Let me start by saying, wow – I wish I had these swaddle wraps when my boys were born. A few weeks ago, the people at Aden + Anais sent me a certified organic Swaddle wrap in this adorable Star pattern to check out and it’s just gorgeous. Really.

The wrap is made of muslin – it’s soft and lightweight. It feels great on your skin, so baby will feel comfortable. And each wrap comes with a little card that shows how to swaddle. But I have to say – the blanket is great for other uses as well. I know I would have loved to use it for when I was nursing – a nice cover-up that would be light and breezy for the baby.Plus it would be perfect for the beach or picnics for the baby to lie on.

You may be wondering why you would want to swaddle specifically with muslin, and the site does a great job of explaining it as well as telling a little history about swaddling. They also mention recent studies:

In 2002, the medical journal Pediatrics published a study that explained why babies who are swaddled sleep more peacefully by preventing spontaneous movements (called reflex motion) from waking them up continually during the night. The same year, the Journal of Applied Physiology wrote that swaddled infants stay in REM sleep (the most restorative, deepest sleep) longer than those who were not. There is growing evidence every year that swaddling may indirectly help prevent SIDS, as well.

The site www.adenandanais.com has all kinds of swaddling blankets in different styles and colors. They range from organic (like the one I have – even printed with low eco-impact prints) to bamboo to “classic”. These really do make a great baby gift – especially paired with Garden Baby Little Lamb lotion and Rub a Dub baby wash + shampoo! (I know, shameless plug!)

So here’s the best part! I am going to give away the one I got to a lucky winner! But that’s not all – you’ll also get a Garden Baby Rub a Dub baby wash + shampoo for your little one. No little one to share this with? It would make a perfect gift – so why not give it a go?

All you need to do to enter is comment on this posting and let me know why you want to win. The winner will be chosen on Saturday, June 12. I will post the winner here. Good luck!

(Full disclosure – I did unroll the blanket to look at it so while it wasn’t used, it doesn’t look as neatly rolled up as it does in the picture!)

A few posts back, I mentioned that I had used the website www.alice.com and among the products I had ordered, was something called the BathroomStone. Well I have been using this for a few weeks now, and it is definitely a pretty cool tool.  And earth friendly, too!

You’re probably wondering what exactly it is.  The packaging probably says it best:

” BathroomStone is the most powerful scouring product available. It easily cleans even the toughest hard water, soap scum and mildew on porcelain or tile and grout. It will not absorb odor causing bacteria.”

The thing that is so different about this is that it’s made from recycled glass! It’s wild. The company’s founder, Andrew Ungerleider, was determined to stop the destruction of New Mexico’s Jemez Mountains from the mining of pumice stone. So instead, he developed a technology that creates a glass “foam” from recycled beverage bottles. According to the site “The waste stream of crushed bottles that would end up in the landfill is converted into products with green qualities that have desirable physical properties and cost benefits.” Pretty clever!

I have to say, it’s something that you have to use very carefully. It clearly could scratch the heck out of surfaces that are not “safe” so it should only be used on porcelain or tile and grout. I used it in the shower and in the toilet bowls to get rid of hard water stains. It worked amazingly (and relatively effortlessly) well on the hard water stains that I couldn’t get to budge before. You need to use it either under water or with water, and scrub in a circular motion to make sure it doesn’t do any damage.

The company also produces similar products for use on porcelain-coated pots/pans in the kitchen, on the grill (definitely want to check that out), and in outdoor pools. They can be purchased online or in stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s.

Sometimes you come across a company that have such a heartfelt story that it really makes you want to think of a reason to buy something from them. That’s the way I felt when I found out about Carebox.com. Carebox was started by Christine Curavo. This is what she says:

“After the recent loss of both parents to lung cancer, I founded CAREBOX™, which is a series of beautiful gift packages meant for somebody going through a life changing event. I donate a portion of my profits towards an early detection test for cancer.

Because I was able to be with, and take care of my parents during the last months of their lives, I came to know what helped them feel more comfortable or what brought a smile—and I designed a CAREBOX™ for those situations.”

