overseas. I quickly learned adding children to our active lives was a whole new ball park. Always having something similar to holle formula stage 2 helped a bunch.

But not impossible.

About OXO

As a new mom, I learned there are clever people designing and engineering products specifically for mamas on the move! One of my favorite brands for ingenious baby gear is OXO. They create innovative products that cater to everyday living with children.

OXO makes 1,000+ products covering numerous areas of the home. There big philosophy is Universal Design; basically, creating products that almost anyone can use. The company started when Sam Farber promised his wife with arthritis he would create a better peeler for her to use.

Precious, right?

Sam worked through hundreds of models and did extensive research until in 1990 he invented the first OXO Good Grips kitchen tool; the iconic peeler. So we can all thank Sam, a trusty husband, for making “Women’s Work” just a tad bit simpler.

But the good doesn’t stop there, OXO is dedicated to fighting against pediatric cancer. They are a corporate partner with Cookies for Kids’ Cancer by matching proceeds from bake sales.

OXO tot brand was inspired after a baby boom in the office. When their employees faced parent pet peeves firsthand, they decided to start problem solving. OXO tot line covers a number of products such as feeding, seating, and on-the go for your littles one.

My first experience with OXO tot was when I purchased the Travel Drying Rack for our many travels in China. I remember appreciating how well thought-out its compact design was, and how it proved its durability over and over again. It came with us on every trip and was used for bottles, sippy cups, and teethers. I always had mamas asking me about it and where it could be purchased. Needless to say, I had a great start to my OXO experience.

Recently, I tested a number of feeding and on-the-go systems by OXO. I am a mama of two under three, and I can attest that I am always moving. Someone is always hungry, there is always somewhere to be, a mess to be cleaned, and a diaper to be changed. Overall, I appreciated the well thought out engineering of each individual product. It honestly felt like a mom had invented each one after facing some kind of catastrophe with their little. I hope I can give you a helpful and honest review of each individual product.

On-the-Go Gear

On-the-Go Fork and Spoon Set

Pretty self-explanatory, it’s a toddle fork and spoon in a travel case. The stainless-steel tableware is perfectly shaped, sized, and weighted for little hands.

Did I say weighted?

Yes! They are strategically weighted which gives them a much more durable feel. Not to mention, it assists in helping your little one dig into foods with ease. The travel case is durable and keeps the utensils securely in place when being jostled in a diaper bag. They are dishwasher safe and meet the mama standard of no sharp edges. An added bonus is any OXO Tot Fork & Spoon set can fit in the On-the-Go case. Which means you can have more color options than just the green and aqua. But knowing my whole kitchen is decorated in that exact green and aqua, I was pretty pleased with the colors.

Flippy Snack Cup with Travel Lid

I don’t know about you but I NEVER leave my house without snacks. Snacks are my saving grace when it comes to stalling or keeping my kids entertained. Since the time my son was old enough to snack, I had snack cups. The top is made of soft flaps that let little hands in but prevents snacks coming out. The flaps are definitely the highest quality I’ve ever used and don’t seem to lose stiffness over time. The handle conveniently doubles as a hook for hanging onto strollers and the twist on lid doesn’t pop off with impact.

Trust me, we’ve tested it.

My favorite feature of the Flippy Snack Cup, making it preferred over similar products, is the travel lid. No more cheerios at the bottom of the diaper bag or stale snacks at the end of the day. I do wish the lid was hinged on the top and not completely removable because I know sooner or later I’m going to be digging through the diaper back for the impossible to find clear lid. Overall, I would award this my favorite brand of snack cup.

Feeding Gear

Mash Maker Baby Food Mill

The Mash Maker is designed for maximum ease in pureeing food for your little one starting solids. To be honest, I have a few mixed emotions about this product. It started out rough as my mom and I confusingly struggled to get going. I would highly recommend reading the directions thoroughly and maybe even watching one of their instructional videos on amazon before getting started. After watching the video short, we had a real “ohhhhh” moment and realized how much sense it actually made.

Once we did get going I was trying to steam and puree everything in sight. The non-skid base and grip was comfortable and stable while grinding food. It worked really well for soft cooked fruits and veggies. I tried steamed zucchini, sweet potato, and squash and they all worked well. What makes this more innovative than just a blender is its ability to separate excess liquid. I would highly suggest grinding juicier foods on a plate or in the sink. We had a flood of juice out the bottom of our mill during our zucchini mash up, but great news is our puree was an excellent texture.

