I Got Nothin...

Please forgive me for this weeks post.  Someone that we have come to know and love has passed away this weekend so I am going to skip this week to mourn a bit, think and regroup.  I will return next Monday with something new for us to contemplate together.  Stay safe all.

My best, Lynn

Music:  Barry White "Your My First, My Last, My Everything".  I know this will help lift my spirits and the rest of humanities.  This song always reminds me of my husband.  Makes me smile and tap my feet.

Drumroll Please...

Congratulations to dear, sweet Antique Mascara of Welcome to Happiness. No Smoking Allowed. This weeks winner of a tube of Tom's of Maine conditioning Shave Cream. May your hubby (and you) never itch again! Enjoy!


My best, Lynn


P.S. My review will be on vacation next week. It will be replaced with some book knowledge. Bring a pen and some paper to class...

Tom's of Maine Shave Cream

First time visitor? You may want to start here..

Did You Know...

...the European Parliament approved the creation of bee "recovery zones" across the Continent to boost the plummeting bee numbers.  These zones will have a variety of plants rich in nectar and pollen as well as free of pesticides.  

-O.C.A.

Today I will review for you something that I liked veddy, veddy much...

 

It is Tom's of Maine Natural Conditioning Shave Cream. Although it's not listed on their website (they have a lot of products - maybe they ran out of room?), I still love their website. Click on it to check it all out.  Here's the review:

REVIEW: As I was going through all things natural in the natural foods store I kept coming across this Company's products and I would look at the label, be impressed, then put it down.  I finally decided on getting this shave cream for my husband because he has been a Barbasol man since the day of our 'I Do's' but he itches after like it gave him fleas. Needless to say, I hate to see the man suffer so I'm glad I bought this. All week it sat there in the medicine cabinet...all lonely and getting bullied by the big, bad chemicals that sadly still live there (until mama can completely switch our products over to the natural and sunny side). After waiting what seemed like forever for the hubby to use it and tell me EVERYTHING he thought or felt about it - great times! - I finally realized that hmm....what is this itchy stuff all over my legs? HAIR! I completely forgot that I could use it for myself! (Enter a Homer Simpson D'OH!)  Off I went,  I wet my legs with warm water, squeezed (and when I say squeezed I mean Tom really made me work for my smooth legs - that stuff takes some elbow grease to get out of the tube) a small bit onto my hands and lathered over my legs.  It gives a decent amount of lather. I'm learning not to expect a huge Calvin & Hobbes type bubble bath lather in a lot of natural products.  I think they keep the glycerin (which gives it that sizzle) to a minimum.  Fine by me, as long as I come out cleaner than when I went in!  After the shave, I looked at my fine work and I was quite impressed. My skin looked and felt great and I didn't have that itching feeling afterwards.  I was hoping that it would have cured my hair growth altogether but since sometimes I'm sure I'm half Chewbacca - my leg hairs grow quickly whenever they come in contact with cold air.  I have a very protective body I guess... Anyway, short story long I loved it.  I prefer it, 5 out of 5 Lynns would recommend it to her patients and it gets the coveted 5 carrots. I'm converted and I hope you try it out.

   

  

STATS: A 3.6 oz. tube is $6.69 here,        

            Perfect Balance Organics                                   

            9264 Cortez Blvd.

           Weeki Wachee, FL 34613

           352*597*8100   *call ahead - sometimes they run out.                                          

            OR   

            I found it for a steal @$3.75 on www.drugstore.com

SUMMARY:  I really liked this product and even more importantly, I appreciate the company of Tom's of Maine. Their methods and ideas on animal testing, product ingredients, and consumer treatment just blew me away.  I encourage all of you to go to their website and peruse around. You'll be impressed.  Tom's

* Don't forget to leave a comment to win it!

Want to leave a comment but don't know how? Click here

Winner will be announced Friday!

Music:  Couldn't help myself.  He first appeared in Jan. and now Israel (his story is at the bottom of that post) is back for an encore performance for the week. Enjoy!

Pics: freedigitalphotos.net

A Few Household Tips...

Did You Know...

...In the US, 1 in 3 people suffer from allergies, asthma, sinusitis or bronchitis? 

-US National Center for Health Statistics

We all want to be healthy right?  That goes without saying.  I've been on this journey for a few months now and I've come to the realization that there is more to us then just what we put on our skin.  There are many factors that can alter our well-being and we don't even think about it much. Here is one area of body care and wellness that we can be aware of now though: household cleaners.  

Yep.  I didn't know that some of these cleaning products have some bad mamma jamma stuff in their ingredients.  So guess what I did?  You got it. I put on my miners cap (those ones with the little dim flickering  lights on the front) and went searching through the terrain for better alternatives to the "norm".  I found a lot of natural - truly - remedies for many situations we wives, mothers, daughters, husbands, sons, fathers come across in our daily chorey lives.  You

 need to dust? Found a natural furniture polish.  Clean windows?  Natural window cleaner. Need to extract a tooth while stuck on a deserted island? I found the best natural alcohol to sedate you! Ha! But you get what I'm puttin' down right?  

What we inhale in the air is just as important to our health as what we slather across our arms or legs.  I don't want to put any more allergens into my and my families system any more than we come across in our daily outings.  Our homes should be safe havens right?

Say it with me ladies: RIGHT!

Without further ado, I present to you the first in what I hope to be a very chock full o' stuff series of:  NATURAL HOUSEHOLD CLEANING SOLUTIONS....