So her first products at Carebox were really focused on uplifting gifts for people going through a life struggle or a serious illness. She has the Lemons to Lemonade box for when “life gives you lemons”, the Lavender Ladies box to help ease insomnia or nausea, the Club Pink box to send to someone who is fighting breast cancer, and (the one I think that’s the most creative) the Nausea Not box filled with natural remedies to fight nausea.

But as her business started to grow, she got requests for more types of boxes and gifts. So she now offers the Welcome to the World box to celebrate the birth of a child, as well as a Build a Box option so you can create your own gift – there’s a HUGE list of goodies you can put in the box. Plus she has one that’s just filled with Hershey’s Kisses. YUMMY and simple – and sure to bring a smile to someone’s face.

Christine was kind enough to send me a sample of one of the Lemons to Lemonade box. And wow- is it gorgeous! And the reason that I’m also especially excited about her products is that she makes a serious effort to be eco-friendly. The beautiful boxes are made from recycled paper, the products are natural and she sources them from the US whenever possible.

The brown and silvery green box arrived with a lovely bow and gift card. Inside, there was a very pretty cloth sack with natural lemonade mix, a box of 3 lemon shaped and scented soaps (they look just like a real lemon!) from Bronnley Soaps with Sicilian lemon oil, and a tin of natural Lemon Cookies (made in the US – and happily without hydrogenated oils, however not nut safe for those who need to know). The package is presented so nicely, I would imagine anyone – whether life IS giving them lemons or not – would be very happy to receive it.

So next time someone you know is struggling with an illness – big or small – and you aren’t sure just what to say, think about sending a gift from Carebox.com. They are a beautiful and thoughtful gift that will say just the right thing.

The people at GetYubo.com sent me a very cool Yubo lunchbox to check out. I was intrigued by the lunchbox when I read about it online. It can be customized with different faceplates (you can even have your child’s drawing or photo used for a faceplate). Plus, it is made of recyclable plastic (very nice!) that’s anti-microbial and it’s BPA free. Even more handy, is that it comes with its own food containers that are BPA-free, and a perfectly-shaped-for-the-lunchbox, flat (yea!) ice pack. And not only that, they are giving a lunchbox away for FREE in celebration of Earth Day. (see Yubo Giveaway posting for details)

When I received the lunchbox, I immediately loved it. It’s adorable, bright and is incredibly easy to clean up. I find that the “soft” cooler-bag type lunchboxes get kinda stinky and icky after awhile and they are so hard to get clean. This lunchbox comes completely apart and you can wash each section (personally, even though it’s BPA-free and they say it’s dishwasher safe, I would still wash it by hand).

It really is a very clever design, and I’m impressed with the concept. As with so many cool products out there, this was designed by a mom and dad, Cyndi and Paul Pedrazzi, who were getting tired of the endless plastic baggies they used for their two daughter’s lunches each day. Not to mention the foul odors that accumulate in the typical lunch boxes. So they literally approached an award-winning design company, Whipsaw, in Silicon Valley (they also designed LeapFrog’s LeapPad). And they have gotten tons of press coverage – check out all of chatter on the Press page of their website.

I will say, there were a few things that I think could be improved:

• The design is really best for smaller children – maybe 5 and under? My 7 year old thought it was very cool but said he wouldn’t bring it to school. He does think it would be fun for bringing snacks on short trips.
• On the same note, the food containers are too small for bigger kids. My boys have to bring a snack and a lunch to school each day and these containers wouldn’t fit all the food they need. There also isn’t a place for a sports bottle or other reusable water bottle for drinks.
• The food containers are very cute and I love that  they are BPA free, but I did think that the tops seemed a little loose and they were a little leaky for liquidy foods (like yogurt). That said, I do appreciate the fact that the lids come off easily. My boys complain about some of the containers where the lids are so hard to pull off. So I’m on both sides of that one, I guess!

But definitely check this site out for your little ones. Perfect for “lunch bunch” at preschool or lunches for daycare. The kids will love picking out the faceplate. And who knows, maybe someday they’ll have a bigger version for bigger kids!