The blades are stainless steel, however at times it was quite difficult to forcefully push downward while cranking. My experience pureeing a mango did not go as smoothly as I’d had hoped.

My favorite feature overall was the ability to dissemble and clean the Tot Mash Maker. After each vegetable I did a quick rinse and then finally a full handwashing at the end. It came out stain free and looking like new, even after mashing sweet potato and mango. It also did great in the top rack of the dishwasher. Even with some slight difficulties, I enjoyed having a small, manual, easy to clean tool that was just meant for baby food.

Baby Food Freezer tray

With my first little I did all the fun baby food prep using my everyday kitchen tools. We literally sacrificed having ice for months because our ice trays were full of baby mush cubes. I struggled a lot with keeping the trays covered, food free from freezer burn and odors, and popping out individual cubes at meal time. What makes this freezer tray unique is the multipurpose patented cover. It slides which allows releasing one cube at a time easy. The design is made for easy stacking and is of course, its dishwasher safe. When it came to meal times, each cube popped out easily and was nice and fresh.

Roll-Up Bib

Again, this is another product most of us mamas have seen. An easy to clean bib that includes a food-safe pocket for catching those pieces that don’t quite make it into baby’s mouth. However, there are two things that make this universal design more unique. First off its made of a combination of soft fabric, on top, and durable silicone, on bottom. Both materials are BPA, PVC, and phthalate free. My daughter was not bothered by the comfortable Velcro strap around her neck and happily wore her bib through all of meal time.

Cheers to no bib ripping off battle!

Meal time was simple to clean up as my daughter stayed dry and clean under her waterproof, well fitted OXO bib. As for the bib itself, it both wiped clean and washed well without staining. The other unique design of the Roll-Up bib is it being travel friendly. The fabric rolls into the silicone and securely closes. I went straight for the two pack so that I could consistently have one in the diaper bag and one at home. A definite must have for the mama on the go!

Glass Baby Blocks

As my family moves farther and farther away from having plastic in our house, I am always looking for good solid glass containers. These durable BPA-free containers worked great in the freezer, microwave, and oven.

On those very rare days where I am actually prepared, I love having the choice of heating in the oven.

The snap lids proved to be very air tight giving me confidence to throw one in my diaper bag, not to mention keeping food fresh and odorless.

Measurement markings are great for portioning and the stackable tray helps keep my baby food organized and together

That means no more hidden food wasting away in the corner of your fridge.

Feeding Spoon Set with Soft Silicone

This soft silicone spoon worked great during feedings and the stainless steel made it feel extra sturdy. The spoon shape made it easy for wiping excess food off her face and regulating the amount given to her at a time. Since my daughter is in that fun handsy stage, she consistently grabs the spoon before it gets to her mouth. I eventually gave up and started putting food on the spoon and letting her feed herself. The contour handle worked great for her little hands and she was one happy independent baby!

Drinking

Transition Straw Cup with Handles

The minute I opened this cup it was fought over between my 2 year old and 9 month old. Not sure if it was the bright color, cool handles, or fun hinged cap that made it so appealing. I let my 2 year old try it out first and that immediately hooked me. Not sure if you have this problem, but my son is a mega water bottle stealer and hider. He attempts to drink from any cup in sight and then carries them away to a black hole where they seem to be gone forever.

Until I find a giant wet puddle leading me to the loot of water bottles.

However, this cup has proven to be completely spill proof. The straw has a valve that opens as soon as a tot drinks, minimizing messes.

It also includes a hinged cap that is leak-proof, yet easy enough for my toddler to open and close.

When I finally got it out of my son’s hands I really appreciated the ability to disassemble the cup for a good thorough cleaning. I then let my baby take it for a spin during meal time.

She did great with the comfortable grip handles and I was able to see how much she drank with the printed ounces down the front. Another OXO clever design is the almond-shaped straw that conforms to baby’s mouth. Its intention is to ease the transition from bottle or nursing into cup. And if you haven’t heard, straws are the new alternative due to orthodontic and speech issues associated with sippy cups. Also an added bonus is you can purchase replacement straws, because we all know the dishwasher needs a monthly sacrifice or your toddler decides to dig a hole to China using his cup. Overall, I appreciated the universal design of this cup and how it worked from infancy to toddlerhood. I’d even go as far to say it would be an awesome baby shower gift!

So there you have it.

Mamas on the go you are not alone in your daily battle to get out the door with everyone clothed and fed. Just know there are creative folks out there, like OXO, who have your back by working hard to provide you with innovative products that meet your every day needs.