FURNITURE POLISH: Chemicals in conventional furniture polishes can cause irritability and depression due to them being highly neurotoxic (poisonous to the nervous system).  So instead try this alternative...  

• 1/4 c white distilled vinegar (you can use apple cider vinegar but some materials may stain)
• A few drops of olive oil
• Mix in a bowl and apply to wood.

*If you don't like the vinegar smell too much then sub out the vinegar for lemon juice.

BATHROOM CLEANER: This solution can be used on almost all parts of the bathroom.  Make sure not to overuse the vinegar b/c it can eat away the tile grout.  

• 1 part water
• 1 part vinegar
• Mix in a spray bottle and spray onto tub. Wipe off with a sponge or rag.

TOILET BOWL CLEANER: A mixture of 2 parts Borax and 1 part lemon juice will also work. Use what you got...

• 1/4 c baking soda
• 1 c vinegar
• Mix together in a bowl, pour into the bowl basin, let set for a few minutes; scrub with brush and flush.  Pretty! Pretty!

So here are just a few household cleanser alternatives we all can use and hopefully these will help clear up a few more sniffles and brighten our days a bit...Enjoy!

My best, Lynn

Music:  Alicia Keys "Superwoman".  It's a great day to be a woman eh?  We are capable of endless things.  This song is how I like to start my days lately...

Picture of woman from dreamstime. Lemons from freedigitalphotos.net

How To Leave a Comment and Win FREE PRODUCTS!!!!

I TRY AND UPDATE MON-FRI...EMPHASIS ON TRY...

So you're new here, eh? Or not so new, and wanting to leave a comment for the first time? Well I've got all that you need right here! All the instructions on how to do so, and in the process enter for free products. First of all, if you are new, click here to read about the start of my journey...

At the end of all my posts and reviews there is a line that says "Posted by Lynn @ blah, blah, blah". Next to that (usually on the same line or just one below it) it will say 1, 2, 3, 100, however many...THOUGHTS. Click on that. Then it will prompt you to put in your Yahoo! username and password to leave a comment. If you have one, great! If not, you can either make one or if you don't want to, you can still leave a comment anonymously.

Whenever I do a review of a product I will always try and have a giveaway of that product each time to whichever commenter wins. (Which due to this down economy has been temporarily suspended. I'll keep you updated! :o) I use random.org to pick the winner.

I hope this helped you with any questions about how to comment or get in on the giveaways. Feel free to leave comments on your thoughts about the site: music, products, layout, font size :o) Hope to hear from you all soon and preferably each week!

My best, Lynn

The Winner Is....

For the second week in a row the winner is lovely Michelle from mammatalk!  I promise you all, we are not in cahoots - random.org doesn't tell a lie.  She is the proud new mamma of a new bar of Olivella Face & Body soap.  Congrats Michelle and check back again everyone next week, for what new goodies we will have, nobody knows...not even me half the time! :o)

Have a great weekend y'all!

My best, Lynn

Fireworks from Sarah Arbogast off freedigitalphotos.net

Mmm...Olivella

New Reviews every Monday...

The product this week was given to me by my brother.  I didn't think he was into this sort of stuff so it was a pleasant surprise. My mom has been using it for awhile and she really liked it so I     figured it was high time that I gave it a try.

Review:  This soap is 100% olive oil and it contains no animal fats.  It is not tested on animals.  It's hypoallergenic (for those with sensitive skin that just means its "less likely" to irritate your skin but it still may). It has a natural green color to it and the box says it's from the chlorophyll in the olive oil.  These are the ingredients:  saponified virgin olive oil, water, glycerin (for the lather), and fragrance (it smells heavenly and I haven't had any negative reactions to my skin)  I really like this and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a good soap.  I even use it on the kiddies @ bath time.  They have combination skin and they always come out of the tub feeling as soft as the day they were born.

Pros: The benefits of olive oil in skin and body care has been long documented as being very

beneficial to our well-being.  The CEO of Olivella says, "The soaps, creams and moisturizers have emollient and softening properties, which prevent the skin from aging and protect it from the free radicals negative action." She also says it's suitable for dry or oily skins and it could be defined as the "natural Mediterranean diet for our skins". (olivellaline) Gotta love that comparison right?

Cons: There are only 2 cons I have with this soap.  1. It dissolves quicker than a "normal" bar of soap that you may be used to so that means you will be purchasing more.  2. It leaves a slimy trail on your soap tray in the bathroom.  It doesn't look appealing at all but I say, who cares? It's only going to be you seeing it - unless you have those house guests who peer into every corner when they go to the bathroom! 

Where to get it:  I searched for a great price on this and I found it in two different places. QVC has a set of 5 for (after S&H) $23.72. They don't sell single bars.  However, I did find single bars on www.olivellasoap.com AND they have Fragrance Free also (it's a 3.52 oz).  If  you want to try it out first before committing to a large bulk order, then this is your best shot.  The regular sized 5.29 are on sale @ $2.99 w/ $7.29 S&H fees for a total of $10.28.  The fragrance free (3.52 oz) is on sale for $2.25 w/ the same S&H fees for a total of $9.54.   

So I loved this product this week and if you want to win it before you buy it, remember, just leave a comment by clicking on the comments line at the bottom of this post.  Winners are announced on Fridays!  Have a great Monday and a great week!

My best, Lynn

Music: Paul Potts on Britains Got Talent - this man went on to win the whooole thing! Great story.  Then, I saw him sing on the today show to Matt, Meredith, Al and Ann.  Good pipes. This video gives me chills every time. 

Pics: freedigitalphotos.net