I was very excited to receive a package from VB Cosmetics recently. They sent me a bunch of products for me to review – including the Dazzle Dry Nail Care 3 piece Kit “for the on the go lifestyle”. They also sent one of their new spring nail colors “Sheer Elegance”. The reason I was excited is that I have been searching for a nail polish that I can feel safe using – and that actually works! Some of the “green” nail polishes just don’t stay on and they peel right off. The Dazzle Dry products claim to be a “dramatically innovational vegan nail polish system” that contains “no harmful chemicals; Toulene, Phthalate, Camphor and Formaldehyde-Free.” It’s also “Nitrocellulose Free” (admittedly, I had to investigate why that’s important – turns out nitrocellulose yellows the polish). Sounded intriguing to say the least!

Let me start by saying this – anyone that knows me knows I am not a “manicure” kind of person. Anytime I have paid to have my nails done (which, by the way, I can count on the normally-unlaquered fingers of my hand), I have screwed it up immediately. I notoriously chip or scratch or mess them up by the time I drive away from the salon. Not to mention the fact that I am pretty rough on my hands – typing, packing boxes, filling bottles etc. Nail polish just doesn’t stand a chance.

That said, I AM a big fan of having my toes show a little flair! I still don’t really have time to do the pedicure thing at a salon very often, but I do the “at home” version. Of course, scrubbing my feet smooth with Garden Girl’s Pucker Up sugar scrub, using the Foot Smoother and then applying Zippity Do Dah peppermint foot cream (I couldn’t resist the opportunity for a product plug!).

So initially, I figured I’d give this polish a try on my piggies – which need a fresh coat. That is, until I had an unheard of – and incredibly frustrating – TWO hours on the phone with Dell tech support on Wednesday morning. (Long story that doesn’t end well, so I’ll just leave it at that for now…). So I decided that since I was going to be tethered to my computer while some guy in another nation took over controlling my laptop (again, for TWO hours), I would use the time wisely. I broke open the Dazzle Dry kit.

I will say, coming from someone with limited time available for activities like polishing my nails, the kit was a bit overwhelming at first. The 3 piece kit includes a Nail Prep (that cleans and preps nails), a Base Coat and a Top Coat. I noticed immediately when I opened the kit that the Base Coat was thick and cloudy. Turns out, in cooler temperatures it can become a gel, but it is easily fixed by placing the jar in a bowl of hot water.

So while my “friend” still poked around on my laptop (unsuccessfully, I might add – do you sense my frustration?), I dutifully went through the full steps – Prep, Base Coat, Laquer and Top Coat for my left hand. Then, I wondered if I left out the “prep” if it would still work – so I did the right hand without the first step.

My thoughts? It was surprisingly easy and the results are amazingly strong – for both hands. I’m on day 2+ with only minor minor tiny chips on the tips of a couple of fingers. Mind you – I have been doing a lot of box-packing, bottle-filling and typing over these two days. So I’d say that’s pretty good – they still look glossy and are holding up well.

My only issue is that I was slightly confused regarding the top coat – I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to wait for the lacquer layer to dry first? I don’t think I was? So I found it hard to put the top coat on without sometimes squishing the lacquer layer. I’m guessing more skilled nail types will have that process down to a science, however. Also – I’m not a huge fan of the particular color they sent but that’s just personal preference.

But all in all, I’m quite pleased with this product line. The nails look shiny and are holding up very well. They dried in just over 5 minutes total so I was able to start doing things fairly quickly. I will note that when I applied the lacquer alone without the base coat or top coat, it peeled pretty quickly so I’m thinking that all of the steps are key to help the polish adhere. That said, I would want to use all the steps anyway so the nails look their best.

Oh – and I should also mention that the polishes help to strengthen nails with Vitamin B5, Collagen and Calcium – plus they have a UV screen to help protect the colors. And Dazzle Dry is made in the USA.

So if you’re looking for a great eco-friendly nail polish, definitely check out Dazzle Dry!

I was at Whole Foods a few weeks ago  (the new one in Dedham, for you local folks – LOVE it!), and there was a woman who was demonstrating a new line of locally produced eco-friendly cleaning products – Modern Mermaids. Although the All Purpose + Glass Cleaner is great (she gave me a sample – smells fresh like peppermint) – I decided to try the “Vitalizing Fruit & Veggie Wash”. I’m always happy to support a local business.