Connect with OXO

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Why Should You Balance Your pH?

Multiforce is a revolutionary product that helps to maintain your pH balance…but what is pH? And why do we need it to be balanced?

What is pH?

pH refers to how acidic or alkaline a liquid is. A pH level of 7 indicates that a substance is neutral, such as pure water. As the pH level decreases from 7, the substance becomes increasingly acidic. Comparatively, anything with a pH level above 7 indicates that the substance is alkaline. Similarly, as the pH value increases, the alkaline level also increases. In industries where hazardous chemicals are used it is believed that strongly acidic and strongly alkaline substances are the most effective corrosive substances. Moreover, highly corrosive substances must be stored in compliant storage facilities such as a corrosive storage cabinet. To learn more about the pH levels of corrosive chemicals, click here.

But what does this mean in terms of the human body? Every cell, organ and bodily system functions best when it is at its prime pH level. Different body part need different pH levels. Your stomach and skin need to be more acidic, but your blood and saliva need to be more alkaline. Your body is constantly trying to optimize itself and balancing its various pH levels.

What Happens When Your pH is Off Balance?

So many issues can occur when your pH is off. Some of them include:

  • Heartburn
  • Gout
  • Sore muscles and joints
  • Headaches
  • Kidney stones (treatment available at a private urologist in London)
  • Gallstones
  • Body odor/Bad breath
  • Dry skin
  • Sweaty feet
  • Weak nails
  • A weak immune system

What Causes Your pH To Be Off Balance?

  • Coffee
  • Soda
  • Sugar
  • Stress
  • Alcohol
  • Processed Foods.

What Can You Do?

If you want to help aid your body in getting to a supporting proper pH levels you can do several things:

  1. Your diet. Aim for a diet rich in vegetables and fruits, whole grains, and reduce your intake of animal proteins, dairy, white flour and processed foods.
  2. Drink plenty of water
  3. Eliminate soda, sugars, coffee and refined carbs
  4. Introduce an alkaline mineral supplement that can help assist in maintaining the body’s pH balance, like Multiforce.

What is Multiforce?

Multiforce is a multi-mineral powder that was formulated as a dietary supplement to enhance certain physiological processes in the maintenance of mineral and acid base balance in the human body. Multiforce contains readily absorbable forms of calcium, magnesium and potassium which support the body in maintaining its pH balance.

Multiforce is a powder you add to water and consume, and comes in 3 options: mango, lemon and unflavored.

Who Should Take Multiforce?

  • People who eat a high amount of sugar and processed foods
  • Health conscious people who want to maintain general good health
  • People who are highly stressed
  • Athletes may benefit due to the lactic acids build up. It is not a banned substance and has no negative side effects

*Multiforce has not been evaluated by the FDA. It it not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Connect With Multiforce

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Snack Pals Giveaway

10Snack Pals Giveaway


Hosted By
~ 3 Winners~
Open to US
8/11 12am ~ 8/26 11:59pm

~Prize~
The prizes include
1 Snack Pal per winner
(3 Winners)
Check out our review for Snack PalsFind Snack Pals on
FacebookYoutube, and TwitterFind Amy & Aron’s Real Life Reviews on 
Facebook, InstagramPinterest, Youtube, and Twitter

Thank you to all of the bloggers promoting this giveaway! I appreciate all of you for your hard work and helping our readers get really awesome prizes!

Now for the fun stuff. This giveaway is open to US. There are daily bonus entries so please check back tomorrow. Share it with your family and friends, they’ll want to enter to win too!!
I can’t ask you to “Like” our pages but, if you see something you like, let us know so we can bring you more of it.

We LOVE it when you “LIKE” our pages.a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you have any questions about this giveaway,  reviews, or any of our other giveaways, please feel free to email us directly at grovesamy81@gmail.com or amy@aarlreviews.com

Vitamin C Has A New Boss – C.E.O. by Sunday Riley

In the world of skincare, one of the best things you can do for your face is use Vitamin C. This is a powerful, stable and highly effective way to prevent and repair the visible signs of premature skin aging. Finding products that work well with your skin can be difficult but the Aspect Dr reviews are always glowing and this range includes an active Vitamin C serum. Finding a skincare range with Vitamin C is great because it will lighten and brighten an uneven complexion. This is also a powerful antioxidant that utilizes Vitamin C to moisturize the user’s skin as well as promoting collagen growth. It is well-known that collagen will keep the skin plump and firm, whilst preventing fine lines and wrinkles. In fact these days you can get products like Anti Aging Face Oil which are made to prevent these wrinkles, especially if this is an insecurity of yours. There are plenty of these on the market with different magic ingredients, it’s all about finding what works best for you. There are many other ranges out there containing Vitamin C. The key to the new C.E.O. line by Sunday Riley is the particular type of Vitamin C they use (5% THD Ascorbate). Their formula is less irritating than other forms of Vitamin C, like L-Ascorbic Acids. If you are looking to brighten your skin, provide antioxidant support and fight the look of damage caused by UV-B exposure, then you need to try out this new skincare line.