I know – there’s tons of veggie washes out there, but I have never bought one before. I have typically just used either castile soap or very hot water. But neither was really working that great for me. So I’m happy to say this has been great! It’s not cheap (the bottle is $5.29 at Whole Foods and $5.99 online), but it has lasted a long time. And I feel much better about the fruit and veggies we’re eating. Even organic produce has dirt and other stuff that it comes in contact with so this has been a great addition to our kitchen. Plus, with its big trigger spray it’s very convenient and easy to use.

So if you’re interested in supporting a small business and eating healthier, check out Modern Mermaids. They have a complete line of cleaning products, and based on my experience I’m guessing you can’t go wrong with any of them.

I have been dying to get my hands on a steam cleaner. What better way to clean the house without chemicals? I had watched (an embarrassingly large number of times) the infomercial for the Shark steam pocket. I read reviews online which were mixed – so I checked into other steam cleaners, some of which had better reviews. But when it came down to it, I was at Costco this weekend and they had the Shark. I think it was $80ish? So I figured, what the heck? Costco has an amazing return policy so I knew if it was a piece of junk, then I could always return it. I brought it home and couldn’t wait to use it. Much to my husband’s eye-rolling, I pulled it out at 9pm on Saturday night after I finally had a minute to check it out.

I got all the zillions of pieces out and quickly read the quick start guide. Then I got going on our bathroom sink – and my first reaction was.. “eh”. It was OK. Definitely NOT like what I saw on the infomercial (I know, how SHOCKING!).  We have hard water here so we get calcification on the faucets. I was really hoping that this would soften that – but not so much. However, I did notice that it loosened it enough for me to scrape it off more effectively than I’ve been able to do in the past. So that’s not bad, I guess?

It did an amazing job on the toilets which was a bonus. Suffice it to say, I live with 3 males (…) so the toilets can be, um, disgusting. Cleaning with the Shark,I didn’t actually have to touch anything (yea!) and was able to sanitize and clean the outside of the toilet and around the bottom easily. What they don’t show on TV, though, is that you usually have to wipe up after steaming. But still, overall, I was happy with the toilet cleaning bit.

Cleaning the showers was more “eh”. It does make the chrome sparkle which is nice. But there’s still a lot of elbow grease needed to get rid of soap scum etc. I guess I was wishfully thinking that this would be some miracle tool that would make cleaning fun (I know, I must have been watching the infomercial after that second glass of wine…).

So here’s my boiled-down (so to speak) assessment:

The good:

• Relatively easy to use (some flaws, see bel0w)
• Chemical-free
• Works great on chrome, toilets, getting dirt from nooks & crannies and tiny places
• Excellent at getting rid of greasy grime in the kitchen (stove top, microwave, toaster oven)
• It comes with a canvas bag that you can easily store everything in
• It is very portable – the cord is super long

The “not what I’d hoped for”:

• Didn’t get rid of hard water stains without a lot of elbow-grease
• Didn’t do any better than scrubbing with Bon Ami on getting rid of burnt-on mess on the stove top
• A little messier than I had thought – can leave a lot of water behind that you have to wipe up
• Not sure that using the attachments with the cloth steam pockets is actually disinfecting anything – it doesn’t seem hot enough. The cloth pockets seem to trap and cool the steam? I need to investigate more.
• It is hard to press the steam button with one hand and scrub with another if you need to hold onto smaller items. In general this isn’t a problem but cleaning the teapot was tricky.

So I guess if I was giving it a rating using a 5 star scale, I would give it a 2 1/2 stars rating. I suspect I’ll keep it because it is handy for certain jobs. But definitely not the revolutionary tool I was dreaming of…

I had seen the BeautyBlender on the Purely Cosmetics website many times and had read reviews of the funny pink egg on blogs but I just never felt compelled to buy it. What is it? It’s a funky spongy pink egg thingie that is touted as “The Ultimate Make Up Sponge Applicator”. I mean really – how “ultimate” can a make up sponge be? I thought I was happy with my flat-top brush from Purely Cosmetics so I figured I didn’t need this bizarre looking tool.

Then on the Bionic Beauty blog (fun blog – check it out) – they said there was a special offer for Valentine’s Day – you got 2 Blenders plus a bunch of sponge-cleanser packets to keep it fresh. I checked out the site and decided that it was time to try this thing out. (I actually bought the one without the cleansers as I like to use Garden Girl shower gel to clean brushes and sponges.)

So these cute little guys arrived at my doorstep and I was immediately intrigued. I have to say, for some reason I expected them to be firmer – not as soft. But they are very soft and they are AMAZING with mineral powders! I said I had “thought” I was happy with brushes but once I tried this I knew I’d never go back – at least not for the base powders (I still prefer a brush for blush and obviously eye liner).  No more powder messes that have always frustrated me. Plus – the egg shape is perfect for getting different areas covered – the wider ends for the forehead, cheeks and chin – the pointier end for eyes and nose areas. Really – it’s a simple but fantastic little tool.

So I highly recommend getting the blenders – either from PurelyCosmetics or straight from the BeautyBlender website where, by the way, they are still having their special offer! Even if you use cream based foundations or other non-mineral products, check them out – you’ll love them!

Yep – still on my quest for a great natural mascara. This time, it led me to Sephora where I found Tarte Lash Hugger mascara. Love that it’s free of parabens, mineral oil, propylene glycol, phthalates, sulfates, fragrance and dyes. Sounds familiar, right? Right away I was excited. So how does it compare to the Kiehl’s Mascara that I reviewed earlier?

First off, the ingredients list is much smaller and appears more natural. Another plus. But the application of the product is totally different from Kiehl’s. As I had said, Kiehl’s goes on thick and a bit clumpy. But it definitely made my short and straight lashes stand out. I would say the Tarte mascara is more, hmmm… refined? It’s not as heavy and the brush has a lot of very fine bristles so after one coat, my lashes are less dramatic than Kiehl’s – but also noticeably less clumpy. So overall, I think I would have to go with Tarte as my “go to” mascara, but Kiehl’s is good when I need to put on make-up fast and am less worried about how natural it looks.

I think I can now put this search on hold. I am happy with Tarte Lash Hugger, and at $18 for a 0.19 oz tube (at Sephora), I will want to use this up before I invest in checking out another mineral mascara.

I have been curious about Carol’s Daughter hair products for awhile, so I finally decided to try one. Carol’s Daughter products are typically for ethnic hair, however I have read on many beauty sites that most of the products are great for all types of hair. And when you read the ingredients – at least for the Mimosa Hair Honey – you can see that they are great, natural ingredients:

Zea Mays (Corn) Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender), Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf,Trifolium Pratense (Red Clover), Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary), Rosa Damascena (Rose-petal Red), Malva Moschata (Malva-Blue), Urtica Diocia (Nettle), Beeswax, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) Fruit, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Fragrance, Alkana Tinctoria Root, Annatto Seed.

This product has no water in it so it is actually free of preservatives, which is a bonus!

I was looking for something quick and easy to use after drying my hair to soften the ends and add a little shine. I didn’t want anything that had silicone or other icky ingredients – I wanted something natural. So my search led me to Hair Mimosa Honey – it is designed to reduce frizz and add shine.

Well, as you can see, there is certainly a lot of oil in the product. I had read on some review sites that you only need a little – and that is absolutely true. A tiny bit goes a very long way. If you use too much, you can quickly make your hair look like it needs to be washed again. So literally I lightly run my finger across the top of the product (which has the consistency of a thick salve). Then I rub that in my hands then onto the ends of my hair and then through the rest of my hair.

So what do I think? I would say it is pretty good for a natural styling product. I’d give it maybe 3 of 5 stars. Not amazing, but definitely not bad. But the thing is, I have very thick, coarse hair. I’m thinking that this would not work well on fine or thin hair – it’s pretty oily and I would guess that this would make thin hair look greasy.

I’d say that I would recommend it if you have thick, coarse and/or dry hair and you’re looking for something to make it softer and silkier after you style it. But I’ll still be on the lookout for something that I don’t have to be so careful using.

On a side note, I was disappointed in seeing that they use fragrance which I’m guessing isn’t phthalate-free. I actually find the scent a little strong. It’s supposed to be citrus-y but it seems like citrus mixed with a perfume-y scent – not really my thing…