@sundayriley C.E.O. line is jammed packed with #vitaminc – which fights the visable signs of #UV and micropollution-induced #skinaging It is perfect for all skin types, especially #sensitiveskin Now available at @sephora #VitaminCHasaNewBoss #ad #skincare #beauty #beautyblogger #SundayRiley

The 3 players in the C.E.O. game are: C + E Micro-Dissolve Cleansing Oil, C + E Anti Oxidant Protect + Repair Moisturizer and Rapid Flash Brightening Serum.

Sunday Riley products are available at Sephora!

Connect with Sunday Riley

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C + E Micro-Dissolve Cleansing Oil

When it comes to cleansing oils you have to really pay attention to what you want from your cleanser. With the C.E.O. Cleansing Oil, you can be sure you are getting a quality product that works. There are a few key ingredients that pair up with the use of Vitamin C which get you this stellar cleanser. First, White Willow Bark. This provides a natural beta hydroxy acid (BHA) that gets you a deeper pore cleansing. To pair up with that, they added in Turmeric, which provides antioxidants while reducing the look and feel of skin redness and sensitivity. I have very sensitive skin and had no issues using this product.

C + E Anti Oxidant Protect + Repair Moisturizer

The C.E.O. Moisturizer has been one of my top face creams in my rotation. This is by far the best smelling cream I have ever used. The amazing smell comes from their use of Lime Pearl Extract, which is extracted from the caviar lime. These lime pearls are a natural source of AHA. The rich and smooth texture gives you the coverage you desire in a morning and night time routine. It absorbs perfectly so if you are going to apply makeup you do not have to wait an exorbitant amount of time. If you have reactive or sensitive skin, then you are going to love this moisturizer because they also added in Bisabolol, which is often used in baby products for its soothing benefits.

Rapid Flash Brightening Serum

This is the serum for the exhausted parents out there! I often do not get the full night’s rest that my body and skin need. For those days (or months for the infant parents out there), you are going to lean on this serum to give your skin a healthy-looking radiance and glow. Sunday Riley really amps up the use of Vitamin C in this serum, getting 15% ultra-stable, advanced Vitamin C in there. It is both highly stable and oil-soluble, helping it to rapidly absorb into the skin, for enhanced tone, clarity and visible brightening.

  • THD Ascorbate is classified as a quasi-drug in Japan at 3%, for visible skin brightening. Sunday Riley uses it in CEO Rapid Flash Brightening Serum at 15%!

The Rapid Flash Serum can be used day or night, I have used it at both and love how smoothly it goes on and how soft it feels on my skin.

pBuzz Giveaway

Sponsored By: pBuzz

Hosted By: Love, Mrs. Mommy

**4 Winner Giveaway**

Each winner will receive a pBuzz Musical Instrument ($29.95 RV)
A total giveaway value of $119.80!

What is pBuzz?

Designed by a team of British musicians the pBuzz is a completely new musical instrument. The brightly colored, light and smooth curved edged product has been designed specifically for mini musicians’ little hands. Simple and easy to play the mouthpiece makes it the perfect introduction to brass playing for early learners.

Research has shown that youngsters who have early exposure to musical instruments develop areas of the brain that relate to social, language and reasoning skills, as well as memory. The buzz can also help develop a child’s sensory and fine motor skills, encourage self-expression, stimulate imagination and creativity, build confidence and nurture their natural music talents.

Open To US and must be 18+ to enter


Giveaway Dates ~ 8/9 2:00 PM EST through 8/30 11:59PM EST
Disclosure: Love, Mrs. Mommy and all participating bloggers are not held responsible for sponsors who do not fulfill their prize obligations. This giveaway is in no way endorsed or sponsored by Facebook or any other social media site. The winners will be randomly drawn by Giveaway Tools and will be notified by email. Winners have 48 hours to reply before a replacement winner will be drawn. If you would like to participate in an event like this please contact LoveMrsMommy (at) gmail (dot) com.